A Professor at NOVA Information Management School (NOVA IMS), Jorge Carrola will chair the body representing more than 850 universities across three continents.
SAP University Alliances has created a new regional academic board for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) and appointed Jorge Carrola Rodrigues, Professor at NOVA Information Management School (NOVA IMS) and researcher at MagIC, the School’s research center, as its chair. The appointment places NOVA IMS at the center of one of the world’s largest networks for education and innovation in digital technologies and enterprise systems.
The EMEA Academic Board represents an academic community of more than 850 higher education institutions, over 200,000 students, and 50 countries across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa - approximately 35% of the global SAP University Alliances network. The new board joins the existing regional boards, strengthening a truly global academic governance structure.
SAP University Alliances is one of the world’s leading academic ecosystems dedicated to advancing education and research in digital technologies and enterprise solutions. By bringing together universities, researchers, students, industry partners, and SAP, it promotes the development of digital skills and research aimed at addressing today’s organizational and societal challenges - a model that NOVA IMS has cultivated as part of its identity since its founding.
“Chairing the EMEA Academic Board is a responsibility I take on with enthusiasm and a strong sense of purpose. This structure plays an important role in how academia and companies work together to build the digital skills of the future - and that is precisely where some of the most relevant work is taking place. For NOVA IMS and MagIC, it also means strengthening our presence in networks where applied research, innovation, and education reinforce one another,” says Jorge Carrola.
Jorge Carrola brings a strong track record to this new role. At NOVA IMS, he teaches in the field of information systems and coordinates postgraduate and executive education programs related to digital transformation, digital innovation, and business management. His research focuses primarily on digital transformation, enterprise systems, value creation, and organizational performance. Before entering academia, he gained more than 25 years of professional experience at companies including Microsoft, Philips, Olivetti Solutions, and UNICRE, working in marketing, sales, business development, and organizational transformation.
Before assuming the presidency of the new EMEA Academic Board, Jorge Carrola served on the SAP University Alliances Ibero-America regional board, gaining experience in the operation of these collaborative structures between academia and business. In 2025, he received the organization’s Educational Excellence Award and Co-Innovation Excellence Award - two distinctions that reflect both the quality of his teaching and his ability to generate innovation in partnership with the business community.
