The Portuguese Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education, and Técnico professor, Manuel Heitor, will receive a Doctor of Science and Technology degree by the Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and will deliver the keynote address at the Commencement ceremony for master’s and doctoral degree graduates on Friday, May 13.

According to information on CMU website “honorary degrees are one of the highest distinctions presented to an individual by Carnegie Mellon, and their recipients are a source of inspiration to the Tartans and their families gathered at graduation”.

Professor Manuel Heitor has played a key role in strengthening and reinforcing the cooperation between Portugal and Carnegie Mellon University, through the Carnegie Mellon Portugal Program.

“Among many other initiatives, he has promoted the Program Go-Portugal — Global Science and Technology Partnerships Portugal and has been particularly involved in the development of the Portuguese and European Space strategies, as well as the enforcement of research and innovation policies, including advanced computing”, the CMU website says.

Professor Manuel Heitor was born in Lisbon, in September 1958. He is a Full Professor at Técnico. He got a PhD from the Imperial College of London in Mechanical Engineering (Experimental Combustion, 1985). He did a post-doctorate at the University of California at San Diego, 1986, having subsequently pursued an academic career at Técnico, where he started to develop his research activity in the area of energy and environment, with an emphasis on Fluid Mechanics and Experimental Combustion. Since the early 1990s he has been committing to the study of science, technology and innovation policies, including higher education policies and management.

From 1993 to 1998 he served as Deputy President of Técnico. He was founder and director of the Center for Innovation, Technology and Policy Research, IN+.

Professor Manuel Heitor coordinated, among others, the Técnico PhD programs in Engineering and Public Policies and in Design Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing Systems. He was a Research Fellow at the IC2 Institute (Innovation, Creativity and Capital) – University of Texas at Austin. He was a Visiting Professor at Harvard University in 2011-12.

He has served as Portugal’s Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education since November 2015. From March 2005-June 2011, he served as Secretary of State for Science, Technology and Higher Education.

Professor Manuel Heitor, who will soon leave his position as Minister of the XXII Constitutional Government, will return to Técnico to resume his academic and scientific projects.