Professor Jorge Carrola Rodrigues, from NOVA IMS, has been recognised with two international awards in this year’s SAP University Alliances Excellence Awards, presented by SAP.

The distinctions were announced during the SAP Academic Community Conference EMEA, held in Athens, where he was the only Portuguese academic distinguished. The two awards - Educational Excellence and Co-Innovation Excellence - highlight the work developed by NOVA IMS within the SAP academic network.

These recognitions stem from two key educational projects that have strengthened NOVA IMS’s position within this innovation ecosystem, both in advanced training and in its connection to real industry challenges.

The Educational Excellence award recognized the results achieved by the postgraduate program  “Digital Enterprise Management” and the development of its successor, “Artificial Intelligence for Business Transformation.” Among the criteria evaluated, the jury assessed the program's impact: 30% of participants advance in their careers during or immediately after the course, rising to 50% within three years - an indicator valued by SAP.

The Co-Innovation Excellence award highlighted the course “Digital Innovation Projects,” where NOVA IMS students develop prototypes and solutions for real challenges presented by companies in the SAP ecosystem. The hands-on nature of the course has served as a pathway into the job market for many students, who have received offers from organizations such as SAP and Mercedes-Benz.io, among others - a factor reflected in the award decision.

The professor adds that these distinctions are also the result “of the work carried out together with Professors Tiago Oliveira and Pedro Ruivo, as well as the support of the school’s leadership and academic community, which creates the conditions for initiatives with impact inside and outside the university”.