José Francisco Rodrigues, former President of CIM, has been elected President of the Lisbon Academy of Sciences (ACL) for the 2025-2026 term. The election took place at the Academy's plenary session on December 19, 2024.
José Francisco Rodrigues, a Full Professor at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon and a researcher at its Centre for Mathematics (CMAFcIO), has extensive experience in mathematical research and a keen interest in the history and dissemination of science.
In his acceptance speech, José Francisco emphasised the ACL's role as a public utility institution and the need to promote scientific research, cultural enrichment, and collaboration with educational institutions. He also mentioned the upcoming 250th anniversary of the ACL in 2029 and the importance of celebrating this milestone with initiatives that promote the development of Science and Portuguese Culture.
The new President also highlighted the importance of interdisciplinarity in research, citing the first joint session of the Classes of Sciences and Letters in 2025, dedicated to Artificial Intelligence in Scientific Discovery and its Impact on Science, as an example.
Concluding his speech, Professor Rodrigues invoked Mário Soares, on the centenary of his birth, sharing his vision that the Academy should aspire to be “the most expressive forum of the best Portuguese intelligence,” as it was at its foundation and in other high points of its history.
With this election, the Lisbon Academy of Sciences reaffirms its commitment to society, strengthening its position as one of the oldest and most important scientific institutions in the country.