Luis Manuel Rebelo Fernandes
Minister Luciana Santos announced the appointment of professor Luis Fernandes to the position of executive secretary of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), and of former minister Celso Pansera to the presidency of the Financier of Studies and Projects (Finep), public company linked to the MCTI. Nominations will be published in the next few days in the Official Gazette of the Union. Finep is one of the main innovation promotion agencies in Brazil and is the Executive Secretariat of the National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development (FNDCT) – the main source of public funding for Brazilian science. Luis Fernandes will also exercise, by delegation from the minister, the role of chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development (FNDCT).
Celso Pansera and Luciana Santos. Photo: Wesley Sousa
Luis Manuel Rebelo Fernandes holds a degree in International Relations from Georgetown University, a master's and a doctor's degree in Political Science from the Instituto Universitário de Pesquisas in Rio de Janeiro. He has a long academic career and management experience in the public sector, having been executive secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology from 2004 to 2007; president of Finep from 2007 to 2011, and in 2015; scientific director of the Carlos Chagas Filho Foundation for Research Support in the State of Rio de Janeiro – FAPERJ from 1999 to 2002; member of the Technical-Scientific Council – CTC of Capes from 2018 to 2022; executive secretary of the Ministry of Sports from 2012 to 2015; and coordinator of the Executive Group for the 2014 World Cup and the Executive Group for the 2016 Olympic Games.
Celso Pansera holds a degree in Literature from the State University of Rio de Janeiro (Uerj) and a postgraduate degree in Business Administration from the Cândido Mendes University, and was Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation from 2015 to 2016. He was also president of the Foundation for Support to Technical School of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Faetec). As a federal deputy, he chaired the Special Committee on the Water Crisis in Brazil and was a member of several committees of the Chamber of Deputies, such as Science and Technology, Communication and Information Technology; Education; Culture; and Financial Oversight and Control.
