Elected on June 6th 2022, Professor José Júlio Alves Alferes, Director of the School of Science and Technology at Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, took office today in NOVA´s Rectory premises at 14:00, in the presence of a wide public audience of around 150 people. An environment that made him feel “well accompanied” to embrace this position, which he takes on as a “very big challenge that I have ahead of me”, while leaving a definite promise: “I will do my best to live up to this school standards that wants to be internationally recognized and where the future is being built”.
Succeeding to Professor Doctor Virgílio Cruz Machado, the new Director of FCT NOVA will occupy the position in the four-year period 2022-2026 and focuses his candidacy on a simple and assertive key idea “we have to know how to imagine the future and build that same future. We want a young student to want to integrate FCT NOVA as the school where he makes that future”.
With a PhD in Information Technology – Artificial Intelligence, José Júlio Alferes is University Professor at NOVA School of Science and Technology | FCT NOVA and, until his election, he has held the position of Deputy-Rector for Digital Transformation at Universidade Nova de Lisboa.
The swearing-in ceremony was chaired by the Rector of Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, João Sàágua, whose words were direct and concise “FCT has shown its strength. NOVA was very pleased with this. Enthusiastic congratulations to the new Head and good luck for the school. Challenges abound and ideas for implementing them too. This construction depends on people”. The newly sworn in ended the ceremony in a tone of response: “NOVA gains from having more at FCT and FCT gains from having more at NOVA. Let's go to work!"