Ruben Cabral leaves USJ, Peter Stilwell takes over

Professor Ruben de Freitas Cabral resigned as rector of the University of Saint Joseph for “personal reasons” last week, he told the Macau Daily Times yesterday.

“I’m going to enter into a sabbatical period by the end of this month,” said Professor Cabral. Afterwards, he will re-assume his position as full professor at the Catholic University of Portugal (UCP), in Lisbon.

MDT also learned that Professor Peter Stilwell, vice-rector of the UCP, will take over as rector of the University of Saint Joseph from May 2.

The outgoing rector started his job at the helm of USJ (then IIUM) in 2003. Over almost 10 years, the university has changed from a post-graduate institute into a fully-fledged university by introducing undergraduate studies. Regarded as a liberal arts university, USJ grew from a few hundred students to the current 1,800 and to more than 100 faculty and staff during his tenure. 

Prof. Cabral launched and oversaw the project development of the new campus in Ilha Verde on a Macau Diocese plot of land, but its construction was affected by constant delays due to financing issues.

MDT will publish an exclusive interview with Dr Cabral in our Monday edition.