“Welcome to what is also your home.” This was how João Gil Freitas, the Political Counsellor at the Portuguese Embassy in the UK, welcomed more than 100 Técnico alumni who gathered at the Ambassador’s Official Residence for the launch of the 5th edition of the Técnico Alumni Chapters in London. The event took place on May 29 and marked another milestone in the internationalisation of the Técnico Alumni Network.
The event was attended by the President of Técnico, Rogério Colaço, who emphasised how “training and creating talent in Portugal has changed our profile outside the country and positioned us in a prominent position.” Pedro Amaral, the Vice-President of Técnico for Corporate Interface, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship, also stressed the importance of “taking Técnico across borders and breaking down walls, not just nationally, but for those abroad.” He concluded with, “We don’t have to retain talent; we have to create value with the talent we export.” During the event, attendees discussed various ways the Alumni Community can contribute, with a special emphasis on donations to the Técnico Alumni Solidarity Fund, highlighting the initiative of the San Francisco chapter to support students with socio-economic needs.
The pride of belonging to the Técnico community and the enthusiasm of reconnecting with colleagues were common themes in the statements made by the alumni present. Filipa Nunes shared that “after nine years in the UK, it was fantastic to feel like I was back home.” Raquel Vaz emphasised “the enormous sense of belonging” that united so many alumni that night. Pedro Belo Leal recalled the remarkable times he had during his master’s degree in Environmental Engineering at Técnico, and Tomás Mendes compared the event to “the first day of school again, 15 years on”, stressing the opportunity to make new connections. David Rolo expressed his pride in sharing space with “brilliant minds,” while Martim Carvalhosa considered the meeting a moment of “celebration of what unites us,” even thousands of kilometers away from Lisbon. Carolina Passos and Frederico Batista shared their enthusiasm for the future: “We continue to grow”, said Carolina and Frederico expressed pride in “being part of this institution.” Pedro Carqueja thanked Técnico and the Portuguese Embassy in London for the opportunity to “remember my student days and learn about the institution’s new projects, especially regarding access to education.”
Also present at the event were Afonso Dias, the Foreign Policy Manager at the Portuguese Association of Researchers and Students in the UK (PARSUK), Pedro Patrício, the Director of the Portuguese Agency for Investment and Foreign Trade (AICEP) in London, Sofia Cabeleira, Coordinator of the Career and Alumni Development Office, and Carla Patrocínio, Head of the Technology Transfer Division at Técnico.
