On 30 October, Instituto Superior Técnico hosted the 3rd edition of the KPMG Merit Award Ceremony at Alameda campus. Rafael Sargento, a Computer Science and Engineering master’s student (1st year), was distinguished with the Merit Award for his pitch on how serverless computing is transforming the way startups develop their products. The Award recognises, since 2022, the best student of the Cloud Computing and Virtualization Curricular Unit (CU).
“Merit is the invisible sum of hours of work; it is not asking how much time is left, it is continuing to work always — even when it gets difficult”, said the student, also expressing his gratitude to his family, professors, Técnico and KPMG (a member of the Técnico Partner Network).
During the event, the six finalists — Daniel Carvalho, João Diegues, Laura Cunha, Martim Pereira, Rafael Sargento and Rodrigo Correia — delivered five-minute pitches showcasing their knowledge acquired in Cloud Computing and Virtualization and its practical applications. The jury highlighted the diversity of topics, ranging from broad perspectives on the importance of cloud services and the evolution of serverless computing to more practical approaches inspired by internship experiences and analogies with platforms already available on the market.
Pedro Amaral, the Vice-President of Técnico for Corporate Interface, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, highlighted the importance of this partnership for the School: “KPMG has been at the forefront of a set of technological innovations that are particularly relevant for Técnico”. Pedro Amaral congratulated the finalists, stressing that this distinction represents the highest recognition of the work and talent each demonstrated in the CU.
In addition to the €2,500 monetary prize, the initiative also includes a €1,670 donation to the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (DEI), aimed at improving the teaching conditions of the CU. Ana Teresa Freitas, Head of DEI, thanked KPMG for its support and highlighted the impact of such initiatives: “Each partnership helps improve students’ learning conditions, whether through investment in new laboratory equipment, software updates, or the modernisation of study spaces. We are very grateful for this initiative”.
Luís Veiga, senior lecturer of Cloud Computing and Virtualization Curricular Unit and member of the jury, shared a message with the students: “I would like to thank all the participating students, because there would be no reason for us to be here if it weren’t for your commitment, dedication and interest.”
