Business leaders, sustainability experts, and policymakers gathered yesterday at Católica Porto Business School to discuss key topics such as education, immigration, and improving quality of life in cities. The social conference “Education, Immigration, and Quality of Life. What Paths?” took place on the morning of 29 January, as part of a partnership between Católica Porto Business School and Jornal de Negócios within the Negócios Sustentabilidade 20|30 initiative.
In his opening remarks, following an introduction by Jornal de Negócios director Diana Ramos, João Pinto, dean of Católica Porto Business School, highlighted the importance of this topic for the School: “Sustainability and regeneration are strategic pillars for Católica Porto Business School, reflected in our innovative educational offerings and our connection to international networks of responsible leadership.”
The conference began with an institutional opening by the Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, Maria do Rosário Palma Ramalho, who reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to “ensuring the sustainability of the system”. This was followed by a keynote conversation with Carlos Moreira da Silva (President of the Business Roundtable Portugal (BRP) and Founder & CEO of Teak Capital), who argued that labour costs should be reduced to increase workers' earnings and enhance the competitiveness of national companies.
The first panel, “The Future of Education in Times of Transition”, was moderated by Helena Garrido (Jornal de Negócios journalist and curator of the Negócios Sustentabilidade initiative). The discussion featured Afonso Mendonça Reis (social entrepreneur in education and President of the Global Teacher Prize Portugal jury), André Rosendo (Founder, Open Learning School), Mónica Vieira (General Coordinator, Teresa e Alexandre Soares dos Santos – Iniciativa Educação), and Sofia Salgado (Professor, Católica Porto Business School), who stressed the need for greater collaboration between academia and the business sector to align curricula with labour market demands.
The next section featured a personal testimony, sharing the story of Adalécio, a bus driver from São Tomé and Príncipe working in Aveiro, highlighting the challenges and opportunities of immigration in Portugal.
This was followed by the panel discussion “Immigration: From Economy to Social Integration”, with Pedro Portugal Gaspar (President, Agency for Integration, Migration, and Asylum – AIMA), Paulo Fernandes (Mayor, Fundão), Olga Pereira (Councillor, Braga City Council), and Pedro Afonso (CEO, Vinci Energies Portugal), moderated by Helena Garrido.
In the session “Conversation with… How to Live Better in Cities?”, Miguel Anxo Fernández Lores (Mayor of Pontevedra) shared his insights in a discussion moderated by Carlos Marçalo (Director of Content and Special Projects, Medialivre).
The event concluded with the debate “Territory, Cities, and Housing: How to Plan for Quality of Life”, featuring António Carlos Rodrigues (CEO, Grupo Casais), Fernando Paulo (Councillor for Education and Social Cohesion, Porto City Council), Isabel Matias (Architect, Leiras do Carvalhal), and Rogério Carlos (Vice-President, Aveiro City Council), moderated by Diana Ramos (Jornal de Negócios director).
This was the second event in a conference series on ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) topics, held as part of the Negócios Sustentabilidade 20|30 initiative and associated with the National Sustainability Award.
About Católica Porto Business School (CPBS): Católica Porto Business School is among the world’s top business schools, belonging to a highly select group of just 1% of institutions globally accredited with EQUIS, AMBA, and AACSB. It is also ranked in the Top 100 of the Financial Times European Business School Rankings – 2024. This recognition reflects excellence across all areas, including Education, Research, and Societal Impact. Católica Porto Business School is a faculty of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, internationally recognised for developing well-rounded professionals for a sustainable and global society, as well as producing cutting-edge knowledge in Management and Economics. Learn more here.
