Júlio Domingos Pedrosa da Luz de Jesus

Professor Júlio Pedrosa de Jesus was born in 1945, in Cadima (Cantanhede, Coimbra), Portugal, got his first licenciatura, in Physics and Chemistry, from the University of Coimbra, in 1967, where he started as teaching assistant the same year. After three years serving in the Navy (1968-71) he returned to Coimbra, where he got a master in Physical Chemistry in 1972, while working as teaching assistant, moving to the new University of Aveiro in May 1974, just after it was created. Having obtained his PhD in Chemistry at University College, Cardiff, in 1978, Professor Pedrosa was teaching assistant, professor auxiliar , professor associado and professor catedrático in Aveiro, having retired as professor catedrático from that University in 2009. Now he works as senior researcher and PhD supervisor in CICECO – Centre for Composite and Ceramic Materials. He leads a group of research group in higher education policies, governance, quality and evaluation, after being involved with research on Bioinorganic and Materials Chemistry for 25 years. The present focus of his research is on Higher Education Policies and Governance, with special interest in governance models, development of platforms for university society cooperation, quality and evaluation. Vice-rector of the University in the period 1987-92 he was elected Rector in 1994. Re-elected in 1998, he interrupted this activity in July 2001, to be Ministry of Education of Portugal until April 2002, being elected by Parliament as President of the National Council of Education in 2005, for a mandate finished in June 2009. From 2009 to 2012, Professor Pedrosa was a member of the Board of UTAD, the University of Trás-os Montes e Alto Douro, in Vila Real, and since 2009 has been member of the board of ITQB, the Institute for Biological and Chemical Technology, of the New University of Lisbon. As Rector of the University of Aveiro and as President of the Portuguese Council of Rectors (CRUP) between 1998 and 2001, he was actively involved with the activities of the Confederation of Rectors Conferences, CRE - The Association of European Universities and in the creation of the European University Association. As President of CRUP, Professor Pedrosa represented the Portuguese Universities in the joint meetings with EU Director Generals of Higher Education in the period where the Sorbonne and Bologna Declarations were signed, having had an active participation in the Bologna Forum “Academic Day”. He is currently involved in the Boards of the following Foundations, Portugal, who have missions and programs related to Education and Science: Fundação Bissaya Barreto, in Coimbra, Fundação Ilídio de Pinho, in Porto and Fundação Jorge Alvares, in Lisbon, as well as chair of the Fiscal Board of Fundação Bial, in Porto, designated by CRUP.

Professor Pedrosa is currently associated with the IEP, Institutional Evaluation Program, as an evaluator. Under IEP he was involved with institutional evaluation in Ireland (Dublin City University and University College, Dublin); Italy (Politecnico di Torino), Spain (Autonomous University of Barcelona and University of Barcelona), Latvia (Riga Technical University; Turkey (Çucurova University, in Adana; Ataturk University, in Erzurum; Yedetepe University, in Istambul (evaluation and follow-up); Karadeniz Technical University, in Trabzon, Sabanci University in Istambul), as well as in the evaluation of the System of Higher Education in Turkey. In addition, Professor Júlio Pedrosa was involved in reviewing ANECA, in Spain, under ENQA responsibility and in 2010 was member of the External Review Panel involved in reviewing the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, on behalf of the Higher Education Authority and the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland. Since 2009 is a member of the Register Committee of EQAR, the European Quality Assurance Register, nominated by EUA.

Júlio is married with Helena, a Professor of Science Education at the University of Aveiro and they both have now the joy of seeing four grandsons growing in the wonderful families of their two sons, while enjoying the activities in their vineyard and wine production, up in the Douro Region.