04-09-2026
Photo: João Lima/NOVA FCT
Elvira Fortunato, professor and researcher at NOVA FCT, was featured once again on the list of the 55 most powerful women in Portugal, published annually by Forbes, taking first place in the Education and Science category. This marks the third consecutive year the scientist is featured in this ranking.
The selection results from an assessment of more than 150 executives and entrepreneurs, based on five criteria: wealth, decision-making power, influence, business scale, and entrepreneurship. In the Education and Science category, Elvira Fortunato rose to first place, having ranked third in 2024.
"I receive this distinction from Forbes Portugal with satisfaction and a sense of responsibility. Being ranked first in Education and Science recognizes two dimensions I have always seen as inseparable: creating knowledge and sharing it. Science transforms society; education is what fully realizes that power, by sparking curiosity and giving new generations the confidence to question and create. I share this recognition with the teams, students, and everyone who believes that investing in knowledge is investing in the future — and I hope it helps make the role of women in science and leadership more visible. I will continue to learn, question, and ensure that knowledge has a real impact. Because understanding, questioning, and choosing is, ultimately, synonymous with freedom," the researcher said.
This recognition from Forbes comes in a year marked by several distinctions for the scientist. She was recently elected, for the sixth consecutive time, "Trusted Personality" in the Research and Science category, in Reader's Digest's Trusted Brands survey, having increased her share of votes from 23% to 48%. In August 2026, she received the Chinese Government Friendship Award, one of the most important honors China grants to foreign experts.
The distinctions now received reinforce the importance of the research work developed by Elvira Fortunato and her contribution to science, both in Portugal and abroad.
