Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
Miguel Copetto is a senior higher education executive and international consultant with over three decades of experience in education policy, institutional governance, and global cooperation. He currently serves as Executive Director of the Portuguese Association of Private Higher Education (APESP), Board Member of the European Union of Private Higher Education (EUPHE), and Vice-President of the National Confederation of Education and Training (CNEF). He is also a member of the National Commission for Access to Higher Education (CNAES), as well as of several boards and governance bodies in the fields of higher education and public policy, both in Portugal and internationally. Throughout his career, he has played an active role in major higher education reform initiatives, international negotiation, and strategic advisory work, fostering networks and partnerships that strengthen dialogue between academia, governments, and civil society. His work combines legal rigour, institutional vision, and policy expertise with a strong commitment to promoting inclusive, high-quality, and globally connected education systems, with a forward-looking approach centred on anticipating trends, valuing knowledge, and leading new educational agendas. With an academic background in Law, International Relations, Education, and Political Science, and extensive experience across different higher education systems and cultures, he brings a strategic and humanistic perspective to the challenges of governance, innovation, and internationalisation in higher education. He is the author of two books on education policy, contributes regularly to national and international newspapers, and is a guest speaker at conferences and academic forums dedicated to the future of higher education.