Academic profile

This academic profile is not intended to be a full academic curriculum vitae (which can be found here). It brings together a selection of significant aspects of my academic life (education, appointments, fellowships, responsabilities) and of my scientific production (research, teaching, lectures, organization of meetings and other initiatives). Its main purpose is to provide online access to all of my publications, including books, articles and other writtings, as well as records about conferences, talks, interviews, media appearances, and other forms of academic and public reception of my work. Not everything is available online — some texts remain inaccessible or cannot be shared for technical reasons. My aim is to offer as broad and up‑to‑date overview of my work as possible.
| Academic trajectory | Education | Research fields and areas of interest | Appointments | Academic responsibilities | Fellowships | Consultancy | Publications | Journal editor | Conferences and talks | Interviews | Research | Organization of scientific meetings | Teaching | Supervision | Media and Scholarly Reception | Honours | Languages | Full CV |

Academic trajectory

Olga Pombo got a Licence in “Philosophy” by the University of Lisbon, a Master in “Modern Philosophy” by the Nova University of Lisbon, a PHD in “History and Philosophy of Education” by the University of Lisbon and an Habilitation Degree in “History and Philosophy of Science” also by the University of Lisbon.

Professor of Philosophy of Science at the Department of History and Philosophy of Science, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon (retired since 2017, with collaboration agreement), she was President of the Department since its foundation in 2007 up to 2012.

She created the “Research Centre for Philosophy of Sciences of the University of Lisbon” (CFCUL) in 2003 of which she was the Director and Scientific Coordinator since its foundation until 2017 (here ).

She coordinated several research projects - “Encyclopedia and Hypertext” (1999-02), “Scientific Culture. Conceptual Migrations and Social Contaminations” (2003-6), “Image in Science and Art” (2007-12), “Universal Logics and Unity of Science” (2008-10), “Abduction and Scientific Discovery” (2010-12), “Knowledge Dynamics in the field of Social Sciences (2012-13) - and was associated researcher in several other international projects.

In 2013, she created the FCT Doctoral Program Philosophy of Science, Technology, Art and Society of which she was the first program director (PI) until retirement (2017), where she continued to lecture and supervising several doctoral theses afterwards.

She is the author and editor of numerous publications, national and international , dedicated to several authors, namelly Leibniz (but also Hobbes, Spinoza, Rousseau, Hegel, Peirce, Poincaré, Neurath, Bachelard and Plato) and to her various research fields and areas of interest - namely, Epistemology and Philosophy of Science, Unity of Science, Interdisciplinarity, Cartography of Knowledge, Classification, Scientific Image, Scientific Models, History and Philosophy of Language, Symbolic Systems, Philosophical Language and Universal Languages, History and Philosophy of Encyclopedia, Hypertext and Internet, History and Philosophy of School-University, Museum, Library, Reading. More recently, she dedicated to “Science and Art” whose teaching she has initiated in Portugal.

Founder and chief-editor of the journal Kairos. Journal of Philosophy & Science , edited by CFCUL (2010-2014) and by De Gruyter (2015-2022), she is currently chief-editor of the journal Aion. Journal of Philosophy and Science , edited by the University of Kansas, USA.

She has been invited as keynote speaker and visiting professor at several institutions in Portugal and abroad such as University of Hannover (Germany), Zentrum für Literaturforshung Berlin (Germany), Institute for Advanced Studies of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel), Institut Universitaire Kurt Bösch (Switzerland), Vienna University (Austria), Oxford University (UK), Poznań University (Poland), University of Athens (Greece), São Paulo University (Brazil), Federal University of Latino-American Integration (Brazil), Federal University of Goias (Brazil), Pará University (Brazil), École des Mînes of Paris (France), Pisa University (Italy), University of Florence (Italy), Accademia Vivarium Novum Roma (Italy), Sevilla University (Spain), Universidad de Burgos (Spain), SPSN (Angola), Azores University (PT), University of Oporto (PT), University of Coimbra (PT). She has also been requested to give online, TV, radio, magazines interviews.

Founding member of the “Société de Philosophie des Sciences” (Paris) and the “Portuguese Society of Logics” (Lisbon), member of several other scientific societies. She organized numerous national and international scientific meetings, both academic conferences, colloquia, workshops, seminars and public events (debates, round tables, book presentations, exhibitions, etc).

Honoured as the Founder of the “Cátedra Leopoldo Zea of Philosophy and Epistemology” , of the “Mercosul Advanced Studies Institut”, Federal University of Latin-American Integration (UNILA), Brazil (2011). She was selected one of the 100 women to be part of the 1st edition of the book “Women in Science” edited by the National Agency for the Scientific and Technological Culture - Ciencia Viva (2016). She was awarded the Honorary membersip of the “International Association for the Study of Controversies” (AISC). She was invited to join the honour commission of the Portuguese “Reading National Plan” (PNL 2017), to be member of the Scientific Council of the “Réseau National des Maisons des Sciences de l’Homme” (Paris, 2015-2022), and to be President of the general assembly board of the Portuguese Logic Society (2022-2025).

Education and degrees

  • 2009 – Habilitation (Aggregation) in “History and Philosophy of Science”, University of Lisbon with the public lesson “Tarefas da Epistemologia e Filosofia das Ciências para o século XXI” (Tasks for Epistemology and Philosophy of Science in the XXI Century).
  • 1998 - PhD in Philosophy of Education, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon (FCUL), with the Dissertation: “Unidade da Ciência e Configuração Disciplinar dos Saberes” (Unity of Science and Disciplinar Configuration of Knowledge).
  • 1985 - Master in Modern Philosophy, Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, New University of Lisbon, with the Dissertation “Leibniz e o Problema de uma Língua Universal” (Leibniz and the Problem of Universal Language).
  • 1982 - Post-Graduation in Modern Philosophy, Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, New University of Lisbon.
  • 1973 - National Certification as Philosophy Teacher, State Examination, Ministry of National Education, Portugal.
  • 1971 – Licenciate degree (pre-Bologna) in Philosophy, Faculty of Letters, University of Lisbon.
  • 1970 – Bachelor’s degree in Pedagogical Sciences, Faculty of Letters, University of Lisbon.

Research fields and areas of interest

  • Epistemology, Philosophy of Science and Science and Art - Philosophy of scientific knowledge; Unity of Science; Interdisciplinarity; Disciplinary maps and Cartography of knowledge; Classification; Scientific Imagery and modeling; Creation in Science and Art; Science and Art differences, affinities and common roots.
  • History and Philosophy of Language - Historical and conceptual studies on language and meaning (Focus on: Leibniz, Hobbes, Spinoza, Rousseau, Hegel); Universal symbolic systems, Philosophical language, Universal languages.
  • History and Philosophy of Encyclopaedia, Hypertext and the Internet - Encyclopaedism (Focus on: Ramon Lull, Comenius, Bacon, Leibniz, Diderot, Comte, Hegel, Neurath, XX century encyclopaedism); Evolution of knowledge systems; Digital epistemology; Transformation of textual architectures.
  • History and Philosophy of School-University and Teaching - Universal institutions of knowledge transmission (School-University, Scientific Community, Museum, Library); History and Philosophy of Book and Reading; Teaching of Sciences and Philosophy.

Appointments

  • 2017 - Professor with Habilitation (retitred with collaboration agreement ), “Department of History and Philosophy of Sciences”, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon (FCUL).
  • 2009 – 2016 - Professor with Habilitation, “Department of History and Philosophy of Sciences”, FCUL (since the 9th June 2009 up until retirement, the 1st January 2017).
  • 2007¬–2009 – Professor Tenured, “Department of History and Philosophy of Science”, FCUL (since its founding on 1 August 2007)
  • 2002 - 2007 - Professor Tenured, “Department of Education”, FCUL (since 26th March 2003).
  • 1988 - 2002 – Adjunt Professor of the “Department of Education”, FCUL.
  • 1984 - 1988 – Assistant Professor of the “Department of Education” (appointed via public contest), FCUL.
  • 1980 - 1984 – National Counsellor for the Teaching of Philosophy (appointed via national public contest).
  • 1979 - 1980 - Stage Supervisor for the Teaching of Philosophy, D. Pedro V High School, Lisbon (by nomination).
  • 1979 - 1980 – Full Teacher of Philosophy, D. Pedro V High School, Lisbon.
  • 1973 - 1979 – Aggregated Teacher of Philosophy, D. Pedro V High School, Lisbon.
  • 1972 - 1973 – Classical Stage for the Teaching of Philosophy (D. Pedro V High School, Lisbon), with final State Examination.
  • 1970 - 1972 – *Assistant Teacher of Philosophy and History, M. Amália Vaz de Carvalho High School, Lisbon.

Academic responsibilities

Fellowships and research stays abroad

PPhD and Sabbatical Fellowships

  • 1989 – 1992 – PhD fellowship, National Institute of Scientific Research (JNIC)
  • 1990–1991 – PhD research stay at the Centre de Recherche Épistémologie Appliquée – CREA (with Daniel Andler), University of Paris, France, (JNIC)
  • 1991–1992 – PhD research stay, Philosophy Institute. University of Leuven (with Herman De Dijn), Leuven, Belgium, (JNIC)
  • 2004–2005 – Sabbatical fellowship Zentrum für Literaturforshung (with Sigrid Weigel), Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), Berlin, Germany.

Long-Term Fellowships

  • 1989 - Research Fellow, Philosophy Institut Hannover University (invited by Manfred Walter), Germany (November)
  • 1995 - Research Fellow, Institute for Advanced Studies. Hebrew University of Jerusalem, (invited by Marcelo Dascal), Israel (March - May)
  • 1999 - Research Fellow at Jesus College, Oxford University (invited by David Cram), UK (March-June)
  • 1999 – Guest Professor, Institut für Philosophie. Viena University (invited by Elisabeth Nemeth), Austria, (September-October)
  • 2000 - Research Fellow, Institut Wiener Kreis and Zentrum für Überfakultäre Forschung, (invited by Friedrich Stadler), Vienna University, Austria (May)
  • 2003 - Guest Professor, University Lille 3 (invited by Shahid Rahman), France (January)
  • 2004 - Research Fellow, Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, and Caxias do Sul University (invited by William de Siqueira Piauí), Brazil (June)
  • 2005 - Research Fellow, Zentrum für Literaturforshung. Berlin (invited by Sigrid Weigel), Germany (January - July)
  • 2007 - Research Fellow, UERJ and PUC-Rio de Janeiro, (invited by Deborah Danowsky), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (November)
  • 2010 and 2011 - Guest Professor Federal University of Latin-American Integration (UNILA), (invited by Carlos A. Dos Santos), Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil (October and December)
  • 2014 - Research Fellow, Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell’Innovazione and Dipartimeno di Studi Umanistici, Lecce University (invited by Giovanni Scarafille), Italy (May)
  • 2019 - Guest Professor, Centro Studi sulla Natura, l’Umano e l’Unità del Pensiero, Accademia Vivarium novum, (invited by Luciano Boi), Roma, Italy (October – Novembre)

Short-Term Fellowships

  • 1997 - Institut Universitaire Kurt Bosch (funded by Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation), Suisse, (September)
  • 2000 - Edinburg University (funded by CFCUL), UK (September)
  • 2000 - Zentrum für Überfakultäre Forschung, Vienna University (invited by Elisabeth Nemeth) Austria (May)
  • 2001 - Valência Polithechnical University, (invited by Concha Roldan) Spain (March)
  • 2007 - University og Geneve (invited by Société de Philosophie des Sciences - SPS), Genève, Switzerland (March)
  • 2007 - Sevilla University (invited by Fernando Soler), Spain (March)
  • 2008 - Communication and Arts School, São Paulo University (invited by Marilda de Lara), Brazil (September-October)
  • 2008 - Faculty of Philosophy, Sevilla University (invited by Angel Napomuceno), Spain (February)
  • 2009 - Maison des Sciences de l’ Homme. Paris (invited by MSH) France (October)
  • 2010 - Technische Universität Darmstadt (funded by CFCUL), Germany (October)
  • 2010 - Tel Aviv University (invited by Marcelo Dascal), Israel (November)
  • 2011 - Université de Lorraine, Nancy (funded by CFCUL), France (July)
  • 2011 - Complutense University of Madrid (invited by Francisco Salguero), Madrid, Spain (November)
  • 2011 - Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Paris (invited by FCG- Paris), France (December)
  • 2012 - Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris (invited by Claude Imbert), France (May)
  • 2013 - École Superieur d’Arts Villa Arson, Nice (invited by Caroline Challan Belval), France (March).
  • 2014 - Faculty of Philosophy Complutense University of Madrid, (invited by Rafael V. Orden), Spain (November)
  • 2016 - Ionian University Corfu (funded by CFCUL), Greece (May)
  • 2016 - Pisa University and IASC Society, Pisa (invited by Giovanni Scarafile), Italy (October)
  • 2016 - Sevilla University (invited by Fernando Contreras Medina), Spain (November)
  • 2017 - Poznań University (invited by Katarzina Gan-Krzywoszynska), Poland (May).
  • 2017 - University of Athens (invited by Stathis Psillos), Greece (Setember).
  • 2018 - École des Mines, Paris (invited by Vincent Bontems), France (May)
  • 2018 - University of Sevilla (invited by Matthieu Fontaine), Spain (October)
  • 2019 - Facultat de Filosofia Universitat de Barcelona (funded by CFCUL), Spain (September)
  • 2019 - Department of Humanities and Philosophy, University of Florence (invited by Elena Castellani), Italy (October)
  • 2019 - Amsterdam University (funded by CFCUL), Netherlands (October)
  • 2022 - CNRS Besançon Observatory (invited by Sarah Carvallo), France (October)

Consultancy (Scientific Evaluation and Advisory Committees)

International selection panels and scientific committees

  • Institut Universitaire de France (selection panel for Professor promotion), Paris, 2009 and 2010.
  • Université Paris-Sorbonne (selection panel for the Chair of Philosophy of Science), Paris, 2015.
  • Réseau National des Maisons des Sciences de l’Homme (scientific council), Paris, 2015-2022
  • Maisons des Sciences de l’Homme (scientific council), Bordeaux (2016-2022).
  • Agence Nationale de Recherche (ANR) (selection panel), Paris, 2016; 2017; 2019.
  • Université Paris-Sorbonne (selection panel for the Chair of Philosophy of Science), Paris, 2017.
  • Centro Studi sulla Natura, L’Umano e l’Unità del Pensiero* (Scientific Committee), Accademia Vivarium Novum, Roma (2018-2019).
  • Center for Interdisciplinary Studies (Advisory Committee), University of Coimbra (2023-2024) and (2025-2028).

European Commission Expert Evaluations (FP6, FP7 and horizon 2020)

  • Raising Public Awareness of Science and Technology, 2001.
  • Improving the Human Research Potential and the Socio-Economic Knowledge, 2001-2002.
  • Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowships, 2002, 2004.
  • Research Training Networks in the Economic, Social and Human Sciences (ECO-SOC), 2003, 2007.
  • Science and Society. European Science Week, 2003.
  • Marie Curie Fellowships for Early-Stage Training and Transfer of Knowledge, 2003-2007, 2010-2011.
  • Human Resources and Mobility Programa (ECO-SOC), 2004, 2006, 2007
  • Marie Curie International Research Staff Exchange Scheme (IRSES), 2008, 2009.
  • Research Executive Agency (REA), FP7-PEOPLE-2010-IOF, IEF, IIF, 2010, 2011
  • Vice chair, Marie Curie Individual Fellowships (ECO-SOC), IEF- IOF- IIF, 2012.
  • Independent Observer, FP7-PEOPLE, IRSES, 2013
  • H2020- Marie Skłodowska Curie Action-IF-2014ST- ECO-SOC, 2014, 2015.
  • H2020 - Science with and for Society (SEAC) 2015.
  • H2020 - FET-OPEN - Novel Ideas for radically new technologies research projects, 2014; 2016; 2017.
  • Horizon - EIC-2021-PATHFINDEROPEN-01, 2021.

National selection panels and evaluation committees (selection)

  • Premio de Tradução Científica e Técnica em Língua Portuguesa (2003, 2004-2005)
  • Olimpíadas Nacionais de Filosofia, organized by the Portuguese Society of Philosophy (2012-2013)
  • Olimpíadas Nacionais de Filosofia, organized by Associação para a Promoção da Filosofia (2014).
  • Philosophical Essay Prize (14th edition)*, organized by the Portuguese Society of Philosophy (2021)
  • Post-doc grants CFCUL panels, University of Lisbon (2015, 2016)
  • PhD grants panel awarded by FCTAS - Doctoral Program “Philosophy of Science, Technology, Art and Society” (2014-2017).

Publications

Journal editor

Journal boards (selection)

Conferences and talks

Online conferences and talks (selection)

Other Conferences and talks

Interviews

Research

Organization of Scientific meetings

Teaching

Supervision

Media and scholar reception

  • Joseph L. Subbiondo, review of the book “Leibniz and the Problem of a Universal Language by Olga Pombo”, Münster: Nodus Publikationen, 1987, in Historiographia Linguistica, Volume 17, Issue 3, Jan 1990, p. 406 – 411, (p. 406 ) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1075/hl.17.3.15sub
  • António Guerreiro (1998), review of the book: “Olga Pombo, Leibniz e o Problema de uma Língua Universal” , Lisboa: ed. Junta Nacional de Investigação Científica e Tecnológica (JNICT), 1997, 322 págs., in Expresso – Cartaz, 18.07.1998
  • M.J.C. (2000), review of the book: “Olga Pombo, Quatro Textos Excêntricos: Hannah Arendt, Eric Weil, Bertrand Russell e Ortega y Gasset”, Relógio d’Água, 2000, in Expresso – Cartaz, 02.09.2000
  • Linda Santos Costa (2002), review of the book: “Olga Pombo, A Escola, a Recta e o Círculo”, Lisboa: Relógio d’Água, 2002, in Público – Mil Folhas, 23.11.2002 (review article)
  • Marina Lopez (2007), review of the book: “Olga Pombo, Unidade da Ciência. Programas, Figuras e Metáforas (Unity of Science. Programs, Figures and Metaphors)” , Lisboa: Duarte Reis, 2006, 340pp., in Devenires, VIII - Mexico (July, 2007)
  • António Guerreiro (2011), review of the book: “Olga Pombo, Palavra e Esplendor do Mundo, Estudos sobre Leibniz” , Lisboa: Fim de Seculo, 2010, 304pp., in Expresso - Actual, 05.02.2011.
  • José António Alves (2012), review of the book: “Olga Pombo, Unidade da Ciência, Programas, Figuras E Metáforas”, Lisboa: CFCUL/Gradiva, 2011, 344pp., in Revista Portuguesa de Filosofia, Vol. 68, Fasc. 1/2, pp. 353–357, 2012 (link)
  • António Guerreiro (2012), review of the book: “Olga Pombo; Marco Pina. Em Torno de Darwin”, Lisboa: Fim de Século, 2012, 192 pags, in Expresso – Actual, 12.05.2012
  • Shahid Rahman (2012), presentation of the book: “Olga Pombo, O Círculo dos Saberes” , Lisboa: CFCUL/Gradiva, 314pp, thematic study presented in a public session, FCUL, Lisbon, 29 October 2012. (link)
  • Julio Dnd (2013), review of the book: “John Symons, Olga Pombo, Juan Manuel Torres (eds): Otto Neurath and the Unity of Science, Dordrecht: Springer, 264 pp, 2011 (Logic, Epistemology, and the Unity of Science, Vol. 18), in Book Inspections World Press, 07.07.2013, (link)
  • Marco Silva (2013), review of the book: “Olga Pombo: Leibniz e o Problema de uma Língua Universal” , Lisboa: Junta Portuguesa de Investigação Científica e Tecnológica (JNICT), 1997, in Argumentos, Vol. 5 (10), Fortaleza, Brazil (jul./dez. 2013), pp. 234-239. (link)
  • Thomas Uebel (2013), review of the book: “John Symons, Olga Pombo, Juan Manuel Torres (eds): Otto Neurath and the Unity of Science”, Dordrecht: Springer, 2012, 264pp, in Metascience, Springer Science, 22, pp. 481-484, 2013. DOI 10.1007/s11016-012-9711-0 (link)
  • Hinne Hettema (2013), review of the book: “Olga Pombo, Juan Manuel Torres, John Symons, and Shahid Rahman (eds). Special Sciences and the Unity of Science”, Dordrecht: Springer 2012, 299 pp, in Philosophy in Review, Vol. XXXIII (4), pp. 315–317, 2013 ISBN 978–94–007–2029–9 (link)
  • David Ludwig (2015), review of the book: “John Symons, Olga Pombo, and Juan Manuel Torres (eds.). 2011. Otto Neurath and the Unity of Science”. Dordrecht: Springer, in Lato Sensu Revue de la Société de Philosophie des Sciences 2(1):14-16, DOI:10.20416/lsrsps.v2i1.163 (link)
  • Medina, Patricia; Pereira, M. Lustosa; Paiva, José Feijó, Estudo da ciência da educação fundamentada na interdisciplinaridade por Olga Pombo: study of the science of education based on interdisciplinarity by Olga Pombo: a review study , RIAEE – Revista Ibero-Americana de Estudos em Educação, Araraquara, 14 (4), pp. 2287-2300 (out/dez,2019), e-ISSN: 1982-5587. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21723/riaee.v14i4.12113
  • Marcos António Pires, review of the book: “Olga Pombo, O Insuportável Brilho da Escola” , in Revista ISCI, Revista Científica do Instituto Saber Ciências Integradas, Brazil, Vol. 8(2), May 2021, ISSN 2446-8436 (link)

Honours, awards and public distinctions

  • Inaugural holder of the Leopoldo Zea Latin-American Chair of Philosophy and Epistemology, Federal University of Latin-American Integration (UNILA), Brazil (2010) (link)
  • Selected as one of the 100 Woman in Science by Ciencia Viva, National Agency for Scientific and Technological Culture of Portugal (March, 2016). (Women in Science book) , (Olga Pombo’s book page) , also (here ) and (here ).
  • Member of the Honnorary Comission of the National Reading Plan, 2017.
  • Honorary Member of the International Association for the Study of Controversies (IASC) (17 March 2020) (here )
  • What if virtue was not possible to be taught? Socrates and Protagoras in the homage to Prof. Dr. Olga Pombo, tribute event organized by Prof. Inácio Valentim, ITSNI (Angola), with Profs. Aldo Dinucci (UFS), Bruno Drumond (USP), and Sérgio Sardi (PUCRS), 5 January 2022, (Video), (Poster)
  • Essay tribute to Olga Pombo. An origin for the image?, by Pedro Caldas, Informe C3, Dossier Arte e Ciencia, vol. 14 (1): 67-84 (2022).
  • Olga Pombo. La interdisciplinaridad o la rede actual del conocimiento , part of the online series “Filósofas en La Historia. Filósofas ante la Ciencia y la Tecnologia”, directed by Paz Pérez Encinas, Departament of Philosophy, IES Aramo, Oviedo, Spain. The session was dedicated to a global presentation and discussion of Olga Pombo’s scientific work on the 5th August 2023.(vídeo)
  • Celebrating Women Who Inspire, tribute event integrated in the “International Day of Women and Girls in Science”, organized by ARMA-Sci, Agrupamento de Escolas Gomes Teixeira, Câmara Municipal de Armamar, Centro Interpretativo da Mulher Duriense, 21 February 2024.

Languages

  • Portuguese – native
  • English – excellent (fluent in reading and writing)
  • French – excellent (fluent in reading and writing)
  • Spanish – excellent (fluent in reading and oral expression)
  • Italian – regular (iintermediate proficiency)
  • Latin - translation skills of classical texts
  • Greek - translation skills of classical texts