American students talk politics and policies with Mayor of Porto, Rui Moreira

This afternoon, former Ambassador of the United States of America to Portugal, Allan Katz and an entourage of American professors and students of Politics and International Relations of the William Jewell College, Missouri, were welcomed by Mayor Rui Moreira at Porto City Hall.

"This is actually the fourth year that we have come to Porto. I think that it is important that these students see that Portugal is much more than Lisbon, and that Porto offers many different and distinct views. We have been very fortunate that the Mayor has been very gracious, in bringing here the students, extend himself and make himself available for the students", former Ambassador Allan Katz enthused.

"Students like Porto very much, they have only arrived last night, but they were out all day today and had a tour of the city and they say it is a really beautiful place. Before coming here there is a book that students generally read about the History of Portugal, and I talk to them beforehand and let them know that North and South of Portugal are two different places, but there are common threads about the Portuguese and what they should look for. So far they have been very pleased with what they found", Allan Katz emphasised.

Students come from everywhere in the United States to participate in four types of programs. The University of Missouri - Kansas City organizes short term programs on diverse fields, namely arts, economy, entrepreneurship, history and literature.

One of the students, Angelica, born in México but living in Houston, states that "I really love Porto and I think it is a great city and really beautiful, and I like how, in the United States you never get to see the old buildings, they are all very modern, but here you have that mixture of the old times, the roman walls, and then the modern buildings and I really like how you maintain a lot of your historical culture".

She further shares that during the morning tour the group took part in, "we saw the cathedral and the Rectory; I didn't get to go to Lello bookshop because there was a big line, but I saw a lot of the old buildings and I like the tiles a lot, I am so bad at saying this, but I think "Azulejos"?" (That is absolutely correct Angelica)!

Another student from the entourage, Henry comes from a state called Missouri, in the Midwest of America, and he pinpoints "Porto's hospitality, because back home if you want to help someone, first you have to ask for their permission before you can help someone; here it seems that people openly help one another and seeing that kindness and kind of hospitality is very refreshing, and also unique for me. And the buildings are beautiful, and seeing the churches and the gothic architecture is very beautiful and I really enjoyed the people and the town, and it's been very fun", Henry emphasised.

Following the informal meeting with Mayor of Porto, Rui Moreira, professor and students have enjoyed a guided tour to the City Hall premises.