Manuel Heitor
Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education
In office
26 November 2015 – 30 March 2022
Prime MinisterAntónio Costa[1]
Preceded byMargarida Mano
Succeeded byElvira Fortunato
Personal details
Born1958
Lisbon, Portugal[2]
Alma materImperial College London

Manuel Frederico Tojal de Valsassina Heitor (born 1958) is a Portuguese politician who served as Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education in the government of Prime Minister António Costa since 26 November 2015 until 30 March 2022 when he was succeeded by Elvira Fortunato.[2][3]

Early life and education

Heitor graduated with a PhD in mechanical engineering from Imperial College London, and did a post-doctoral at the University of California, San Diego.

Career

Political career

From March 2005 to June 2011, Heitor served as the Secretary of State for Science, Technology and Higher Education under minister Mariano Gago in the government of Prime Minister José Sócrates.[2]

During his time as minister, Heitor notably announced plans in 2018 to build an international launch pad for small satellites on Santa Maria Island and agreed with China to set up a joint research centre to make satellites on the mainland.[4] When Portugal held the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2021, he chaired the meetings of the EU research ministers.

Return to academia

Since leaving government, Heitor has been a Visiting Research Professor at New York University's Center for Urban Science and Progress (CUSP), and at the NYU Marron Institute. He is also a Visiting Scholar at Harvard Graduate School of Design.[5]

In 2023, the Conference of European Schools for Advanced Engineering Education and Research (CESAER) appointed Heitor as its Envoy on Research Careers.[6]

Also since 2023, Heitor has been chairing an expert group entrusted to support the interim evaluation of the European Union's Horizon Europe programme.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Marques, Christopher (24 November 2015). "António Costa indigitado: a lista dos novos ministros de Portugal" (in Portuguese). Radio and Television of Portugal. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 "Manuel Heitor". portugal.gov.pt. Archived from the original on 6 September 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  3. ↑ FCT/UNL. "Elvira Fortunato appointed as Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education". www.fct.unl.pt. Retrieved 2022-03-27.
  4. ↑ Andrei Khalip (6 November 2018), Portugal to build satellite launch pad, lab with China Reuters.
  5. ↑ Faculty: Manuel Heitor New York University.
  6. ↑ Supporting modern and stable research careers in Europe Conference of European Schools for Advanced Engineering Education and Research (CESAER), press release of 30 June 2023.
  7. ↑ The expert group on the interim evaluation of Horizon Europe kicks off its work European Commission, press release of 5 December 2023.


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