The 1st edition of QueerIST seminar series took place this Tuesday, April 23rd. Rita Apolinário, president of QueerIST, opened the session and stressed “this event is organised and run by students and aimed at students”. “I hope that this event will be the first of many more to come”, she added.

According to professor António Feijó, Vice-rector of Universidade de Lisboa (ULisboa), who also attended the session: “I am standing here as the director of ULisboa’s magazine. We published an edition dedicated to Queer movement at ULisboa and we were quite surprised to see that Técnico had such an active group. Técnico would be perhaps the less obvious school with such an active group”. “The work you have been developing has a very positive impact on culture and society, and ULisboa recognises that”.

The president of AEIST, Gonçalo Azevedo, praised QueerIST work: “This group was created with a very specific purpose and they had to struggle for acceptance by the academic community”. “These seminar series are a milestone for our shool”, he added.

The event titled “A Colourful Workplace” included two panel discussions: the first one composed of people from the business world and the second one composed of professors and researchers. The programme also includes one Drag Masterclass and a movie session.

“Although we are still in the beginning of the week, we feel that the balance is positive”, said Rita Apolinário at the end of the first day. “Fortunately we have always received a good feedback from students, and now we have this positive feedback also from our professors, alumni and companies of Técnico partner network”, she adds.