Recognising who we are in order to continue building a university

In his words, the Rector recalled that a university is, above all, a community of people: "Correcting Saint Thomas Aquinas, a university is a community of people that does well what it knows how to do and teaches what it has to teach in order to form a worthy person. And, correcting Ortega, a university today consists of teaching how to be a person", he pointed out.

From this perspective, he stressed that the gala went beyond a mere prize-giving ceremony: "Today is not only a recognition of the PAS; it is to tell us what we do, what is worthwhile and what is important in the university". In this sense, Allende insisted that what is recognised is what is encouraged, while that which is not named or valued runs the risk of disappearing: "This is a way of saying who we are".

During the ceremony, names were given to specific attitudes and ways of working - inspirational leadership, transformative and transparent collaboration, collegiality, community care and well-being, excellence in management and teamwork - that make the day-to-day running of the university possible. The Rector also stressed that recognition among colleagues cannot be feigned, because it is born out of daily coexistence and real shared work.

At the opening of the gala, Vice Rector Dolores Carrillo emphasised that Comillas is "a place where it matters how things are done", recalling that values are not an add-on, but rather a criterion that runs through the organisation and gives meaning to its mission. An idea that connected with the Rector's subsequent reflection, when he pointed out that "the mission is played out in everyday life, not only in the great moments".

Acknowledgements

In this fifth edition, the awards ceremony recognised Daniel Nuevo González (Inspirational Leadership), Paulina Lucja Cierlica (Transforming and Transparent Collaboration), David Armisén Garrido (Companionship, Care and Community Well-being), Francisco Javier García Sánchez (Excellence in Management), the Economic and Financial Service (Team Category), and awarded an Honourable Mention to Carmen Jiménez Bermejo, from the Comillas Alumni Service.

The event also included a speech by Ismael Clemente, CEO of Merlin Properties, who highlighted the unique nature of these awards, as it is the colleagues themselves who recognise the work and attitude of other members of the PAS.