11-03-2026
Moment of tribute to influential figures in the history of the department. Photo: João Lima/NOVA FCT
In 1975, NOVA University Lisbon launched the first higher education degree in Computer Science in Portugal — the Computer Science and Engineering degree at NOVA FCT. This pioneering milestone coincided with the beginning of the global computer revolution, which would profoundly transform science, engineering and society.
Over these five decades, the Department of Computer Science at NOVA FCT has been shaping teaching and research in the field, maintaining a strong connection between scientific progress and societal and business challenges. Many of its faculty members were among the key figures in the founding moments of computing in Portugal — from the first national Internet connection to the graduation of the first cohorts in the area — consolidating a culture of innovation and excellence that continues to distinguish NOVA FCT.
“The founding gesture was an act of vision, of a new discipline and of a new world. In this celebration we recall the pioneering lucidity of anticipating the future — Computer Science and Engineering at NOVA FCT is a story of persistent innovation,” stresses João Leite, President of the Department of Computer Science.
NOVA LINCS, the research center associated with the Department, is today recognized for its scientific and technological leadership, with around 60 PhD researchers and 80 PhD students. Rated “EXCELLENT” by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, the center develops dozens of national projects and collaborations.
For José Júlio Alferes, Dean of NOVA FCT, “There has never been NOVA FCT without Computer Science and Engineering. It was a pioneering degree that helped define the identity of the School and establish NOVA as an institution oriented towards the future.”
The celebration of the 50 years of the first edition of the Computer Science and Engineering degree included several initiatives that honor the past and project the future of the field, including the launch of the book “Half a Century of a NOVA Computer Science and Engineering”, written by Henrique Oliveira (15 December 2025), the Commemorative Session in the Grand Auditorium of NOVA FCT on 11 March 2026, and an alumni gathering. The commemorative session featured the DI/NOVA LINCS Distinguished Lecture “Confronting Ethical Challenges in AI” with the participation of Mehran Sahami (Stanford University), testimonials from Madalena Quirino, founding Professor of the Degree, and Pedro Guerreiro, student of the 1st edition of the Computer Science and Engineering degree at NOVA FCT, and a talk by Célia Reis, Executive Vice-President at Capgemini Engineering and alumna of the Computer Science and Engineering degree at NOVA FCT, as well as a profound tribute by NOVA to the individuals who marked the Department’s trajectory.
The Rector of NOVA University Lisbon, Paulo Pereira, highlighted the impact of this path: “The contribution of Computer Science and Engineering at NOVA is remarkable. It has trained professionals who hold prominent positions and has helped Portugal establish itself as an innovative country.”
Half a century later, the degree that inaugurated a new era in education in information technologies keeps alive the same ambition that gave it origin: to anticipate the future and to train leaders in a constantly changing digital age.
The Portuguese Engineers Association also joined the celebrations through a series of debates that reinforced the structuring role of Computer Engineering in the transformation of society. The commemorations were supported by CrossJoin, OpenSoft, Critical Techworks, Celfocus, Axians and Magycal.
Relive the moments here. (Photo by João Lima/NOVA FCT)
