Rui Alberto Mateus Pereira (Lisbon, 13 August 1957–Azeitão 19 March 2020) was professor
at the Department of Anthropology and researcher at the Institute of Contemporary History
at FCSH-NOVA, Lisbon. He obtained a PhD in Anthropology at FCSH-NOVA, in 2005, with a
brilliant thesis, entitled Conhecer para dominar: o desenvolvimento do conhecimento
antropológico na política colonial portuguesa em Moçambique, 1926-1959 (Knowing to
dominate: the development of anthropological knowledge in Portuguese colonial politics in
Mozambique, 1926-1959). His area of research was colonialism, post-colonialism and
coloniality, leaving an innovative work in this area, and in others, partly unpublished. He
served as editorial director in periodical publications in the area of History and Anthropology
(“Oceanos”, “Camões”, “Cadernos de Estudos Africanos”, etc.), was advisor to the National
Commission for the Commemorations of Portuguese Discoveries, Director of children’s and
youth programming at Pavilhão de Portugal (Portuguese Pavilion) at Expo 98, Programming
Director at the Commissioner of Portugal for the Universal Exhibition in Seville, in 1992,
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Coordinator of the project “Traditional Arts and Crafts”, Ministry of Education (1988-1989),
Director of the Portuguese Institute for Book and Libraries (IPLB/Ministry of Culture),
Municipal Director of Culture of the Municipality of Lisbon, Municipal Director of Human
Resources of the Municipality of Lisbon and President of the Executive Board of the Institute
of Financial Management and Justice Equipment (Justice Ministry). He developed research
projects that took him to various parts of the globe in fieldwork, which resulted in work in
the area of Anthropology and Museology. He was scientific commissioner and author of
exhibition catalogues such as “A colecção de arte contemporânea africana de Pancho
Guedes” (“Pancho Guedes collection of contemporary African art”), of which he was
commissioner (with Alexandre Pomar, Santa Clara Market, Lisbon City Hall, 2011); “África.
Diálogo Mestiço / Africa. Mestizo Dialogue, Colecção de Arte Tribal de José de Guimarães”
(“José de Guimarães Tribal Art Collection”) (Lisbon City Hall, 2009); “Centenary of the
Republican Council in Lisbon 1908-2008” (Lisbon City Hall, 2008); Museological Nucleus of
the Castle of São Jorge, scientific coordination of the museological project (Lisbon, 2007-
2008); “Portugal in the Opening of the World” (Royal College of Art, London, 1993); “Nas
Vésperas do Mundo Moderno – sociedades africanas e brasileiras nos séculos XVI a XVIII”
(“On the Vespers of the Modern World – African and Brazilian societies in the 16th and 18th
centuries”, scientific commissioner and executive producer (National Museum of Ethnology,
Lisbon, 1992); “Die Kultur der Portugiesischen Entdeckungen” (Museum Strauhof, Zurique,
1992); “Índios da Amazónia” (“Indians of the Amazon”) with Benjamim Enes Pereira and
Fernando Santos (National Museum of Ethnology, Lisbon, 1986). He was founder and vice-
president of the Portuguese Association of Anthropology (1986-1990). Recently, he was one
of the coordinators of the book Centenário da Gripe Pneumónica. A Pandemia em
Retrospetiva. Portugal 1918-1919 (Centenary of Pneumonic Flu. The Pandemic in
Retrospective. Portugal 1918-1919) with Helena da Silva and Filomena Bandeira, IGAS, 2019.
Note: This obituary was written by Paula Godinho in Portuguese and translated into English
and adapted by Patrícia Ferraz de Matos.
The Portuguese version appeared on the website of the Portuguese Society of Anthropology in May
2020: https://www.apantropologia.org/apa/nota-de-pesar-rui-alberto-mateus-pereira-1957-2020/