In a Ceremony held on September 13th José M.F. Moura was awarded the title of Doctor Honoris Causa by Universidade de Lisboa, after a proposal by Técnico, where he studied and lectured. The prestigious award recognizes his academic, scientific and professional outstanding contributions, worldwide and with a strong impact in Portugal. José M.F. Moura is CMU Portugal Director at Carnegie Mellon since its launch in 2006 and a key supporter to its foundation and throughout the years.
With a career of more than 50 years and living in the United States since the 70s he never lost the connection to the Institution where he graduated and always kept supporting research and educational initiatives between Portugal and the United States.
At the Honoris Causa Ceremony the laudatory speech was given by Professor Isabel Ribeiro, Vice-president of Técnico for Administrative Modernization, who highlighted José M.F. Moura’s “long and brilliant career”.
During his speech, José M.F. Moura stated quoting Técnico’s article: “I am deeply honored and humbled to be awarded by Universidade de Lisboa and Instituto Superior Técnico”, adding “This is also the recognition of the merit of those who over the years have accompanied me, supported me, with whom I have had the privilege to collaborate and to live with.”
About his home Institution he added “Técnico was a school guided by excellence and rigour but, above all, it was a school of life”, said the laureate. “I wanted to show that in Portugal, particularly in IST Department of Electrical Engineering, we could do research”, he said about his decision to go to MIT, and how he did not hesitate to return and stay in Portugal.
Regarding his work under the CMU Portugal program, he highlighted “the CMU Portugal program was a success due to its directors in Portugal because they were on the ground, and the professors and students, both at CMU and in Portugal”.
This distinction was a reason to celebrate and to pay tribute to his impressive career, reason why CMU Portugal asked a group of people who were part of his path in Portugal, from students to co-workers, many of whom became close friends, to leave him a testimony.
Watch the videos here (in Portuguese with auto caption available on youtube) or directly on our youtube channel.
For more about the Ceremony you can read the original article at Técnico website and video available at their Youtube page.
Interview with José M.F. Moura in Expresso.
