It is with deep sadness that we received the news of the passing of the economist and researcher Pedro Lains, one of Nova School of Business & Economics (Nova SBE) first and boldest Pioneers.
Pedro Lains had a distinguished career, which was emphasized by his deep historical knowledge and unique economic skills, being internationally and nationally known as an expert of Economic History of the 19th and 20th centuries and as an interconvertible figure for Portuguese Economic Historians.
Pedro Lains was one of our truest Pioneers, having been part of Nova SBE since the very beginning of our journey. He was part of the first class – the class of 1978 – and completed his Bachelor's degree in Economics at our school, paving the way for all the bright minds that followed.
At the time of his passing, Pedro Lains was the coordinator of the Institute of Social Sciences of the University of Lisbon, a member of Instituto Figuerola de Historia y Ciencias Sociales, from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, and an invited Professor at Católica-Lisbon School of Business & Economics.
When Nova SBE eventually outgrew Campolide, and we found in Carcavelos the perfect place to start a new chapter, Pedro Lains and his '78 Economics Class made a collective donation to the campus fundraising campaign believing in the ability to become the school for a better future and paying homage to the lifelong connection that binds our Alumni to Nova SBE.
His numerous contributions and accolades to the country's Educational and Historic landscape were acknowledged and remembered nationwide, including the President of the Portuguese Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who also praised his "his eternally young and irreverent spirit that made his passing even more premature."
He will always be part of Nova SBE's journey, and we will hold him and his story as a poignant testament that ours is indeed a borderless community of curious minds and resilient souls.