Luís Magalhães was elected president of the General Council of the University of Algarve yesterday, at the first meeting he brought together the members elected in February and chosen external personalities recently.
The elements of the university's governing body bet on a man very connected to knowledge and research, not only for the five years he was president of the Foundation for Science and Technology, but for a long professional and academic path closely linked to these areas, in and out of doors.
Owner of an extensive curriculum (see below), Luís Magalhães also presided over UMIC – Agency for the Knowledge Society, IP, until 2012. As of today, he is the president of the body which, among other attributions, elects the University Rector of the Algarve and deliberates on the rectory's proposals regarding the university's strategy.
In a conversation with the Sul Informação and with Rua FM, on the sidelines of the meeting in which he was elected president of the General Council, Luís Magalhães considered that this «is an extremely interesting challenge». "It is clear that universities have a very important role for the country, for regions and for individuals and we hope to do a good job," he said.
Assuming that we are “in a difficult period” at the financial level, Luís Magalhães noted that there is an effort on the part of the University to “reinvent ways of positioning itself with these restrictions”.
In this way, the transfer of technology “is fundamental”, especially in a university that invests in research. “All these areas are important: teaching, preparing new generations for knowledge and scientific research. But the professionalizing component, providing services and transferring technology to companies, both national and foreign, is also important», he considered.
Ideas that the new president of the UAlg General Council put forward, but that he prefers not to be seen as suggestions for a strategy for the Algarve university, a matter he thinks should be discussed, above all, within the body he presides over, with the others advisers.
“It is still too early to comment on a strategy for UAlg, as I was elected today and only a few days ago I learned about the possibility of being elected to the position. This is a very large body and requires more work and experience to be able to pronounce on the future», he justified.
Even so, he has no doubts in stating that one of the great challenges facing Portuguese universities in the coming years will be this ability to communicate between universities and companies.
Another fight will be for a better qualification of the population. «If we compare with the OECD averages, to stay on average we had to double the number of people with Secondary Education and, in addition, double the number of people with Higher Education. Therefore, there is a lot to do», he considered.
This is an area that will have to be bet on, but "squaring the circle is how it is achieved with considerable economic constraints". «It is, in fact, necessary to reinvent some ways of functioning», reinforced Luís Magalhães, who succeeded Fernando Ulrich in the position.
The next meeting of the General Council was scheduled "for the end of June", when the councilors will seek to define an electoral calendar for the election of the Rector, to take place later this year.
Luís Magalhães Curriculum (source: UMIC website):
Positions held (2012): Full Professor at IST – Instituto Superior Técnico of UTL – Technical University of Lisbon (1993-); Corresponding Member of the Lisbon Academy of Sciences (1995-); Member of the Advisory Councils of COTEC Portugal (2006-) and FLAD – Luso-American Foundation for Development (1997-); Member of the Scientific and Technological Council of Taguspark (1997-);
in the European Union: European Co-Chair of the 8th EU-Africa Partnership – Science, Information Society, Space (2011-) and Chair of the European Expert Group of the 8th EU-Africa Partnership (2011-); member of HLIG – High Level Group on Internet Governance (2005-);
at the UN: Delegate of Portugal to IGF - Internet Governance Forum (2006-); member of CSTD - Commission on Science and Technology for Development (2009-) and the Working Group of the CSTD about improving the IGF (2011-);
in the OECD: President of the WPIIS - Working Party on Indicators for the Information Society (2011-); Member of Extended Bureau of the Committee ICCP - Information, Computer and Communications Policy (2008-); Committee member ICCP (2005-);
at ICANN: Member of GAC - Governmental Advisory Committee da ICANN - Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (2009)-).
Positions you have already held: President of UMIC – Agency for the Knowledge Society, IP (27.07.2005-03.01.2012); President of FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology (1997-2002); Member of the Programs Board of Directors MIT - Portugal (2006-2011), Carnegie Mellon University – Portugal (2006-2011), University of Texas at Austin – Portugal (2007-2011), Harvard Medical School – Portugal (2009-2011); Member of of the Steering Committee Board from the program Fraunhofer – Portugal (2007-2012); Member of the Economic and Social Council (2006-2012); Member of the Orientation Council of FCCN – Foundation for National Scientific Computing (2009-2012); Member of the Lisbon Strategy and Technological Plan Coordination Network (2005-2011); President of the Scientific and Technological Council of Taguspark (2000-2004); Manager of the Science Technology Innovation Operational Program (2000-02) of the Community Support Framework III (QCA III); Manager of the Praxis XXI Program (1999-02) of the QCA II; Head of the Portuguese Delegation for Negotiation with the European Commission of the Operational Programs of the CSF III “Science Technology Innovation” and “Information Society” which obtained a global funding of 1,8 billion Euros (1999-2000); Member of the General Commission of Portugal for the EXPO 2000 Hannover (1998-2000); Coordinator of the National Evaluation of Research Units, Ministry of Science and Technology (1996-97); Coordinator and Founder of the Center for Mathematical Analysis, Dynamical Systems and Geometry (1991-97); President of the Department of Mathematics at IST (1993-97); Coordinator of the Algebra and Analysis Section of the Department of Mathematics at IST (1983-1994); Co-Founder with João Sentieiro of ISR – Institute of Systems and Robotics and Sub-Director of its Lisbon hub (1991-96); Member of the Coordination Commission for Research in Exact and Natural Sciences of JNICT – National Scientific and Technological Research Board (1992-94); Coordinator of CAPS – Center for Analysis and Processing of Signals at INIC – National Institute of Scientific Research (1991-93), Coordinator of the Mathematics Session of the National Journeys of Scientific and Technological Research of JNICT (1987);
in the European Union: Member of Digital Agenda for Europe High Level Group (2010-2012), do National ICT Research Directors Forum (2005-2012), of the FIF – Future Internet Forum (2009-2012) and the Working Group of the National ICT Research Directors Forum about the FET – Future and Emerging Technologies Flagships (2010-2012), do i2010 High Level Group (2005-2010), of CREST – Scientific and Technical Research Committee at the level of Directors General (2007-2010), of the eGovernment Subgroup and e-Government Ad-hoc Group do i2010 High Level Group (2005);
at the UN: Member of MAG – Multistakeholder Advisory Group do Internet GovernanceForum at the invitation of the UN Secretary General (Sep-Dec 2007);
in the OECD: Vice Chairman of the Committee ICCP (2009-2010); member of Science and Technology Policy Committee and Global Science Forum (1998-2002);
in international research organizations: Chairman of the Board (2008-2012) and General Assembly of the Installation Committee (2007-2011) of INL – International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory; Member of the Board of EGI - European Grid Initiative (2009-2012); Member of the General Assembly of European AAL – Environmental Assisted Living Association (2007-2012); member of Governing Council (2000-2002) and General Assembly (1997-2002) of the European Science Foundation.
Institutions where he worked: IST – Technical University of Lisbon (1972-97, 2002-05, 2012-); UMIC – Knowledge Society Agency, IP (27.07.2005-03.01.2012); FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology, IP (1997-2002), Institute of Mathematics and Its Applications, University of Minnesota,USA (1982-83, 1985); Division of Applied Mathematics, Brown University, USA (1978-83), Biology Center of the Gulbenkian Institute of Science (1972-78).
Academic degrees: PhD (1982) and MSc (1980) in Applied Mathematics by Brown University, USA. Electrical Engineer – Telecommunications and Electronics (1975) by IST – Technical University of Lisbon.
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