Dr António Manuel Bensabat Rendas was the Rector of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa (NOVA) from 2007 to 2017 and President of the Council of Rectors of Portuguese Universities from 2010 to 2014.

With a degree in Medicine from the Faculdade de Medicina de Lisboa, António Rendas earned his PhD in Experimental Pathology (pulmonary hypertension) from the Cardiothoracic Institute, University of London in 1977.

From 1974 to 1978 he was a researcher in the University of London and in Harvard Medical School. In 1979 he returned to Portugal where he began the academic career that he keeps until today at NOVA Medical School/Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, now as a Professor Emeritus.

At NOVA University, he served has Dean of the Portuguese Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (IHMT) and of NOVA Medical School/Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, among other positions.

Dr. Rendas has played several top roles at national and international levels such as Vice-President of the Portuguese Society of Pneumology, Coordinator of the National Council for Teaching and Medical Education of the Portuguese Medical Association and he currently is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Portuguese Agency for Evaluation and Accreditation of Higher Education.

 

His research interests focus on the physiology and physiopathology of respiration, biomedical evaluation of aging, medical education with emphasis on problem-learning and conceptual maps, university administration and management indicators. He is author and co-author of over 200 publications including communications, scientific articles, books and book chapters.

He has coordinated and participated in several national and international consultancies in areas like medical training, teaching and research in medicine, adoption of innovative pedagogical methods and development of biomedical research networks.

Dr Rendas was honoured with the Chevalier de I'Ordre National du Mérite by the French Republic and with the Medal D. Afonso Henriques of Merit from the Ministry of Defence (Army), the Gold Medal of the Ministry of Health and the Science Medal from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education. In 2018 he was awarded by the President of the Republic with the Grand-Cross of the Order of the Public Instruction.

 

Dr Rendas joined the AKU Board of Trustees in 2017.