Born in 1960, Luís Amaral is Associate Professor at Department of Information Systems in the School of Engineering of University of Minho since 1998. He holds a PhD on Informatics (Information Systems) from the University of Minho in 1995, and a degree (Licenciatura) in Systems Engineering and Informatics also from the University of Minho where he is teaching since 1984. He was awarded the Descartes Prize - National Institute of Administration, 1995.

He developed his teaching activity in the areas of Information Systems Planning and Management and Information Society. His primary research interests are Information Systems in social and organizational contexts, in particular in the field of public administration.

Researcher at the Algoritmi Centre. Scientific Coordinator of Observatory for the Study and Development of the Information Society (GÁVEA). Project Coordinator of DeGóis (National Information Service for Science & Technology). He was coordinator at the University of Minho Project e-U (Virtual Campus national initiative). Advisor for Management Information Systems to XIII Constitutional Portuguese Government. Advisor to the UMIC e-Government Action Plan. Founding member of APSI (Portuguese Association for Information Systems) and APDSI (Association for the Promotion and Development of the Information Society). Director of the Cultural Unit House of Knowledge of the University of Minho.

He was also director of Information Systems Department, University of Minho, coordinator of Portuguese Universities Foundation for the affairs of East Timor, Pró-Rector of University of Minho, president of the National College of Informatics (Order of Engineers) and chairman of the board of the CCG - Computer Graphics Center. Presently, he is Vice-Rector of the University of Minho.