In March, coinciding with International Women’s Day, several alumnae returned to Técnico to share their experiences with a new generation of students during a special edition of Alumni Talks: the Women Edition, held on 9 March at the Alameda campus of Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa.
This edition featured alumnae Diana Morais, a gender equality consultant; Raquel Castanheira, from Girl MOVE Academy; Marta Santos, from Feedzai; Mafalda Barbosa from MEO, Ana Pires Cutileiro from the Manuel Champalimaud Group, Sofia Panão from Cognizant, Mafalda Nunes from Critical FlyTech, Carla Medeiros from TAP Air Portugal, and Susana Ferreira from Santander Portugal, which has supported Alumni Talks since its first edition. Together, they shared their thoughts on the transition into the job market, career changes, decisive moments that shaped their journeys, and the challenges they faced, particularly as women in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).
Diana Morais, a graduate in Military Engineering with a specialisation in Civil Engineering at Técnico, encouraged the students: “Don’t be afraid to take risks and embrace change. Técnico provides us with the tools to pursue whatever we aspire to in life”. After a successful career in engineering and leadership within the military, including a mission with the United Nations in Lebanon, Diana Morais has shifted her focus to gender equality and human rights, which have become her passions. She chaired a NATO committee on gender integration, worked as an advisor to the Minister of National Defence on gender issues and, very recently, decided to focus on her own consultancy, which supports companies and public institutions in developing equality policies.
During the event, the chair of Técnico’s Gender Balance group, Alexandre Bernardino, stated that “initiatives like this are essential for raising awareness among our students that Técnico values respect and inclusion for everyone. These events also help better prepare students to address these important issues in the future”. Also present at this session was Pedro Amaral, Vice-President of Técnico for Corporate Relations, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, who welcomed the participants. Also present at this session was Pedro Amaral, Vice-President of Técnico for Corporate Relations, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, who welcomed the participants.
