Professors Gonçalo Amarante Pereira and Carlos Alfredo Joly, from the Biology Institute (IB) at Unicamp, were awarded the National Order of Scientific Merit, in the grand cross class. The honor, created in 1993, is granted by the federal government to people who stand out with important contributions to the areas of science, technology and innovation. In addition to the Unicamp professors, honored in the area of biological sciences, another 13 people, from different areas of knowledge, received the award, while four teaching, research and cultural institutions won the National Medal of Scientific Merit.
The delivery ceremony was held this Wednesday (12), at Palácio do Planalto, with the presence of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Luciana Santos, and other authorities. “I feel deeply honored and with an even stronger feeling of commitment to the fight to defend science, knowing that it is the basis for the country's development, for us to have a more just society and for us to have more Brazilians with access to citizenship”, commented Pereira.
Full professor at IB, Pereira is coordinator of the Genomics and Expression Laboratory (LGE) and develops research in the areas of genetics and bioenergy in partnership with public research funding bodies and private companies in the sector. He is a member of the Academy of Sciences of the State of São Paulo and the European Community for the Bioeconomy, in addition to holding the position of advisor to the World Economic Forum for Biotechnology.
“This title, this commendation indicates that we are defenders of something. In our case, science”, explained the professor. “We believe that science is one of the most important things in the country, and this defense, fundamental and uncompromising, belongs to the country itself, Unicamp and our co-workers.”
Joly was also awarded the National Order of Scientific Merit. For health reasons, the researcher did not attend the ceremony. Joly was a pioneer in studies on modern plant ecophysiology in the country and one of the creators of the Research Program on Characterization, Conservation, Restoration and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity (Biota-Fapesp), which brought important contributions to scientific advancement and the development of policies in for biodiversity.
In addition to his work in academia, Joly participated in the formulation of public policies for biodiversity, such as the regulation of the biologist profession, and in the writing of the chapter on the environment of the 1988 Federal Constitution. He was a member of what is now called the Secretariat of the Environment , Infrastructure and Logistics of the State of São Paulo and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, in addition to having participated in the creation of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, maintained by the United Nations. In March 2022, he received the title of Professor Emeritus at Unicamp.
Check out the broadcast of the presentation of the National Order of Scientific Merit:
