The Catholic University of Mozambique (UCM), established in 1995, is committed to innovative education and community service. With notable collaborations from “Doctors with Africa Cuamm”, UCM emphasizes the importance of integrating academic rigor with societal needs. The university’s Faculty of Medicine has been crucial in addressing regional healthcare disparities, culminating in historic graduations of medical students in Beira.
Since its inception in 1995, the Catholic University of Mozambique (UCM) has addressed educational needs with a commitment to integrity and innovation. Rector Fr. Filipe Sungo expressed the institution’s aim to cultivate qualified professionals who embody leadership and dedication to the common good. Through three decades of history, UCM has distinguished itself for its academic excellence, international collaboration, and humanitarian values.
The academic year opening event, held on March 14 in Beira, featured representatives from “Doctors with Africa Cuamm,” an organization that collaborates extensively with UCM. Director Don Dante Carraro, alongside esteemed immunologist Professor Alberto Mantovani, recognized UCM as an educational institution deeply connected to its community, emphasizing that science should uplift the poorest and most vulnerable.
Bishop Claudio Dalla Zuanna of Beira reinforced the university’s role as a facilitator of both scientific advancement and human development, advocating for a model that integrates academic rigor with societal engagement. He articulated the need for the university to actively listen to society and respond to its challenges, reflecting a vision aligned with Pope Francis’s sentiments.
UCM, located approximately 1,500 km from the capital, Maputo, is now the second-largest university in Mozambique. Following its founding, the Faculty of Medicine responded to a critical healthcare demand, thanks in part to guidance from “Doctors with Africa Cuamm”. Its Medical School, inaugurated in 2004, marked a significant commitment to healthcare education in a region previously underserved by medical professionals.
On August 25, 2007, UCM celebrated a milestone with the graduation of its first cohort of medical students, a landmark event termed “historic” by former rector Father Alberto Ferreira. This achievement highlighted the university’s role in addressing healthcare disparities in the north-central region, where one doctor served every 100,000 inhabitants.
The Catholic University of Mozambique stands as a testament to innovative education that prioritizes academic excellence and community service. By fostering healthcare education and commitment to societal needs, UCM addresses critical challenges in Mozambique. Key figures such as Fr. Filipe Sungo and Don Dante Carraro have illuminated the vital connection between education, healthcare, and community welfare, ensuring that the university remains attuned to the needs of the most vulnerable populations.
Original Source: www.fides.org
