Banco de Portugal has awarded the best Economics graduates of the 2023/2024 academic year with the Professor Jacinto Nunes Award. Among the ten winners, David Sousa, a graduate from FEP, stands out for his exceptional performance during his degree, which he completed with an average grade of 18. The €3,000 prize will be used for savings and career investment, as David explained in an interview with Jornal Económico.
The Professor Jacinto Nunes Award, presented annually by Banco de Portugal, aims to recognise the achievements of the best Economics students from universities and higher education institutions across the country. The award is named in honour of Professor Jacinto Nunes, a distinguished economist and former Governor of Banco de Portugal, whose contributions to national and international economics were pivotal in the institution’s history.
The award ceremony took place at the Palácio da Ajuda in Lisbon and was attended by the Governor of Banco de Portugal, Mário Centeno, who was one of the officials presenting the awards to the young laureates. In addition to Mário Centeno, Vice-Governors Luís Máximo dos Santos and Clara Raposo, along with other board members of the institution, including Helena Adegas, Rui Pinto, and Francisca Guedes de Oliveira, were also present. The event was an opportunity for Banco de Portugal to highlight the importance of academic training and dedication to study, which are fundamental pillars for the future of the national economy.
The Professor Jacinto Nunes Award is granted to universities whose students, in the first two phases of access to higher education, have obtained a score of 140 points or higher, making the distinction even more significant. In addition to the monetary value of €3,000, the award symbolises recognition of the effort and excellence of young economists, who stand out in the development of future professionals likely to play key roles in the evolution of the financial sector and the economy in Portugal.
David Sousa, who graduated from FEP, expressed his honour in receiving the award and revealed that the prize money will be used to strengthen his savings and continue investing in his education and professional future. “This award is a great motivation for me. I feel that my hard work and dedication have been recognised in a very special way. The money will undoubtedly be invested to ensure that my journey in the field of Economics becomes even more solid, and it will also strengthen my financial independence,” he said.
In addition to recognising academic merit, this award also has a positive impact on the careers of the winners, many of whom, like David Sousa, are already planning to pursue postgraduate studies with the aim of completing a PhD, which will certainly contribute to the growth and development of economic research in Portugal.
With this award, David Sousa and the other winners are not only celebrating their academic achievements but also preparing for the promising future that awaits them in the field of Economics, knowing that the knowledge gained during their degree will be crucial in facing the challenges of the job market and contributing to Portugal’s economic development.
