“The extreme concern for the well-being of his students”, “the pioneering spirit”, “the source of inspiration for his students” and “the important role he has played in the field of Artificial Intelligence” were some of the praises said during the academic jubilee ceremony of professor João Pavão Martins, held last Tuesday, March 22, at Salão Nobre.
Family, friends, colleagues and many generations of students inspired by professor João Pavão Martins attended his last lecture titled “Artificial Intelligence in Portugal”.
The president of Técnico, professor Rogério Colaço, highlighted “the key role of professor Pavão Martins in Technology Transfer 30 years ago, when it wasn’t a strategic priority of a professor”. “His pioneering spirit, which I think we all recognise, was important and transformative for Técnico”, he said.
“For all of us, generations of IT engineers graduated at Técnico, Pavão Martins is a strong reference”, said professor Nuno Nunes, head of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (DEI), and former student of professor João Pavão Martins. “When nobody talked about Artificial Intelligence (AI), Pavão Martins had already created LEIC [Undergraduate programme in Computer Science and Engineering] together with other professors, and a company that had global customers”, he added.
The laudatory speech was given by professor José Alves Marques, who stressed the teaching excellence of professor João Pavão Martins. “He was a great educator. I think he was an irreplaceable educator and played a crucial role for the creation of LEIC”.
“We must also highlight his entrepreneurial spirit. Creating a company in the field of AI, 30 or 40 years ago in Portugal was not common and only very few people would believe that”, said professor José Alves Marques.
An inspiration for students and colleagues
“João was an inspiring professor for me as a student and later as a researcher at Técnico. I am sure the same happened to many of you”, said Ana Paiva, professor at DEI and coordinator of GAIPS, who also described professor João Pavão Martins as a visionary: “he always stood up for quality, excellence and human rights”.
Professor José Tribolet praised the “exemplary behaviour” of his colleague and “the careful, thoughtful and respectful way in which he always interacted with all us”. “It is important that we draw a lesson from this: when a group of good men and women team up with the same valuable and meaningful goals, miracles happen”, he added.
The “Artificial Intelligence in Portugal” by one of its great leaders
According to professor João Pavão Martins, Técnico was the birthplace of AI in Portugal, and professor Gouvêa Portela the great driver of it. The Técnico professor highlighted the important role of professor Gouvêa Portela in the creation of the Center for Cybernetics Studies and the impact it had on his career. “Professor Portela brought together his best students at his house on Thursday evenings after dinner, and prepared them for a doctoral degree. I was one of these students,” he recalled smiling.
The internship at LNEG, where he worked on Prolog applications and started to have contact with AI, was very important to him and to the other members of the group who would end up building successful careers at national and international level, and playing a key role in the growth of AI in Portugal. Then professor João Pavão Martins pursue a Doctoral degree and returned to Portugal. “I came back from the US in 1983 and I was the first AI doctorate to come from the US,” he said.
“1986 was a turning point for me: I became a Técnico professor, working with the AI group, and I was leading the computer science centre, trying to create of a computer science degree, and suddenly I discovered my entrepreneurial spirit, which motivated me to create SISCOG with Ernesto Morgado, 37 years ago”, he recalled.
