Profile

He holds a PhD in Nuclear Physics from the University of Oxford (1973) and Habilitation in Physics from the University of Lisbon (1974).

He served as Director of the Science Service at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation until 2011 and as Director of its Delegation in France (2012-2016). He is an invited Full Professor at the Higher Institute of Economics and Management of the University of Lisbon. He was Science Advisor to the President of the Republic from 1996 to 2006. He served as President of the Management Commission of the Nuclear Energy Board (1975-1977) and as Governor of the International Atomic Energy Agency (1976-1977). He was a member of the Governing Board of the EIT (2008-2012) and President of the General Council of the University of Coimbra from 2017 to 2020.

He is a Commander of the Military Order of Saint James of the Sword and holds the Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Henry. Author of two hundred scientific works, his interests focus on the fields of Science and Technology Policy, Foresight Studies, and the History of Thought and Culture.