Professor Carlos Rocha (Department of Mathematics) gave his last lecture on 12th July, in Abreu Faro Amphitheatre, to a large audience.
“Professor Carlos Rocha influenced many generations of students”, said the President of Técnico, professor Rogério Colaço. “And this is exactly the goal of a professor: to influence students. There is no better profession than this one”, he adds.
The Head of the Department of Mathematics (DM), professor José Mourão, referred to professor Carlos Rocha as “a leading figure of the DM”, highlighted the way he encouraged his students and the various management positions that Carlos Rocha held in the DM, namely the Presidency of CAMGSD (Center for Mathematical Analysis, Geometry and Dynamic Systems).
“Carlos Rocha was President of CAMGSD from 1997 to 2020”, emphasized the current President of CAMGSD, professor Miguel Abreu, who also shared his experience as a former student of professor Carlos Rocha.
Professor Luís Barreira, coordinator of the Differential Equations and Dynamical Systems Scientific Area, highlighted the contributions of Carlos Rocha to the DM, the various academic degrees and the positions held at Técnico, namely the Presidency of the DM and CAMGSD. “I would like to thank professor Carlos Rocha for bringing out the best of his students”, said professor Luís Barreira.
“I never thought I’d be so nervous at this moment”
That was how professor Carlos Rocha started his last lecture titled “Dinâmica em Dimensão Infinita” (“Dynamics in Infinite Dimensions”).
The Técnico professor talked about his research work over 40 years, which included dynamical systems and flows, reaction-diffusion equations, differential equations and dynamical systems. “I like doing research. Sharing my work and discoveries with my students gives me great pleasure”.
Professor Carlos Rocha also listed the three most important institutions throughout his academic journey: Instituto Superior Técnico, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência and the Lefschetz Center for Dynamical Systems at Brown University, where he did his PhD.
