As part of "All Aboard 23/24", the programme to welcome new master's students, the Official Opening Session was held this Thursday, October 12th, with a special guest: António Ramalho, a former student at Universidade Católica Portuguesa, former CEO of Novo Banco and other large Portuguese companies and current Senior Advisor and Industry Fellow at Católica Porto Business School (CPBS).
Gonçalo Faria, Associate Dean for Graduate and Executive Education and Engagement at CPBS, recalled the school's ongoing commitment to high-quality teaching. This commitment generates a high employability of students. Still, it is recognised by external organisations: "The master's degrees play a vital role in the school's training strategy, and proof of this is the number of students enrolled this year and the fact that three of our master's degrees are among the best in the world according to QS Business Master's Rankings."
Speaking to the students, António Ramalho emphasised particular aspects. Especially the importance of soft skills: "Success, yes or no? Yes, but if you understand what soft skills you need to do your job and to go further. The theoretical tools you learn aren't everything."
The ability to make decisions was one of the soft skills most emphasised throughout his speech, even mentioning that: "Decision-making is a crucial soft skill, being able to make the right decision at the right time, especially in times of crisis," while also recalling that knowing how to manage is all about not being afraid to decide and learning how to resolve dilemmas.
António Ramalho closed his speech by motivating the students to make the most of the learning that Católica Porto Business School offers: "In 10 or 20 years, some of you will be at the top. My generation, for example, couldn't decide where to build an airport or solve social security problems. But that's what we're training you for here at CPBS. To make the big decisions, the ones that make a difference."
Students of master's programmes in Auditing and Taxation, Business Economics, Finance, Human Resources Management, Management and Marketing attend the session.
Recently, three of these master's degrees - Management, Finance and Marketing - entered the QS Business Master's Rankings, one of the world's most influential rankings that distinguishes the best master's programmes globally. During the evaluation of the three programmes, the school stood out by indicators such as the diversity of students and teaching staff, the impact of the research carried out, and the salary level achieved by graduates at the start of their careers.
