Campus and Community

Medal of Scientific Merit awarded to professor Jorge Calado

The emeritus professor was honoured at the National Science Summit'19 – "Ciência'19", by the Portuguese Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education.

“He devoted himself to the study of thermodynamics of molecular fluids and their mixtures, he published more than 170 articles in international journals and he inspired and trained several generations of chemists in Portugal”. These are some reasons why professor Jorge Calado was awarded the Medal of Scientific Merit by the Portuguese Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education. 10 other personalities also received the Medal of Scientific Merit.

The Medals of Scientific Merit were delivered this Monday, 8th July, at the inaugural session of “Ciência’19”, held at Lisbon Congress Centre. Although professor Jorge Calado wasn’t able to attend the event, he commented “twenty years ago a friend of mine told me that medals and decorations are not intended to be used, nor refused. I completely agree with him”.

The emeritus professor was the first winner of Ferreira da Silva Award, the highest award in Chemistry delivered by the Portuguese Society of Chemistry. He also won the 2016 ULisboa Award. Professor Jorge Calado “had strongly contributed to the promotion of scientific culture at international level, strengthening the link between Arts and Sciences, namely through music and opera”, said the Minister.

“There are three things I am most proud in my career: publishing scientific work; having supervised dozens of Ph.D. theses. At least 15 of my Ph.D. students are professors at Portuguese and foreign universities, or work in large companies and international institutions; and having contributed to the dissemination of scientific culture in Portugal and abroad, combining Science and Arts”, says professor Jorge Calado.

The medals of scientific merit are awarded by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education, aiming to reward “national individuals who have distinguished themselves by their valuable and outstanding contribution to the development of science or scientific culture in Portugal”. Besides professor Jorge Calado, seven scientists received this medal: Maria João Saraiva, António Firmino da Costa, Helena Santos, Luís Moniz Pereira, Cecilia Leão, Manuel Nunes da Ponte and Deolinda Lima.

Professor Jorge Calado was born in 1938, in Lisbon. He graduated in Chemical Engineering at Técnico in 1961 and he spent three years at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom, where he got his PhD in thermodynamics in 1970.

He inspired and encouraged his students to learn Chemistry and Physics. Professor Jorge Calado was able to combine his devotion to science with his love for the Arts, which led him to Cornell University, in the USA, where he lectured a course on Arts and Science. He is columnist on newspaper Expresso (Culture) and he was a consultant to Expo 98. In 2012 he published the book “Haja Luz! Uma História da Química Através de Tudo“, (published by IST Press) focused on his two passions: Arts and Science.