On 29 June, Universidade Portucalense will mark its 40th anniversary with a formal ceremony that will include the awarding of Honorary Doctorates to Maria Lúcia Amaral and Luís Portela. The ceremony will take place in the Aula Magna, starting at 3 pm. The award recognises two individuals who have distinguished themselves through their contributions to Portuguese society in the fields of Law, public life, science, innovation, and business development, reflecting the values of knowledge, responsibility, and service to the community that have defined the mission of Universidade Portucalense for four decades. Maria Lúcia Amaral, Full Professor at the Faculty of Law of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, has dedicated her career to the study of fundamental rights, the organisation of political power, and the principles of the democratic Rule of Law, contributing to the education of several generations of legal professionals and to the advancement of thinking on Portuguese constitutional law. In 2007, she was appointed a judge of the Constitutional Court, subsequently becoming its Vice-President. In 2017, she became the first woman to hold the post of Ombudsman in Portugal, a position to which she was re-elected in 2021. Between 2025 and 2026, she also served in the 25th Constitutional Government as Minister for Home Affairs. Her career has been characterised by her commitment to defending citizens’ rights, freedoms, and safeguards, and to strengthening democratic institutions. Luís Portela is one of the leading figures in the Portuguese business and scientific community. A doctor by training and an entrepreneur by vocation, he led BIAL for decades, transforming it into an international leader in the pharmaceutical industry. Under his leadership, the company significantly increased its investment in research and development, achieving a historic milestone with the discovery and commercialisation of innovative medicines, developed in Portugal for international markets. In 1994, he established the BIAL Foundation, in partnership with the Council of Rectors of Portuguese Universities, through which he has promoted and supported scientific research in the fields of biomedicine and human consciousness. Throughout his career, he also chaired Health Cluster Portugal, served on the board of COTEC Portugal, and held the post of vice-president of the Serralves Foundation. The author of numerous works, he has combined his business activities with scholarly, humanistic, and cultural reflection. The recipient of numerous national and international honours, including the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit and the Grand Cross of the Order of Public Instruction, Luís Portela has been awarded honorary doctorates by several Portuguese and foreign universities. The awarding of these Honorary Doctorates is part of the programme of events marking the 40th anniversary of Universidade Portucalense, which was founded in 1986. Over the past four decades, the institution has established itself as a leading university in Portuguese higher education, distinguishing itself through the quality of its teaching, its academic output, and its links with society and the business community.
