José Manuel Barroso Keynote Speaker

José Manuel Durão Barroso was President of the European Commission during two mandates (2004-2014) and served for twelve years in the Government of Portugal in several positions including as Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

His academic appointments included visiting professor of Georgetown University and visiting professor at Princeton University. He is currently a visiting professor at the Catholic University of Portugal and at the European University Institute, School of Transnational Governance, Florence.

After being Chairman of the Board of Goldman Sachs International since 2016 , he is now Chairman of International Advisors of Goldman Sachs .

He is Chairman of the Board of GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, a main players in global health, which provides services that support human and economic development.

On behalf of the European Union he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012

José Manuel Barroso has been awarded numerous honorary degrees and has received over 60 decorations, prizes and distinctions. He is the author of numerous publications on political science, international relations and the European Union, including Le système politique portugais face à l’intégration européenne (1983); Uma Certa Ideia de Europa (1999); Mudar de Modelo (2002) and Reformar: Dois Anos de Governo (2004).