On December 12, 2024, António Nóvoa turned 70, reaching the mandatory retirement age for public universities and the civil service. The University of Lisbon, where he built a brilliant academic career following his PhD in Geneva, held a heartfelt ceremony in his honor, granting him the title of Professor Emeritus.

The President of Portugal also joined the tribute, awarding António Nóvoa the Grand Collar of the Order of Camões, a well-deserved distinction for someone who championed the creation of the International Day of the Portuguese Language at UNESCO.

António Nóvoa is widely regarded as the leading figure in the field of Educational Sciences (and Social Sciences), enjoying unique international recognition in his domain. Fortunately, as he announced during the ceremony, he did not deliver his “last lecture,” a traditional hallmark of such occasions. Instead, he revealed the major themes of his upcoming lectures, focusing on human rights and reflections on the future of societies, education, culture, science, and social justice. This is excellent news, as the democratic public sphere greatly benefits from his brilliance and expertise.

At Universidade Lusófona, where António Nóvoa was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in 2016, his contributions will continue as a member of the External Advisory Board of the CeiED. His input has been invaluable in shaping the strategic direction of the research conducted at CeiED.

As we mark his retirement from the University of Lisbon, we recall the memorable ceremony in 2016 when António Nóvoa (alongside Carlos Alberto Torres) was awarded his Honorary Doctorate. The ceremony can be revisited here:

Congratulations, António. The fight continues!

By António Teodoro
Director of CeiED