By Christopher Wells
Dr Isabel Capeloa Gil, the rector of the Catholic University of Portugal, has been elected as the new president of the Strategic Alliance of Catholic Research Universities (SACRU).
SACRU is “a network of research-intensive Catholic universities dedicated to research and teaching excellence, engagement, and global collaboration informed by Catholic social teaching.” The alliance includes universities from North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
In a press statement issued by SACRU, Dr Gil describes the alliance as “a unique knowledge network that combines cutting-edge research with Catholic values and mission.”
“Research is a tremendous power that the nine universities in the network are committed to using to educate and to serve the Common Good,” she explains. “Now, more than ever, Catholic universities are crucial to advance the Church’s mission, fostering dialogue, inclusiveness, and solidarity.”
The new president is Full Professor of Culture Studies and current Rector of Universidade Católica Portuguesa (UCP). Dr Gil has a degree in Modern Languages and Literatures from the University of Lisbon and earned a Ph.D. in German Language and Culture from UCP. She has been a visiting professor at several international universities (including in Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Brazil, and the United States), is an Honorary Fellow at the School of Advanced Studies of the University of London, and served as Dean of the Faculty of Human Sciences at UCP. She is also the founder of the Lisbon Consortium and of the Research Centre for Communication and Culture.
SACRU plays a prominent role within the global Catholic academic community, with several representatives in the federations of Catholic universities. Elena Beccalli, Rector of Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore – which hosts the SACRU Secretariat – is Vice President of the International Federation of Catholic Universities (IFCU) and President of the European Federation of Catholic Universities (FUCE). Another representative is Fr Anderson Antonio Pedroso SJ, Rector of Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, who is President of the Organization of Catholic Universities of Latin America and the Caribbean (ODUCAL) for the 2025–2028 term, and a Board member of IFCU.
The nine universities of SACRU include more than 250,000 students along with some 20,000 academics and researchers. The network has collaborated with the FAO to address global challenges and “strengthen the link between research and policymaking within the One Health framework.”
The organization has also worked with the Dicastery for Culture and Education in fostering greater relationships among Catholic educational institutions.
Later this year, from Oct 27 to Nov 2, SACRU and the Dicastery will work together on the Autumn School “The Freedom of Scientific Research”, organized in conjunction with the Jubilee of the World of Education.”
The event will take place at the Australian Catholic University’s Rome campus, and will explore the challenges and opportunities researchers face as they navigate evolving frameworks of academic freedom, funding structures, and ethical considerations.” – Vatican News
