Joaquim Azevedo is a Professor at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa. He is a member (co-opted) of the National Education Council, where he directs the Commission on Public Policies and Development of the Educational System. He received his doctorate in Education Sciences from the University of Lisbon in 1999.

He was Secretary of State for Basic and Secondary Education of the XII Constitutional Government in 1992/93 and member of the OECD-CERI Center for Studies and Research on Innovation in Education. He was the first Director of Faculdade de Educação e Psicologia of the UCP and Director of the School of Arts. He is Chairman of the Board of Directors of ACISE - International Association of Colleges of Education of Catholic Universities (based in Paris).