"Our goal is to continue nurturing talents that drive companies, the economy, and society, as well as to further CATÓLICA-LISBON's rise in international rankings," says Filipe Santos, Dean of CATÓLICA-LISBON, who inaugurated the new podcast "Business with Impact," a partnership with Rádio Renascença.
In an interview with the School's Dean, Filipe Santos highlights CATÓLICA-LISBON's pioneering spirit and the importance of highlighting Business with Impact.
Why the designation 'Business with Impact'? The truth is, sometimes there's a negative connotation associated with the idea of business. But progress happens, and the world moves forward because there are visionary individuals who aren't content with the status quo and who launch new initiatives, create businesses—businesses that serve citizens by meeting their needs in various areas. Engaging in business is highly positive, and fortunately, our society is increasingly populated by entrepreneurial and innovative individuals eager to develop new ventures," begins Filipe Santos, Dean of CATÓLICA-LISBON, explaining the rationale behind the new podcast's designation.
In this new space, launching on March 20th, 'we aim to showcase entrepreneurs made in CATÓLICA-LISBON, students, and graduates who, driven by their dreams and the desire to launch new businesses, create value for the economy and society. This is, in fact, one of our school’s objectives: to continue educating entrepreneurial leaders and managers capable of advancing the economy and society,' he adds.
Throughout 24 editions, Filipe Santos explains, "businesses with impact will be introduced, as they seek to address societal needs while keeping sight of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These are businesses born from innovative ideas and projects geared towards the future, which can inspire others and advance society by introducing more sustainable products or services to the market”.
CATÓLICA-LISBON itself has been a source of inspiration both internally and externally. 'This podcast discusses businesses with impact, but the school project itself has been, since its inception, an impactful initiative. At a time when modernizing companies and growing the economy were necessary, CATÓLICA-LISBON did just that by launching the first undergraduate degree in Management in 1972. Since then, it has educated multiple generations of business leaders who significantly influenced the Portuguese business revolution of the 1980s and 1990s’ emphasizes Filipe Santos.
The Dean of CATÓLICA-LISBON also highlights the vision that has characterized the school's history, being the first to launch Executive Education about 30 years ago. It has not only succeeded at the national level but also internationally, pioneering since the 2000s with the Triple Crown Accreditation and the Financial Times rankings. 'We are the most international and recognized Portuguese school, largely due to our commitment to internationalization, which, as is the case with companies deciding to expand their activities beyond borders, fosters growth. Faced with greater demands, we must continuously improve to excel and compete with the best in the world,' he asserts.
Due to this commitment, CATÓLICA-LISBON continues not only to educate generations of talent but also to attract world-class talent, both in faculty and students. 'We have evolved significantly since 2007. We have nearly tripled in size, which is why we are undertaking a project to build a new campus to continue attracting talent and climbing in the rankings. More than half of our students are international, coming from countries like France, Germany, or Italy,' he emphasizes.
Filipe Santos also considers it equally important to create conditions for new talents, such as those generated or attracted by CATÓLICA-LISBON, to want to settle in the country and contribute to the generation of value here. CATÓLICA-LISBON has over 2,400 students enrolled in Degree Programs and annually educates about 4,000 students seeking world-class Executive Education. "Over the years, we have counted on more than 50,000 alumni from Executive Education and 15,000 from Degree Programs, who together form a very strong, vibrant community, also comprised of around 70 career research and teaching professors, 200 guest lecturers, and a hundred excellent staff members," he praises. Currently, CATÓLICA-LISBON ranks as the 22nd best European school in the Financial Times ranking, having risen ten positions in the last 4 years. "Our goal is to continue this upward trend and climb another 10 positions in the next 5 years, while maintaining a proactive and pioneering stance in seeking solutions to issues we consider crucial for the sustainable development of the country, such as business competitiveness, the quality of public policies, as well as specific initiatives we launch on critical but specific issues like water resource management, promoting mental health, or addressing demographic concerns," Filipe Santos concludes.
Listen to Filipe Santos's interview here.