Professor Maria Graça Carvalho was recently elected as honorary member of the Academia Europaea and felt “surprised and very honoured” with this appointment. The Academia Europaea aims to promote education and training and plays a very important role at international level. The member list is composed of 12 personalities worldwide. Professor Maria da Graça Carvalho and professor Eduardo Marçal Grilo are the only two Portuguese members

The status of honorary membership is a way of “recognising not only excellence in research but also the contribution to the development of scientific policies in Europe carried out by the appointed personalities”, highlights the former student. The list of honoured members is composed of former European Commissioners in the field of Science, former Chief Scientific Adviser to the President of the European Commission, Director-General of UNESCO, former Prime-Minister of Norway and the former Director-General of the World Health Organization.

The members of Academia Europaea, a European non-governmental association, should encourage excellence in Science and Education and “promote the relationship between science and society, thus contributing to a better understanding of Science and Education”, clarifies the professor.