Joaquim Mourato holds PhD degree in Economics and Business Sciences from the University of Extremadura (Spain). He is a Coordinating Professor with Aggregation at the School of Technology and Management of the Polytechnic Institute of Portalegre, conducting scientific research in the areas of organisational performance management and quality in higher education institutions. He is a researcher at the Research Centre for the Valorisation of Endogenous Resources (VALORIZA) at the Polytechnic Institute of Portalegre and a collaborating researcher at the Centre for Research and Studies in Sociology (CIES) at ISCTE-IUL, where he coordinates and participates in research projects. He was President of the Coordinating Council of Portuguese Polytechnic Institutes (CCISP) from 2013 to 2016, President of the Polytechnic Institute of Portalegre from 2009 to 2017. He was an advisor to the National Education Council (CNE), a member of the Board of the Forum for the Management of Higher Education in Portuguese-speaking Countries and Regions (FORGES) and a member of the European Quality Assurance Forum (EQAF) Committee. Since 2022, he has held the position of Director-General for Higher Education in Portugal.