MAURICIO FERNANDES

 

 

 

London, UK - Lisbon, Portugal Kigali, Rwanda – BC, Canada

          mauricjorge@gmail.com

 +447935 930 615

 

International Partnerships Developer & Community Economist

 

Summary

 

 

 

An international Partnerships Developer and Community Economist specialist with 15+ years’ experience in community engagement and  in partnerships in Europe, Africa and South America. The Global South and Southern Europe. With a solid reputation engaging communities for developing sustainable and productive partnerships delivering impact and results. A positive critical thinker and results’ oriented with a demonstrated ability to research on interdisciplinary fields to provide strategic contributions to diverse community based programme elements. Well versed in local, national and international communities protocols, communicates competently with communities, community leaders, National high-level and Municipal officials, and with private business leaders. An intricate knowledge of the challenges and opportunities of community engagement initiatives, social, territorial and economics, with a unique capacity to integrate multiple and often conflicting priorities to the ultimate benefit of the community. Utilises combined economic and financial strategies to ensure effective resource allocation and an established ability to develop funding opportunities increasing  projects’ economic and financial security. Proven operations strategist with a track record in leading complex initiatives within communities and the community economy. 

 

Core Competencies

 

 

 

                         

 

·       Building relations – Social and Economic level

·       Community Engagement

·       International and local community Development

·       Socioeconomics and Territory

·       Financial and Non-financial resource’s mobilization

·       Social and Solidary Economics

·       Interdisciplinary Research

·       Fluent: English, Portuguese & Spanish 

·       Economics and psychosocial well-being 

·       Senior management 

 

 

 

Work History

 

 

 

 

Jun 2019– Nov 2019

Kelowna, BC

    Visiting Researcher at the Institute for Community Engaged Research   University of British Columbia – Okanagan   

The Institute unites researchers from a broad range of disciplinary backgrounds, including Anthropology, Gender Studies, Indigenous Studies, Economics, Education, Health Studies, Human Geography, Nursing, Social Work and Sociology.

Sharing a commitment to research that supports diversity, equity, and social justice, the Institute facilitates the participation of community members, organizations, students, and academics as co-researchers. ICER is a hub for building relationships, collaboration, and effective knowledge creation and exchange.

It’s a unique model for interdisciplinary research, designed to create and take advantage of moments of serendipity. The free association of ideas from across traditional disciplinary, and university / community boundaries may seem odd in an academic setting, but it provides invaluable experiences and opportunities for all the participants.

 

       

 

 

April 2018 – To date

Lisbon, Portugal

Integrated Researcher at Centre For Socioeconomics and Territorial Studies.    University Institute of Lisbon – Portugal  

DINÂMIA’CET – IUL, Centre for Socioeconomic and Territorial Studies is an ISCTE-IUL research unit which combines fundamental and applied research on economic, social and cultural topics. It carries out advanced international research systematically grounded on interdisciplinarity. With the aim of framing a new approach to sustainable development, our research seeks to contribute to the understanding of the contemporary world through the analysis of the contexts, the 

actors and the consequences of change, with a focus on institutional frameworks, and through extensive recourse to comparative approaches.

 

 

 

April 2018 – Aug 2019

Lisbon, Portugal

Director of External Relations and Resources Mobilization

National Association for Mental Health

Alerta-Mente, Ass. Nacional para a Saúde Mental
The Portuguese National Association for Mental Health is a non-for-profit and charity working to stimulate debate on local and national level so that mental health may be part of all the policies of the public, private; local and national policies. The Charity aims to disrupt the stigma which is often associated with mental vulnerabilities.

The National Association has close ties to research and academia and works proactively with municipalities for the development of endogenous responses to promote psychosocial well-being in the community, specifically with the WHO’s Portuguese Healthy Cities Network.

 

·       I was involved in all activities associated with securing new and additional means for the organization. I was also involved in making better use of, and maximizing, existing sources.

 

·       I was tasked with the implementation of new strategies and ways of organizing relationships with communities, private and public institutions, such as collaboration with research organizations, private and public sector, and communities, or customers.

 

 

Nov 2011 – Sep 2017

London, UK

Chief Executive Officer

 

The Planet Earth Institute
The Planet Earth Institute (PEI) is an international NGO and charity working for the scientific independence of Africa.

 

As CEO, I was responsible for leading operations for the charity, high-level and governmental relations, including partnerships with the United Nations, World Bank, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and multiple national Governments including Mozambique, South Africa, Rwanda, Angola, Senegal, Ethiopia, Egypt and others. Reporting to the Board of Trustees, I provided operational overview for all projects, programmes and staff. Additionally I was responsible for the extra budgetary requirements necessary to implement projects and PhD programmes across Africa. 

 

·       Recruited a gender balanced and multicultural Board of Trustees including highly respected members of academia, Heads of State, private sector leaders and high-level public officials, each bringing unique and exemplary dedication to the promotion of higher education and science and technology across Africa.

·       Established satellite offices throughout the Global South and continental Europe to support programme implementation and promote advocacy awareness.

·       Engaged partnerships with traditional and non traditional donors, such as The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The World Bank, IBM and various African Banks and private industries from which I raised over 20M USD

·       Successfully implemented the first PhD programme in Angola through partnership between the Universidade Agnostinho Neto and Newcastle University. Created similar North - South academic partnerships with the University of Glasgow, University of Mines and Technology in Ghana, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane in Mozambique and the University of Cape Town

·       Created and implemented the highly successful Science and Technology Enrolment Programme (STEP) for secondary students on behalf of HE the President of Mauritius.

·       Developed Partnerships with UNESCO and UNECA which advanced the Charitable aims of The Planet Earth Institute and the UN organisations. 

·       Partnered with the African Union New York permanent Mission to raise awareness of the importance of Higher Education and Science and Technology during the SDG consultations.

·       Achieved UNEP accreditation

·       Ran multiple high level events within the UN CSD

·       Established an agreement with the World Bank for the creation of the Partnership for applied sciences, Engineering and Technology (PASET) and the creation of the African Business Champions programme

 

 

 

March 2010 – Oct. 2011

London UK/ São Paulo Brasil

Executive Director

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Planet Earth Institute
The Planet Earth Institute is a Charity which was formed to take forward the on-going projects and programmes of the UN IYPE (International Year of Planet Earth), I was instrumental in this transition and then took on the position of Executive Director, which was responsible for European and African operations.

 

Highlights of events and conferences:

 

·       Exhibition of African Photographers at UNESCO about the Planet Earth

·       UNESCO Director General visits to Angola

·       Policy seminar on science in Africa with UNEP

·       Developing Higher Education and science in Kenya

·       Roundtable for science and publishing in Africa

·      High-level STI Forum in Kigali, Rwanda

 

 

 

Dec 2006 – April 2010

London, UK/ Luanda, Angola

Director of Partnerships 

 

The United Nations International Year of Planet Earth

 

The United Nations General Assembly declared 2008 as the International Year of Planet Earth to increase awareness of the importance of earth sciences for the advancement of sustainable development. UNESCO was designated as the lead agency. The Year's activities spanned the three years 2007-2009

 

The Year aimed to raise $20 million from industry and governments, of which half was to be spent on co-funding research, and half on "outreach" activities. It was intended to be the biggest ever-international effort to promote earth sciences.

 

As Partnerships Director I was responsible for heading the partnership development team and raising funds through the creation of corporate collaborations, follow up to traditional revenue streams and securing major partnerships with businesses.

 

·       Raised over 2M GBP from non traditional donors, mainly in the Portuguese speaking countries

·       Panellist on the multi-stakeholder dialogue on Partnerships held during the 18^th session on of the Commission on Sustainable Development at the United Nations Headquarters in New York

·       Successfully campaigned for and transitioned IYPE to the Planet Earth Institute

 

Previous Experience

Independent Development Consultant for Public and Private corporations in Portuguese speaking countries

·       Successfully negotiated South-South partnerships and developed corporate development strategies between Angola, Mozambique and Brazil for technology and renewable energy.

·       Assisted client organizations to establish themselves in different African countries with varying cultures and different needs. 

·       Worked to develop political support and international Ministerial cooperation. Established development MoUs with the Ministers of Environment, Industry and Commerce of Lusophone countries.

 

 

 

 

Education 

 

 

 

 

 

1996

BACHELOR OF PHYSICS 

Faculty of Science

University of Lisbon

2016

HONORARY DOCTORATE 

For contributions to Science and African Development

Middlesex University, UK          

 

2018– To date

RESEARCHER 

DINAMIA-CET - CENTRE FOR SOCIOECONOMICS AND TERRITORIAL STUDIES

https://www.dinamiacet.iscte-iul.pt/research-team/Maur%C3%ADcio-Fernandes

University Institute of Lisbon

 

2019

POST-GRADUATION DIPLOMA IN SOCIAL AND SOLIDARY ECONOMMICS

ISCTE-IUL

University Institute of Lisbon

                                                 

 

2018/19 

MASTERS OF SOCIAL AND SOLIDARITY ECONOMY 

ISCTE-IUL

University Institute of Lisbon     

 

2019 - To date

VISITING RESEARCHER AT THE INSTITUTE FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGED RESEARCH

UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA