Campus and Community

Aalto University has awarded honorary doctorate to professor Luísa Coutinho in the field of technology

The Técnico professor (Department of Mechanical Engineering) has a remarkable track record of achievements and has collaborated with the Finnish university for the past 20 years.

Luísa Coutinho, professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering -DEM/IST, was recently awarded honorary doctorate by the Aalto university. “I feel very honoured to receive this award from Aalto University, which is one of the most prestigious awards in this area”, says the DEM professor. “I feel that I got my voice heard as a woman from a small Southern European country, in a male dominated area, and that it was worth it. This award will certainly help that many other voices will be heard in the future”, she stresses.

The Técnico professor has worked in close collaboration with Aalto University for about 20 years, which “contributed to the global development of science and technology of welding”, says professor Luísa Coutinho. “More recently, this collaboration has evolved into R&D projects [Research and Development], exchange of students and professors and also joint publications”, she adds. As a result of this close collaboration, the DEM professor received, in 2016, the invitation to be part of the Scientific Advisory Board of School of Engineering – Aalto University.

“It is undoubtedly the highest recognition that a professor can receive in the academic life context. It recognises people who stand out in their field of activity and whose merit reaches an high level of professional recognition”, says professor Luísa Coutinho. “I would like to share this award with Instituto Superior Técnico and Universidade de Lisboa, which honours the quality of the work developed at national universities”.

The Técnico professor is also a researcher at the Mechanical Engineering Institute (IDMEC), and the executive director at the European Welding Federation. Throughout her career, professor Luísa Coutinho has won several awards and hold international positions.

The Técnico professor has participated in more than 90 national and international projects, 74 of which involved technology transfer into industry. Professor Luísa Coutinho has authored more than 140 articles in international and national scientific journals. In the 1980s, the Técnico professor has collaborated with the European Commission as proposal evaluator of scientific projects and, more recently, as an external expert.