Paulo Pereira elected NOVA University Lisbon rector after turbulent vote
Paulo Pereira has been elected rector of NOVA University Lisbon (UNL) after a contested election process. The vote followed months of instability, including legal disputes and failed attempts to secure a quorum. UNL announced his victory with 'strengthened support' from the university community. The election took place amid challenges, with two earlier attempts collapsing due to insufficient attendance. A court case further delayed the process, while a group of professors from NOVA School of Business and Economics questioned the legitimacy of the University Council’s role in overseeing the vote.
Pereira secured 15 of the 27 possible votes, an improvement over his previous election result. Before taking this role, he served as vice president of the Foundation for Science and Technology between 2012 and 2015. Currently, he leads research at NOVA Medical School, specialising in degenerative retinal diseases. He also directed the Center for Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences at the University of Coimbra. Addressing the recent turmoil, Pereira highlighted the university’s institutional resilience. He expressed confidence in UNL’s ability to move forward despite the difficulties of the past months.
Pereira’s election marks the end of a prolonged and contentious selection process. His leadership will now focus on stabilising the university after a period of uncertainty. The rector’s background in research and administration is expected to guide UNL in the coming years.
Read also:
- American teenagers taking up farming roles previously filled by immigrants, a concept revisited from 1965's labor market shift.
- Weekly affairs in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Landslide claims seven lives, injures six individuals while they work to restore a water channel in the northern region of Pakistan
- Escalating conflict in Sudan has prompted the United Nations to announce a critical gender crisis, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the ongoing violence on women and girls.
