Currículum
President of the European University Association, 2011- 2015, Vice-President 2009-2011 (elected President in 2011). President of the Columbus association: Network of European and Latin American Universities (2006-2007). Served the Portuguese National Education Council as Chair of its Higher Education Commission (2009-2012).
Was elected Rector of the University of Aveiro for the first time in 2002 and reelected for a second mandate in 2006-2010. Has been the chair of the Portuguese Rectors Conference Committee for research and knowledge – transference, and a Member of the Research Working Group of the European University Association. President of the João Jacinto de Magalhães Foundation (2002-2010). Member of the executive council of Fundação das Universidades Portuguesas (2006-2010). Member of the Portuguese National Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (2004-2008). Vice rector University of Aveiro (1991-1998). Dean of the Health School (2000-2002). Head of the research lab Semiconductor Physics at university of Aveiro (1988-1999). Vice president of the scientific council of university of Aveiro. Head of the Physics department (1978-1980; 1986-1988).
Member of the EUA Institutional Evaluation Pool, (2004-2014), Chair of the Institutional evaluation program (2012), has participated in the evaluation of universities in Spain, Turkey, Palestine, Slovenia, Kazakhstan, Romania and Ghana. Has also participated in OECD lead projects: in Catalonia, Lombardy and HEInnovate in Bulgaria, Ireland, The Neterlands and Austria. Member of ENQA evaluations in Galiza (Agency for Quality Assurance in the Galician University System) and Finland (Finish Agency for Quality Assurance – FINHEC) and World Bank projects evaluation in Nigeria & Ghana.
Outside academia she served as member of the Administration Board of Aveiro Maritime Harbour 1998-2002, member of the Administration Board of Portugal Telecom 2008-2015, President of the Advisory Board of Fundação Galp Energia, President of the Portuguese Physics Society (2009-2013) and member of Board of Trustees of Fundação Francisco Manuel dos Santos in Portugal 2013-2018.
During 2016 was the thinker in residence for the KVAB, the Royal Academy for Sciences Thinker’s programme 2016 – Doctoral Space Revisited.Maria Helena Nazaré, trained as physicist, graduated (Master of Science-1972), from University of Lisbon, PhD from the University of London (King’s College London) in 1978 and agregação from University of Aveiro in 1989. Obtained a full professorship in 1990.
As a visiting scholar has carried research/teaching activities in several other countries in Europe and worldwide, namely England, USA and Mozambique. Has published a number (>200) of articles and papers on university policy and semiconductor physics.
Honorary distinctions:
Grã Cruz da Ordem de Instrução Pública (2015)
Chanceler das ordens de Mérito since March 2016.
Resumen de la intervención
Una idea de universidad. ¿Qué futuro?
El desafío más apremiante al que se enfrentan las universidades hoy en día es cómo contribuir a una sociedad sostenible, prestando especial atención al hecho de que las amenazas a la sostenibilidad erosionan la democracia y nuestros valores sociales. Esto implica una cierta concepción de lo que es una universidad. Allí se incluye la idea de bien público. Una universidad debe centrarse en la educación basada en la investigación, la participación comunitaria, la innovación, el desarrollo social y tecnológico, la cultura y la ÉTICA. Todo ello en un entorno sostenible, transparente, abierto e inclusivo. Hay POCAS pero PRINCIPALES preocupaciones. A saber, Cambios Demográficos y Disparidades Sociales. La democracia y los sistemas políticos bajo presión. La inteligencia artificial y el mercado laboral. Es la forma en que los abordamos lo que determina la IDEA de UNIVERSIDAD (en el futuro).