On 25 May, master’s students from Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, attended a presentation session for Capstone projects, a type of dissertation that challenges students to develop solutions to solve real-world business and institutional challenges. Applications for Capstone projects are open until 22 June.
“It’s been a great experience”, said Victoria Revytskyy, a Capstone programme student working on a project at KPMG. She highlighted the advantage of being able to start her dissertation right after the first semester, thanks to the 12 ECTS credits included in the programme. “The project I’m working on was quite large, so that was a huge advantage”, she explained. For Shahnewaj Shakil, a student working on a project at Linde, the experience has been equally “beneficial”. In his view, the multidisciplinary nature of the programme “opens the door to innovation”, as it allows for the intersection of different “backgrounds” and ways of thinking.
“These projects foster a partnership between students and academia at the end of their academic journey, providing an experience similar to what they will encounter in the job market”, said Miguel Cacho Teixeira, president of the Pedagogical Council at Técnico and representative of the Capstone committee. The professor also argued that, “from the point of view of student preparation”, this may be “the best option” for master’s students.
Among those attending the session was Luana Marques, a master’s student in Computer Science and Engineering who is looking for “ideas” for her dissertation. “I appreciated having the companies represented here, as it allowed us to establish direct contact with them”, she said. Interested in a “theoretical-practical” approach, she described the session as “enlightening” and admitted she was “seriously considering” joining a project.
Beatriz Melim, a master’s student of Electrical and Computer Engineering, found the initiative “a good opportunity” to explore possibilities in the field of control and robotics. Dinis Rodrigues, a student of Computer Science and Engineering, considered the initiative “interesting”. “I believe that connection with companies is essential”, he concluded.
Miguel Cacho Teixeira emphasised that, as the programme is “still in its early stages”, the committee continues to “work to bring all stakeholders together” in attracting new projects and partners, with the aim of diversifying students’ opportunities.
The initiative, organised by the Capstone committee, included a roundtable discussion with students, project pitches and networking with companies at the Técnico Innovation Center powered by Fidelidade.
