Jorge Calado, who became Emeritus Professor of Instituto Superior Técnico in 2015, won the 2016 edition of Universidade de Lisboa Award, which aims “to distinguish any person who has made outstanding contributions to the progress of Science and/or Culture and to improve Portugal’s image overseas”.

The jury, chaired by the rector of Universidade de Lisboa, professor António Cruz Serra, granted this award to professor Jorge Calado for his “contributions as a scientist, professor and disseminator of science, but also for his cultural intervention, namely in the fields of music and photography criticism”.

Jorge Calado was born in 1938 and obtained his degree in chemical engineering from Técnico in 1961. He spent three years at the University Oxford, in the United Kingdom, where he completed his PhD in thermodynamics. He returned to Técnico as a professor of Chemistry-Physics and researcher at Centro de Química Estrutural (CQE). He was a cultural critic at newspaper Expresso, he created the National Collection of Photography for the Ministry of Culture and was a consultant for Expo98. In 2012 he published the acclaimed book “Haja Luz! Uma História da Química Através de Tudo”, issued by IST Press.

In previous editions, this award was granted to architect Nuno Teotónio Pereira (2015) and professor Adriano Moreira (2014).