Our honouree
Inês Duarte is an Emeritus Professor of the School of Arts and Humanities of the University of Lisbon (FLUL) and researcher of the Centre of Linguistics of the University of Lisbon (CLUL). She is best known for her work on the syntax of Portuguese, but her broad interests and widespread collaborations have led to many other contributions at the linguistic interfaces, inspiring younger generations of linguists in Portugal and beyond.
She started her linguistic career in the late 1970s at the University of Oporto, being one of the founding members of the Centre of Linguistics of the University of Oporto (CLUP). In 1982, she became a Professor at the Department of Romance and General Linguistics at FLUL, where she was promoted to Full Professor (Professor Catedrático) in 2004. After her retirement in 2018, she has actively carried on with a number of scientific and academic activities.
Inês played a pioneering role in the development of generative syntax in Portugal, frequently adopting a comparative perspective between European Portuguese, other varieties of Portuguese, Romance languages, and English, but also with a broad interest in other languages and typologies. This wide view of linguistics facilitated her frequent interactions with different fields of expertise within linguistics, such as applied, experimental, and educational linguistics, language teaching and learning, language contact, as well collaborations at the crossroads of other fields of knowledge, such as cultural studies, psychology, and medicine.
Her publications include over 100 books, book chapters and papers in peer-reviewed journals, among others, with a particularly strong track record in the domain of reference works on Portuguese. She authored Língua Portuguesa - Instrumentos de análise (2000, Universidade Aberta), co-authored Gramática da Língua Portuguesa (1989, Caminho), Introdução à Linguística Geral e Portuguesa (1996, Caminho), Gramática da Língua Portuguesa (2003, Caminho), contributed several chapters to the Gramática do Português (2013, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian), and coedited several works, such as the proceedings in three volumes of Congresso Internacional sobre o Português (1994, Colibri). Her role as a team player also becomes evident from her participation in many research projects, either as PI (PREPLEXOS), co-PI (PALMA), or member (Caracterização dos Níveis de Literacia da População Escolar Portuguesa, O Português Europeu numa Perspectiva Comparada, SILC, CLAP, COPAS, CORAL, EUROTRA, GRAAL, LeCIEPLE, PHPB, PNEP).
Her substantial supervising activity is probably the best proof of Inês’ exceptional and inspirational teaching, training, and mentoring qualities. She (co-)supervised a total of 32 MA theses and 16 PhD Dissertations on a wide range of topics, which is yet another demonstration of her versatility. Many of her former students have remained active in the academic world. Her collaborations with foreign universities ensured that her voice was also heard abroad. Inês lectured, for instance, at the High Institute of Education of Cape Verde, University Eduardo Mondlane, University of Cologne, University of Göttingen, National Autonomous University of Mexico, and University Mohammed V-Agdal. She also entertained numerous connections to national and international institutions through joint MA and PhD supervision (e.g., University of Coimbra, University of Évora, University of Oporto, University of Santiago de Compostela, Catholic University of Louvain, University Paris-8, ZAS-Berlin).
The wide array of management responsibilities Inês has assumed over the years also attests to her leadership qualities. At FLUL, she was co-responsible for the creation of the undergraduate course in Linguistics (now Language Sciences) and the first MA course in generative syntax and semantics, being also actively involved in the conception of other study programs which involve linguistics at FLUL. She was president of the Associação Portuguesa de Linguística (2004-2006), vice-rector of the University of Lisbon (2006-2009), coordinator of CLUL (2010-2013), president of Conselho de Escola at UL (2013-2015), director of the area of Language Sciences at FLUL (2013-2017), and is since 2018 the president of the Comissão de Ética para a Investigação at FLUL. She also integrated several boards and councils which show her deep and long-lasting commitment to education and educational policies, for instance Direção da Associação de Professores de Português (1981-1983), Conselho Consultivo do Currículo do Ensino Básico at the Ministry of Education (2000-2003) Conselho Científico para as Ciências Sociais e Humanidades at FCT (2010-2013), and Conselho Nacional de Educação (2016-2019).
While this short academic biography is a testimony as to why Inês Duarte is a widely and deeply respected scholar and intellectual who has left a truly remarkable societal footprint, over the years she has remained, above all, someone who takes interest in and cares for those around her, a rare blend of coach, manager, colleague, and friend.