His academic and scientific career is focused on the fields of Process Systems Engineering and higher education policies, namely in the framework of the Bologna process.

In 2013, his international scientific activity was distinguished with the Dieter Behrens Medal 2013 - the most important award of the European Federation of Chemical Engineering - as the “recognition of a substantial contribution on behalf of the Federation to raising the profile of the chemical engineer in Europe or in relation to the organisation, management, and development of the Federation’s activity”. In 2018, he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Public Instruction by the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.

Sebastião José Cabral Feyo de Azevedo was born June 1st, 1951, in Porto. He has a degree in Chemical Engineering from the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (1973) and a PhD from the University of Wales (1982).

For Armando Jorge de Carvalho, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Universidade Portucalense, “this appointment represents a new era for the UPT, with the goal of anticipating the challenges that arise in higher education for the decade 20/30, namely the development of research, pedagogical innovation, and the transformation of higher education in view of the rapid technological development expected”.

During three days, from 6th to 8th November, topics were discussed in the field of information and documentation sciences in the context of higher education. Open access and open science, science dissemination, computational reproducibility, interoperability, institutional networked repositories, digital dissertations and theses, alternative metrics, and personal-data security were some of the topics that Ana Sofia Mota, director of the Universidade Portucalense’s General Library and one of the faces of the organization, highlights as the most relevant.

The ETD2019 was attended by several lecturers of international relevance, such as the North American Edward A. Fox (Virginia Polytechnic Institute) and Michael Witt (Purdue University), and the French Joachim Schöpfel (Université de Lille).

At the end of the symposium, Ana Sofia Mota was invited to join the NDLTD - Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations as a Board Member, with Universidade Portucalense becoming part of this international network that stands out for its work in the adoption, creation, dissemination, use, and preservation of electronic theses and dissertations.

In the opening conference, Vice-Rector António Ferrão Filipe defended the idea that entrepreneurship is not just about “creating companies”. In his opinion, “entrepreneurship is an obligation of each one of us, present in all dimensions of life - personal, social and family”.

He explained: “We should be capable and competent, but that is not enough. It is necessary to pay attention to opportunities, to social and economic movements. It is necessary to know and to keep learning every day. Knowledge has evolved a lot, so we must be attentive and open. It is necessary to believe, be positive, and have the capacity to take risks. It is necessary to take the initiative, believe that it is possible and make it happen”.

Over the two days, the conference involved 50 participants from six countries and 31 organisations. A total of 41 academic papers were presented and three round tables were organised, with the participation of Porto Metropolitan Area, Acredita Portugal, and six companies - Bankinter, Bial, Centro Porsche Porto & Braga, Grupo Amorim, Grupo Sogrape and Prio.

The opportunity to attend several talks was provided by NEDIUP (UPT’s Informatics Student Nucleus). “We were organizing the visit only for the members of our nucleus, but in the meantime several colleagues from other courses knew about our initiative and showed interest in participating. So we decided to open to the whole UPT community and the word of mouth ended up doing the rest”, says Luís Teles, President of NEDIUP.

Asked about the most remarkable moment of the Web Summit, Luís answered: “the conversation between the robots Sophia and Phil”. It should be noted that this pair of robots, from the company Hanson Robotics, led to one of the central themes of debate at this Web Summit: the humanization of artificial intelligence. “It's important to me to be like a human. It's important for me to share the values of humans and have a human experience,” Sophia said in a video presented at the Altice Arena.

For Luís Teles, this visit was important for “the students to be up to date with technological developments - today technology is in all professions and it is very interesting to have this first contact with the future that is just ahead”. Besides this “knowledge”, he highlights “the opportunity to watch several pitches, which will be useful especially for 3rd year students, who will have to present a business idea and make three pitches at different times within the Entrepreneurship curricular unit”.

“In the start-up session, students get to know the companies they will be focusing on and visiting. During these visits, they have the opportunity to get to know the processes and talk directly with the manager, gathering very relevant information. Already in the classroom, the students count with the support of the teachers to structure the work and develop answers that create value for the companies, using the programme content. At the end of each semester, a session is held to present the work to teachers and company representatives. At the end of the academic year, the closing cocktail brings together students, teachers, companies, and the programme’s organizers, in a relaxed moment of fraternization and networking”, explains Shital Jayantilal, Director of the Economics and Management Department.

This programme fulfils the objectives of bringing students and companies closer together, innovating in management teaching, promoting a greater integration of curricular units, and contributing with solutions and proposals that create value for companies. “Students acquire a broad, integrated and real vision of Management in its different dimensions, developing interpersonal relationship skills, collaborative work, and critical thinking”, stresses Shital Jayantilal.

The dissertation, which explores the revolution of markets and financial instruments, with complex products such as ‘swaps’, was the winner of the second edition of “Prémio Jurídico Portucalense/Nuno Cerejeira Namora, Pedro Marinho Falcão & Associados”, which distinguished the best Master's thesis in Law in 2018.

The “Prémio Jurídico Portucalense” stems from the signing of a cooperation protocol with the law firm Nuno Cerejeira Namora, Pedro Marinho Falcão & Associados. The prize, which is awarded annually, is given to the student of the Master’s degree in Law whose Master’s thesis is recognised as being innovative and of exceptional quality and originality.

Currently, Dinarco Pimentel is pursuing his Doctorate in Law and is a researcher at the Portucalense Institute for Legal Research, as a member of the research group “Capital, Labour, Tax and Trade”.

The initiative took place on November 11th and was attended by Nuno Ortigão, President of the Union of the Town Councils of Aldoar, Foz do Douro and Nevogilde, and José Manuel Tedim, lecturer of the Universidade Portucalense, who “guided” the audience through an artistic and cultural tour of Porto, with the title “From Largo da Aguardente (now Marquês de Pombal Square) to Avenida dos Combatentes”.

This initiative aimed to raise awareness to the value of the toponymic heritage of Porto, exploring the artistic heritage, architecture and contemporary urbanism of Rua Costa Cabral, the longest street in the city.

Comunica UPT: How do you describe this experience?
Sara Pereira: The experience was clearly positive. I see all the things I experience as a form of growth and learning. I feel that I have developed various skills, such as a sense of responsibility, autonomy, communication, the ability to own my mistakes and the skill to correct them. This internship has also allowed me to get to know the Quality Management System more deeply.

What were the main difficulties and challenges you felt when entering the job market?
The reality of the labour market is very challenging. Companies are very demanding and are increasingly looking for professionals with innovative ideas who think outside the box. This project required a lot of technical knowledge, both of quality management and of the sector where the company operates. It was about implementing the quality management system, so all the processes and procedures described had to be in line with the company's reality.

What did you learn in this first working experience that you will never forget?
I've learned that you have to be passionate about what you do. Passion is what drives us, it's what makes us do more and better. It's the energy that helps us get through the less good times. I also learned that we need to set a purpose, and that sometimes we need to stop and think about which way to go. In fact, it is never too late to start again when there is no purpose. Above all, we cannot give up at the first difficulty. It takes perseverance, resilience, hard work, and dedication. With these ingredients, anything is possible.

Any advice for final year students who will soon embrace internship and work opportunities?
My advice is: bet on training. Find teachers or masters who inspire you. Always look for new learning that may be important for your career. Dedicate yourselves, read, experiment. Be curious and take risks, without fear. And also bet on your personal development, since the professional side of us must walk hand-in-hand with the personal one, and be humble and trust your abilities.

What drove you to choose Management and Universidade Portucalense?
Management has always been very present in my life. My grandparents had a purse and bags company. Their children decided to pursue other careers, but they never left management aside. Today, my mother and uncles have their own business, in different sectors. I grew up in the business world and that led me to choose Management. Universidade Portucalense was my first choice. It had been recommended to me and I also researched and realized that it was an institution of excellence.

What balance do you make of the degree?
The balance is pretty positive. The Management degree is very well structured. The study plan is complete and has a very practical component that allows the development of soft and hard-skills, so valued by the labour market. I also highlight the professionalism of the teaching staff and their constant interaction and proximity to the students.

A Management principle:
“Plan, Do, Check, Act.”

Life motto?
“When we believe, the whole universe conspires in our favour.”

A book?
“The power of now”, by Eckhart Tolle.

Resolution for 2020?
Take a trip to the Middle East.

Someone who inspires you, and why?
I am inspired not only by the people around me, but also by the small details of life. I am often inspired by nature, music, dance, a book, a story or a simple gesture. Therefore, all this reveals itself as a source of inspiration that makes me awaken and transform. However, I choose a person who inspires me: my mother, by her strength, perseverance and love.