Four Técnico students were awarded Feedzai Women in Science MSc & PhD Scholarships, created with the aim of valuing and fostering the talent of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields, promoting gender equality and supporting the continuity of studies and scientific research. The scholarship award ceremony took place on 21 October at the company’s premises in Lisbon.
The winners of this edition were Letícia Sousa (Master’s Programme in Biomedical Engineering), Margarida Loureiro (Master’s Programme in Computer Science and Engineering), Liane Nóbrega (Master’s Programme in Data Science and Engineering) and Filipa Lino (Diploma of Advanced Studies in Electrical and Computer Engineering), who renewed the scholarship she had been awarded the previous year. For the awardees, the scholarship “represents not only important financial support, but also an incentive for academic dedication”. At the same time, it reflects the commitment of Feedzai and Técnico to support women in science and shows that, even in challenging contexts, women can assert themselves and achieve the recognition they deserve”, as the scholarship holders point out.
“We started in 2022 with 20 applicants and this year we received 109, an impressive number, not only in quantity but also in the quality of the participants”, highlighted the Feedzai representative Sofia Gomes, who also underlined how inspired she feels by the young women who were distinguished and how being on that side gives her hope for a future with greater gender equality. “This is just a small part of a path that we hope will be much longer”, she concluded.
During the session, the president of Instituto Superior Técnico, Rogério Colaço, praised the long-standing partnership between the School and Feedzai, highlighting the Técnico Partner Network as Técnico’s main strategy to strengthen its connection to society, the country and companies.
Rogério Colaço also spoke about the important role of this scholarship for the community: “Why Women in Science? Because, in fact, in STEM areas there is a gender imbalance – and that clearly shows that we are losing talent. We want to bring women into these fields and encourage their presence and leadership”.
The jury was composed of Técnico professors Alexandre Bernardino, Mário Figueiredo and Inês Lynce, and Feedzai representatives Pedro Bizarro and Sofia Gomes. The members highlighted the high quality of this year’s applications, which required even more rigorous evaluation criteria.
