This Monday, June 28, professor Carlos Salema, professor emeritus at Instituto Superior Técnico, and at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, received the Medal of Scientific Merit in recognition of his important contributions to Science. The Minister of State for the Presidency, Mariana Vieira da Silva, and the Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, Manuel Heitor, awarded the medal  during the event “Science 2021 – Science and Technology Summit in Portugal”.

As announced at the medal grabbing moment, “professor Carlos Salema stood out for his research in the field of electromagnetic radiation, namely microwaves and hertzian beams in their various applications to communication”. His important role as founder and leader of Instituto de Telecomunicações (IT) was also highlighted.

“I am very honoured. I would like to dedicate this medal to all students and former students, and all colleagues who helped to put IT on its feet”, says professor Carlos Salema.

The Medal of Scientific Merit aims to reward national individuals who have distinguished themselves for their valuable and outstanding contribution to the development of science or scientific culture in Portugal. In total, 18 medals were awarded this year.

Professor Carlos Salema received a PhD in Electrical Engineering from Queen Mary College, University of London (1972), and was elevated to Full Professor at DEEC/IST in 1978, where he taught until 2003 when he retired.

The scientific interests of professor Carlos Salema focused on microwave antennas, with particular emphasis on dielectric antennas, microwave propagation in the atmosphere in the presence of rough surfaces, redundancy reduction of still and moving images, and on computer simulation of industrial processes, namely applied to movement and storage of cereals.

In 1974 he received the Marconi Prize from the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and in 2009 the Career Prize from URSI.

In addition to teaching and intense research activity, he worked as a consultant at Hidrotécnica Portuguesa in the fields of Telecommunications and Computers (1966-1986), he was director of Centro de Cálculo do Técnico (1983-85), President of Junta Nacional de Investigação Científica e Tecnológica, INICT, (1986-89), Deputy President for Pedagogical Affairs at Técnico (1993-96) and President of School Representatives Assembly (1996-2002), and President of Instituto de Telecomunicações (1993-2003).

He became professor emeritus at Universidade Técnica de Lisboa in 2011, and he is member of the Portuguese Academy of Engineering, of which he was president.

In 2019, he was elected President of the Lisbon Academy of Sciences.