On one of the televisions, Juventus and Barcelona are playing a friendly match, but the score remains stubbornly tied at zero. The players in this setting (the real ones, not the virtual characters on the screen) are students from Instituto Superior Técnico, who are attending the Electrical and Computer Engineering Seminar Series (JEEC) taking place from 5 to 9 May, at Técnico Innovation Center powered by Fidelidade. This event, part of the Careers Weeks, was organised by Técnico students and allowed contact with various companies in fields such as robotics, security and artificial intelligence, among others.
While two students continue engaged in a football video game, other gaming consoles from various generations, along with arcade machines, are available for participants to take a break between discussions with company representatives.
Miguel Rocha, a fourth-year master’s student in Electrical and Computer Engineering, shares his experience, saying he is “looking for companies to collaborate on my thesis or to find a summer internship that could lead to a job opportunity.” Focused on robotics, Miguel notes that “engaging with company representatives is often challenging but it’s not usual”. At JEEC, he appreciates the opportunity to “learn about the projects developed by the participating companies” and discover “if there are any vacancies that aren’t listed on their websites.” He believes the event is beneficial for students at different stages of their studies; for those finishing their degree, it can help decide whether to pursue a master’s programme or enter the job market. For students already enrolled in a master’s programme, JEEC can inspire ideas for projects, internships, or thesis development.
Companies also find value in attending JEEC. Inês Vasconcelos, People Leader at LTP, shares her “positive impressions” of Técnico graduates, calling them “excellent professionals.” She is co-leading a workshop exploring concepts from the distribution and retail industry, such as consumer habits, buying incentives, and the impact of product branding and store locations. During this activity, participants are challenged to use programming and machine learning to identify customer consumption habits and develop strategies to promote the sale of products nearing the end of their shelf life, thereby minimizing waste.
Each day concludes with a lecture in the auditorium set up at Técnico Innovation Center by the JEEC organising team. Francisco Rosa, one of the event coordinators and a fourth-year master’s student in Electrical and Computer Engineering, explains that “our speakers are chosen based on international trends and the economic and technological relevance of their companies, as well as the interests of the students.” The lineup of speakers includes engineers from NASA and the Google DeepMind project, the innovation director of E-Redes (notably during a week when the country experienced a blackout lasting several hours), and a Técnico alumnus who now works for a multinational semiconductor company. “We aim to create something interesting and relevant for Electrical and Computer Engineering students, which is always a challenge because this field encompasses many branches,” he adds.
