About
I have set up and worked in innovative not-for-profit organisations. Most of my work is at the intersection of large-scale interventions, research, and policy design.
I will publish my first book in late 2026, and I have recently taken up the role of Executive Director at Jerónimo Martins Foundation. I am also a Governor of a primary state school in central London.
In the past I was a member of faculty at Nova SBE — School of Business and Economics, and co-founder and Executive Director of Academia do Johnson in Portugal. In the UK I was Executive Director at The Access Project and an Associate Director at the Ambition Institute, a large organisation supporting teachers in schools serving disadvantaged areas.
I’m interested in topics such as childhood poverty, the impact of our socio-economic background, parents’ education levels (particularly our mother’s), early years interventions, refugee children, school exclusions, ethnicity, peer effects, social mobility, social mixing, social exclusion, class and social capital. I talk and write a lot about the impact of poverty and inequality in children and young people, with a particular focus on evidenced-based solutions such as the impact of teachers in schools and into students’ adult lives, early childhood interventions, teacher market, schools’ autonomy, tuition fees, technology & innovation, wider budgets and education policy. You will often find me wondering what the true meaning of “merit” is. In my day-to-day, I design, implement, and/or manage projects in non-profits. Either developing and progressing fundraising strategies, engaging in external affairs and, of course, debating policy. Philanthropy has been an essential part of my career to date. I have also acted as an expert panel member or as an independent advisor to national parliaments, government departments, heads of state, and of course NGOs and public sector bodies. You can find a selection of my thoughts and writings in print media, national TV appearances, and podcasts in next section of this website. I'm the "UK correspondent" for Iniciativa Educação.
Filipe Amorim / Observador
Miguel Herdade investigador
Miguel Herdade autor
Miguel Herdade researcher
Miguel Herdade author