Shaping leadership and UK global partnerships through Chevening 

For Bernado Ivo Cruz, Chevening opened doors to international networks and direct engagement with UK institutions. Since Chevening, he has achieved an impressive career, most notably as Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Secretary of State for International Trade and Foreign Investment in Portugal, and Director of the Portuguese Trade Department in the UK and Brazil.  

Before being awarded a Chevening Scholarship, Bernado found he had limited opportunities to engage with international relations and public policy.  

‘Chevening offered access not only to a world-class education, but also to a lifelong network of practitioners, policymakers and leaders committed to public service and international cooperation.’ 

Building a career in policy and international relations 

Since Chevening, Bernado has pursued a career spanning diplomacy, public policy, sustainability, and higher education. He has served as Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Secretary of State for International Trade and Foreign Investment in Portugal, Director of the Portuguese Trade Department in the UK and Brazil, adviser to Portugal’s EU Presidency in Brussels, and Country Manager for an international democracy-promotion NGO in Timor-Leste. 

‘My UK education shaped my professional approach in three enduring ways. It reinforced a policy-relevant analytical mindset, embedded a strong commitment to evidence-based decision-making and long-term thinking, and anchored my leadership in dialogue, coalition-building, and systems thinking.’  

These principles have guided him throughout a career where collaboration across cultures and sectors is essential. 

Understanding and strengthening UK-Portugal relations 

Chevening gave Bernado insight into the UK not just as a country but as an ecosystem of universities, government departments, think tanks, businesses, and civil society. This understanding has proved invaluable in roles connecting UK and Portuguese public and private institutions, particularly in trade, investment, sustainability, and bilateral cooperation.  

‘Since 2006, I have worked repeatedly at the interface between UK public and private institutions and Portuguese actors. Chevening enabled me to operate fluently across institutional cultures, translate priorities between systems, and build trust-based relationships. 

By combining academic rigour with these networks, Bernado has been able to bring UK expertise, from regulatory frameworks to innovation ecosystems, into real-world collaboration with Portugal.  

Putting UK networks into action 

As Director of the Portuguese Business Development Agency, Bernado worked at the heart of UK–Portugal economic relations, promoting bilateral trade and investment and supporting collaboration between governments, investors, and businesses. His role focused on building trusted relationships, navigating regulatory environments, and positioning Portugal as a strategic partner for UK companies, drawing directly on the institutional insight and networks developed through Chevening. 

This work continued through entrepreneurial ventures in London and leadership of the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the UK. In each role, Chevening networks helped him connect governments, regulators and businesses.  

Later, as the Secretary of State for International Trade and Foreign Investment, he became the first Portuguese government member to visit the UK after the first post-Brexit agreement with an EU country. Delivering a keynote at the University of Bristol, he highlighted the value of academic diplomacy and long-term UK-Portugal collaboration. 

Today, as President of the UK Alumni Network in Portugal, Bernado continues to strengthen connections, academic cooperation, and the UK’s presence in Portugal through a vibrant and forward-looking alumni community. 

Long-term collaboration and impact 

Bernado’s UK experience taught him that strong partnerships are based on shared values, aligned institutions, and long-term vision rather than short-term transactions.  

‘I approach global collaboration through a systems lens, recognising the interdependence of policy, markets, regulation, culture, and leadership.’  

This approach has guided his work on EU–UK relations, multilateral diplomacy, global sustainability governance, and his academic and executive roles today. 

Lessons from Chevening remain central to Bernado’s professional approach: leadership is collective, challenges require multidisciplinary thinking, credibility is built over time, and curiosity and openness are strategic assets.  

‘Chevening instilled a strong sense of responsibility to contribute beyond one’s immediate role and to see professional success as inseparable from public value.’ 

Advice for future Chevening Scholars 

‘First, use Chevening to build depth, not just credentials. Invest in intellectual foundations, not only networking.  

Second, cultivate relationships with intention. The Chevening network is powerful because it is values-driven; nurture it with generosity and reciprocity.  

Third, think long term. Chevening is not a moment but a trajectory. Use it to position yourself where you can influence systems, institutions, and future generations.  

Above all, remember that the true value of Chevening lies in how you translate learning into service, nationally and globally.’