Dr. José Manuel Durão Barroso
Dr. José Manuel Durão Barroso has been the President of the European Commission (2004-2014), Prime Minister of Portugal (2002-2004), Minister for Foreign Affairs (1992-1995), Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (1987-1992) and Assistant Secretary of State to the Minister for Internal Affairs (1985-1987). He was also deputy of the National Assembly, having assumed the presidency of the Committee of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. While at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, he was of crucial importance in the mediation of peace for Angola as well as in the negotiations for the independence of East Timor.
Dr. Barroso received his Bachelor’s degree in law from the University of Lisbon, Diploma in European Studies from the Institute of European Studies at the University of Geneva, and Master’s degree in Political Science from the Department of Political Science of the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences of the University of Geneva. Amongst his other academic duties, he has served as a lecturer at the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon and at the Department of Political Science of the University of Geneva, as well as a Visiting Professor at Georgetown University (Washington, DC). At present, apart from his visiting professorship at Universidade Católica Portuguesa, where he also serves as Director of its Centre for European Studies, he is a Visiting Professor at Princeton University, US, the University of Geneva, and the Graduate Institute in the same city. He has published extensively in the fields of Political Science, International Relations and European issues.
Dr. Barroso has received honorary doctoral degrees from about 30 universities, and numerous national and international decorations, which include amongst others, the Grã-Cruz da Ordem Militar de Cristo and the Grande Colar da Ordem do Infante D. Henrique of Portugal.