Campus and Community

All roads lead to Técnico: Welcome week for new students has kicked off

September 1stupdated 1 day ago

Hundreds of undergraduate and master’s students arrived at Alameda campus to get to know the School, degree programmes and new fellow students.

Handshakes and smiles marked the start of a new phase in the lives of hundreds of students on the first day of welcome week at Alameda campus of Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa. At the entrance to the Main Building, the buzz of conversation can be heard between the new undergraduate students and current students – members of the Student Support Office (NAPE) – who welcome them and offer prompt guidance.

Standing next to a sign directing new arrivals to their mentors, Rodrigo Chaves is still awaiting his first mentees. Currently in his second year of Mechanical Engineering, he is taking on the role of mentor this year. “On my first day at Técnico, I needed guidance from my mentors, and they always met those needs by helping me. I decided to participate in the programme to assist others”, says the student.

Clara Coelho is one of the new Electrical and Computer Engineering undergraduate students who joined the group to meet their mentors. Last year, she studied in the Netherlands in the same degree programme, but she didn’t enjoy the experience. Now, at Técnico, she hopes to “make new friends and make the most of this new phase”.

Accompanied by his mother and sister, António Santos has travelled from Faial, in the Azores and is waiting to meet the group with whom he will tour the campus. He has been admitted to the Electrical and Computer Engineering Undergraduate Programme and feels fulfilled to have secured a place at what he considers “the best university in the country”.

While the first meetings are taking place in the Main Building, the first course presentation session is underway in the Mining Engineering Building, where students are getting to know the professors, course coordinators and some students’ organisations.

“I believe these will be very important years in my life, spent here at Técnico,” said Lua Afonso, as she left the Aerospace Engineering course presentation session, also highlighting being “excited about what lies ahead and welcome week”. The new student says that this experience is already proving to be “completely different” from what she experienced at secondary school.

“Técnico offers me opportunities that other institutions cannot provide, especially in terms of entering the job market, students’ organisations and all the opportunities available outside the degree programme itself. These opportunities are extremely important to me, as they represent skills I wanted to acquire that will be important in my professional and personal life”, the student shares.

Henrique Bicho, also an aerospace engineering student, says that, despite feeling a little nervous, he is very happy and confident. “I know it’s one of the best universities in Portugal and my parents studied here too”. Passionate about mathematics and physics, Henrique believes this was the best choice for him. He has already settled in and, after meeting some fellow students from Luanda, praised the “great atmosphere”.

Ana Maria arrived from Madeira with “high expectations”. She chose Técnico for “its prestige” and the Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering Undergraduate Programme because of her interest in ships. Rita Bairos, from Santa Maria, in the Azores, says she is happy with her choice of the same undergraduate programme, sharing that she has always had a passion for the naval environment. Materials Engineering undergraduate students were also welcomed on this first day of Welcome Week. Lara Asensio and Sofia Veiga have joined the same undergraduate programme, but have followed different paths to get there.

Sofia Veiga attended Verão na ULisboa in her 10th grade and says she loved the activities and the campus. “I’ve always known I wanted to study engineering, ever since secondary school, and the university’s prestige and its history have always really captivated me”. For Lara, however, this is her first contact with the School. “I’m curious to explore the campus. From the outside, it looks huge, and I’m keen to see what the introduction to the course will be like”, she said.

Welcome session at a “school that remains dynamic and youthful by nature”

In the afternoon, the welcome session took place at the Técnico Innovation Center powered by Fidelidade. Representing the president of the Pedagogical Council was Ana Galvão, a professor at Técnico, who opened the session by congratulating the students and inviting them to make the “most” of their new home. “Don’t just focus on your marks; explore the various extracurricular activities as well. They are very important for maintaining balance in your life and for your personal development,” she added.

“Welcome to Técnico”, said Rogério Colaço, President of Técnico. “At Técnico, there’s always something happening. Although it’s a School that’s been around for over a century, it remains dynamic and youthful by nature”. After a huge round of applause for the students, the President reminded them not to give up their “right to learn”. “While you are at Técnico, make the most of it to learn the skills that will set you apart as individuals in the future”. To conclude his speech, the president made a symbolic request, captured in a selfie: “Let’s put on the Técnico t-shirt”.

And it wasn’t just the undergraduate students who were wearing the Técnico t-shirt. The new master’s students also arrived at Técnico to begin a new chapter. In the Civil Engineering Building, Marta Miranda was chatting with her new master’s classmates. The Master’s Programme in Radiation Protection and Safety is the specialisation that brought her to Técnico. “It’s the only institution that offers a master’s programme in my field of study, and it was recommended by one of my undergraduate professors”.

Will Kelleher and Pawn Kumar are also master’s students who have joined the GroundwatCH project – Joint Master’s Programme in Groundwater and Global Change – Impacts and Adaptation (EMJM). Will Kelleher, who came from the United States of America, says he has only read “good things about the country”. As for Técnico, the student feels honoured to be at what he describes as “a great School” and hopes to continue growing as a person while collaborating with other students.

Pawn Kumar chose Técnico because it is “the largest engineering school in the country and has a diverse student community”. Over the past seven years, he has worked in groundwater within Environmental Engineering, and he foresees many opportunities in the future. “All the professors we’ve spoken to are very open to dialogue and keen to get to know us better. They are looking for long-term collaborations, and we are also interested in working together in the field of groundwater in the future”.

Additionally, there were also sessions for parents and guardians, giving them a chance to become more familiar with Técnico. Ana Trincão attended to welcome her twin sons, Miguel and Pedro, who have begun their studies this year in Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Physics, respectively. “We’re feeling a bit more at ease now”, she said, after exploring the facilities where her sons will be studying and “gaining a better understanding of what lies ahead for them”.

Having moved from Ourém, this experience was particularly significant for the mother of two new students, as it marked a “different reality” compared to her family’s previous experiences. “It’s a double dose”, she joked. “It’s a big change for them and also for us as parents. Knowing that they’re in a place we’re familiar with and at a school where they feel at home gives us peace of mind”.

Welcome Week will continue at Alameda campus throughout the week, from September 1 to 4, and will begin at Oeiras campus on the last two days.

On this first day of the Welcome Week, the president of Técnico also left a special message for the new students: “It brings me great joy to be here at this ceremony every year, welcoming nearly three thousand students who arrive at Técnico at this time. Their arrival ensures that Técnico continues to grow, renew itself, and reinvent itself”. “Be as happy as you can and make the most of your time here at the Instituto Superior Técnico”.

Técnico welcomed the new students from the following courses: