For the first time since the creation of the Ambassadors Programme to promote Técnico’s Guiding Values (in March), the group met to celebrate their commitment: to promote guiding values and inspire the community. On 10 November, the Técnico Innovation Center hosted speeches, presentations, guests, an exhibition and the award ceremony for the 1st edition of the illustration contest dedicated to Técnico’s Guiding Values.
“This is a unique initiative in Portuguese academia, and it is of enormous importance that should be implemented in other institutions”, said Rogério Colaço, President of Instituto Superior Técnico. “As a society, we are losing our values”, he admitted, emphasizing the need to preserve debate and the acceptance of differing opinions. “Academia has a crucial role in combating civilisational setbacks”, he concluded.
Raquel Aires Barros, the Education Ombudsperson at Técnico, thanked those present and highlighted the work carried out by ambassadors in promoting activities in study and work environments, strengthening ties and serving as an inspiration for the entire community.
The Ambassador Programme currently has 74 ambassadors, who represent technical and administrative staff, researchers, professors and students.
The event also featured the online participation of Nichola Stallwood, Deputy Director of Talent & Culture at Imperial College London, one of the people responsible for the programme that inspired the creation of the Ambassadors of Técnico’s Guiding Values. She presented Imperial Values Champions, a programme at Imperial College London comprising a diverse group of people representing various departments at the university. The main objective of this initiative is to support the community by deepening the understanding of values and behaviors, with the goal of enhancing the culture and work experience of the entire Imperial College community.
The meeting also served as a retrospective and review of the Guiding Values activities. The various working groups and some projects that inspired the development of the Ambassadors Programme of Técnico’s Guiding Values were presented. The list of current Ambassadors was also released, reinforcing their role in disseminating Técnico’s Guiding Values: Respect, Collaboration, Excellence, Integrity and Innovation.
The meeting also included the presentation of awards for the 1st illustration contest dedicated to Técnico’s Guiding Values, which challenged the Técnico community to represent behaviours in line with institutional values. A total of 23 participants (15 students, 5 professors, and 3 researchers) participated in the contest, with 29 proposals submitted to the jury.
Podium of the 1st Guiding Values Contest
- Leonilde de Fátima Morais Moreira
- Clara Vilanova Rodrigues
- Ana Sofia Branco Domingues
Throughout the event, the “Illustrations and Behaviours at Técnico” exhibition was on display, featuring all the works that were entered into the competition.
