The 3rd edition of the Hitachi Merit Award in Data Analysis and Integration recognised the work developed by the Telecommunications and Informatics master’s students João Rodrigues and Soraia Batista.
The award ceremony, held on 28 February at Técnico – Oeiras campus, highlighted the students’ performance in the Data Analysis and Integration curricular unit and strengthened the relationship between Técnico and Hitachi Vantara.
The challenge consisted of analysing two sets of data on the electricity distribution network in Portugal, using the Pentaho software provided by Hitachi. Five pairs of students, out of 129 eligible students, were previously selected to present their projects: Fábio Ribeiro and Daniel Costa (Group 3), João Rodrigues and Soraia Batista (Group 5), Ana Almeida and Vasco Paisana (Group 12), Daniel Carvalho and Carlos Felgueiras (Group 28) and Daniela Correia and João Paulo (Group 49).
The jury, composed of Paulo Carreira, senior lecturer of the curricular unit, Helena Galhardas, a Técnico professor and Duarte Teixeira, Hitachi representative, chose the best work, which was recognised with a cash prize of 2,500 euros.
The winning group emphasised the importance of initiatives like this to motivate students: ‘We are taking this course as an optional subject because we found it very relevant,’ said the two students, adding that the opportunity to present their work to potential employers was extremely valuable.
Carla Patrocínio, from the Technology Transfer Division at Técnico, recalled the process of creating the award: “Professor Helena Galhardas, former Vice President of Técnico for the management of Taguspark campus, had a longstanding relationship with Hitachi. She proposed this idea to us, which aims to value students and increase the company’s visibility”.
Duarte Teixeira, a Computer Science and Engineering alumnus and Director at Hitachi, congratulated the students, emphasising that moments like this are a celebration of excellence. Concerning the relationship between Hitachi Vantara and Técnico, he emphasised the importance of feeling connected to the school community. “Although Hitachi is across the road, we still feel distant, and it is through these opportunities that we connect more with the students”.
The event also highlighted the work carried out by the department and the professors involved. Hitachi Vantara made a donation of 1670 euros to improve the teaching and learning experience for Técnico students. The donation was received by Ana Teresa Freitas, the Head of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (DEI), who expressed her gratitude to Hitachi, the students and the teaching staff involved in the Curricular Unit. The professor emphasised that this funding will be used to improve teaching initiatives, namely to promote events aimed at attracting more women to the field of Computer Science. Finally, she left the students with a challenge: ‘This award is a giveback, as it is promoted by an alumnus. One day, you’ll be in a position to support similar initiatives at the School.’
