Los Jerónimos Monastery Temple was beautifully adorned today to celebrate the feast of San Antonio de Padua, the patron saint of the Universidad Católica de Murcia (UCAM). The event brought together members of the university community, local and national authorities, and institutional leaders. The moving ceremony—vibrant with the academic gowns and caps of the university's new doctors—began with a Mass presided over by José Manuel Lorca Planes, Bishop of the Diocese of Cartagena, followed by the official academic act.

UCAM President, María Dolores García, presided over the event, accompanied by University Rector, Josefina García; José Manuel Lorca Planes, Bishop of the Diocese of Cartagena; Antonio Montoro, Honorary Rector; and Juan María Vázquez, Regional Minister for the Environment, Universities, Research, and the Mar Menor, representing the regional government.

New Degrees for the Upcoming Academic Year

For the upcoming academic year, UCAM plans to expand its educational offerings with two new master's programs: the Master’s Degree in Higher University Teaching, designed for specialized instructor training, and the Master’s Degree in Neuroeducation.

Meanwhile, the Higher Polytechnic School will introduce the Bachelor's Degree in Data Science. Available both on-campus and online, this program combines data analysis, programming, artificial intelligence, Big Data, ethics, and business, offering specialized tracks in Big Data and AI. UCAM will also launch an online Master's Degree in Artificial Intelligence, aimed at training specialists in one of today's fastest-growing tech sectors, covering machine learning, deep learning, cloud and edge computing, IoT, and advanced AI applications.

The University President highlighted the institution's journey of "providing holistic education for the whole person", expressing pride in UCAM's research breakthroughs in health, aging, nutrition, advanced therapies, and well-being technologies.

"But if there is one thing that truly distinguishes this University, it is its evangelizing vocation. Everything we do would make little sense if we lost sight of our raison d'être", she noted, recalling the words of her late husband and UCAM founder, José Luis Mendoza. "He frequently reminded us that UCAM must be a beacon radiating faith and Catholic culture. That remains our horizon".

Madrid Campus Set to Open with 5 Bachelor's Degrees

A major milestone for the next academic year is the official launch of the UCAM Madrid Campus. Specializing in health and sports, the campus is backed by a strategic alliance with the Spanish Olympic Committee. While the campus has already hosted various events this year, September will mark the official start of classes for bachelor's degrees in Nursing, Physiotherapy, Psychology, Human Nutrition and Dietetics, as well as a double degree in Food Science and Technology and Human Nutrition and Dietetics.

Furthermore, additional facilities will be incorporated in the surrounding area and the Fuencarral district, as announced by University Rector Josefina García. She emphasized UCAM’s 29-year legacy of delivering top-tier education, noting that the new campus is not "a different UCAM, but the same institution built on the same core principles, always keeping the student at the very center". She thanked the university community for their daily dedication and praised UCAM’s capacity to "drive development in the communities where we operate".

Juan María Vázquez, Regional Minister for Universities, also praised UCAM's commitment to excellence. He paid tribute to José Luis Mendoza, noting how his vision "has evolved over the years into a major university reality, fully consolidated in the Region of Murcia, across Spain, and beyond our borders". He highlighted UCAM's strong performance in recent rankings, such as the CYD Index, where the university stands out with 13 high-performance indicators.

"University quality does not depend on its nature. It depends on the rigor of its teaching, the solidity of its research, knowledge transfer, graduate employability, internationalization, transparency, evaluation, and social commitment", Vázquez remarked. He concluded by recognizing UCAM's vital contribution to the regional higher education system: "A university that is already truly universal—one that teaches, researches, innovates, competes, transfers knowledge, and transforms, but never forgets that the human person must always be at the center of every institution, public policy, and future project".

Commitment to Basic and Applied Science

During the academic ceremony, distinctions were awarded to 40 new PhD graduates from the programmes in "Computing Technologies and Environmental Engineering", "Social Sciences", "Sports Sciences", and "Health Sciences". Additionally, several new appointments were made, many of which reinforce UCAM’s strong commitment to the business sector. Notable examples include Francisco Javier López, Director of the Provacuno Chair in "Animal Protein, Nutrition, and Health Research", José Viña, Director of the Chair in Geroscience, Manuel Quijada and José Luis Durán, Director and Coordinator of the "Environment, Water, and Energy" Chair (Ozono Global Group), Eva Franco, Director of the Veolia Water Chair, coordinated by Víctor Meseguer and Isabel Martínez, Fernando Manuel Martínez, Director of the "Digitalisation and Sustainability" Chair, coordinated by Andrés Bueno, Antonio Romero, Director of the Chair in Urology, and José Abellán Huerta, as Coordinator of the Chair in Cardiovascular Risk. Likewise, the event served to formalise the designations of Cesáreo Gil de Pareja as Dean of the Faculty of Law, Aitor Pérez as Vice-Dean of the Bachelor's Degree in Podiatry, María Dolores Gil as Vice-Dean of Food Science and Technology, and María de los Llanos Martínez as Medical Director of the UCAM Veterinary Hospital, among others, all of whom had already assumed their respective positions during the current academic year.
 

The Great Figure of San Antonio

During his homily, José Manuel Lorca Planes, Bishop of the Diocese of Cartagena, reflected on the life and figure of San Antonio, whom he described as "one of the most popular saints in the Church, venerated worldwide". He further emphasized the teachings that the saint left behind throughout his life, which led him to become the first teacher of theology of the Order of Friars Minor. To conclude, he asked San Antonio de Padua "to intercede for the entire Church, and in a special way, for all of those who dedicate themselves to teaching".