Pedro Calado appointed Chairperson of EMIF Management Committee and Programme Director at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

Ahead of joining the Gulbenkian Foundation in 2020, Pedro Calado served as the Portuguese High Commissioner for Migration for 6 years, where he was co-responsible for the implementation of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF), and the European Social Fund (ESF) regarding migrant integration and social inclusion, supporting civil society organisations and public structures. He combined this position with his role as National Coordinator of the Escolhas (Choices) Programme and President of the Portuguese Commission for Equality and Against Racial Discrimination.

Pedro Calado was also Chair of the OECD Working Group on Migration in Paris and the Portuguese representative at the European Commission’s European Integration Network in Brussels.

Besides the public service experience, Mr. Calado’s professional path is marked by the creation and support of several civil society organisations and also his role as researcher, which provides him with a comprehensive view of what it takes to defend democracy and strengthen societal resilience, as well as the crucial expertise for leading the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in the two funding programmes he is now embracing – EMIF and the Active Citizens Programme.

Paolo Cesarini named Programme Director at the European University Institute

Taking up duties as EMIF Programme Director at the EUI, Paolo Cesarini, who already served as a member of EMIF Management Committee, will bring a wealth of expertise garnered as a policymaker at the European Commission, where he played a pivotal role in shaping media policy and navigating the digital transition.

Paolo Cesarini’s distinguished career at the European Commission Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content, and Technology (DG CONNECT) underscores his understanding of the challenges posed by disinformation. During his tenure, he spearheaded numerous initiatives addressing the technological transformation of the European media landscape, the intricate relationship between societal concerns and digital media, online disinformation, and bridging the gap between research, technology, and culture. His prior work at the Directorate-General for Competition (DG COMP), encompassing antitrust and State aid policy, further underscores his versatile and comprehensive background.

Paolo Cesarini will combine his position at the EMIF with another flagship project at the School of Transnational Governance, focusing on the critical issue of disinformation, the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO).