SACRU Summer School in Lisbon ended on a high note

There could not have been a more suggestive location than the city of Sintra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to officially conclude the inaugural SACRU Summer School "A New World Order: The Way Ahead between Democracy and Authoritarian Challenges," held from July 1 to 14 at the Lisbon campus of the Universidade Catòlica Portuguesa (UCP). The visit to Sintra marked the end of the unique programme of the Alliance, which gathered 16 students from 6 SACRU Universities to discuss the future of liberal democracy in light of pressing contemporary issues such as authoritarianism and democratic backsliding.

“Our students came from all over the world and have been shaped by different cultural traditions and upbringings - still they were all deeply united in their commitment to delve deeper into the intricacies of democratic existence, and their passion for democratic ideals", Ana Cavalieri, Executive Director of the Summer School, commented.

In this summer school, these students discussed the key features of Political Leadership, Governance, and Democratic Practice in contemporary societies and addressed how to defend peace, pluralism, prosperity and human rights in light of the rapidly changing dynamics of contemporary global politics. Hence, "the inspiring success of this inaugural edition of the SACRU Summer School clearly shows how powerful the alliance" can be, Ana Cavalieri added.

The classes covered a whole spectrum of contents such as The Portuguese Revolution of 1974 and its rolling stones, Democracy and the challenges of populism and polarization, and the strategies to reshape world politics through the mix of hard and soft power.

Tetsuo Morishita, Professor and Vice President for Global Academic Affairs of Sophia University, addressed the topic of AI and the rule of law, stimulating students on how we could address AI to foster democracy. "Students actively expressed their views on issues such as what limitations AIs have, how various decisions in the democratic process may be delegated to AIs, and how AIs can be used to strengthen democracy", the professor highlighted.

Representing Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Professor Raul Caruso gave a lecture on the impact of climate change on social turmoil, and violence and protest. According to the professor, "students showed great engagement, bringing various approaches to the topic. This is due to the topic's interdisciplinary nature and the different cultural contexts from which the students came." Which the professor believes "the main strength of this SACRU initiative is that it stimulated both students and faculty members' reflections".

Alongside the academic programme, students were given a 360-degree experience with on cultural visits to the beauty of Lisbon, such as the Castle of Sao Jorge, the Belem Tower, and the Monastery of Jeronimos. Other social moments were a boat tour of Lisbon and listening to Fado, a typical Portuguese music. These activities were important to complement students' knowledge of democracy by strengthening inter-community ties and familiarity with SACRU.

The feedback from students in this regard was nothing but positive. "With my background in law, I found the Summer School's interdisciplinary approach immensely valuable, especially as it allowed me to learn from other disciplines, notably political theory," Lima Atkar, Ph.D. student in Law & Business at the Australian Catholic University, said.

“The experience of participating in the SACRU Summer School and immersing myself in Portuguese culture was, in a word, "inesquecível" – unforgettable. I am deeply grateful to SACRU and Universidade Católica Portuguesa for organizing such an excellent programme and for their memorable hospitality", the student concluded.