The Secretary General of the United Nations and Técnico alumnus, engineer António Guterres, will receive today, May 30th, the Charlemagne Prize. This is the first time that a Portuguese citizen receives this prestigious prize, which has been awarded annually since 1950.

According to the award’s board of directors, António Guterres is “an outstanding advocate for the European model of society, for pluralism, tolerance and dialogue, for open and caring societies, for the strengthening and consolidation of multilateral cooperation”. The Técnico alumnus joins the list of winners, which includes Winston Churchill, Robert Schumann, Jacques Delors, Bill Clinton, Jean-Claude Juncker, Angela Merkel, pope Francis and pope John Paul II.

The award ceremony will be attended by His Majesty King Felipe VI of Spain and renowned national and international personalities, such as the Portuguese Prime-Minister António Costa, the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, and the former king of Spain, Juan Carlos I – who also won the award in 1982.

The Charlemagne Prize consists of a medal, a parchment and a symbolic amount of €5000.