For the second consecutive year, Caixa Geral de Depósitos (CGD) delivered the “Caixa Mais Mundo” Awards, which reward the academic merit of the 100 best students admitted in Higher Education and Higher Professional Education Institutions (with protocol signed with CGD), in the academic year 2019/2020, through the national competition for access to public higher education.
Six Técnico students won this award, each one amounting to €1,500: Gonçalo Martins and Rúben Novais (Aerospace Engineering), André Guimarães (Applied Mathematics and Computation), Duarte Almeida (Computer Science and Engineering – Alameda campus), Luís Machado (Engineering Physics) and Daniel Pacheco (Electrical and Computer Engineer). Professor Fátima Montemor, Vice-president of Técnico for Research and International Affairs represented Técnico in the award ceremony held on 1st October.
“I am deeply honoured and grateful to receive this award. Studying away from home is always complicated for parents and students, and a financial aid is very important”, says Rúben Novais. According to the Aerospace Engineering student “this award results from my work before entering university, but it also ends up being a burden on my back – because I have to prove that was worthy”.
Luís Machado had never heard of this award until he knew he would be one of the winners. He was happily surprised. “I am always happy to see my work and effort rewarded”, he stresses. “A monetary prize makes anyone happy”, he adds.
“I think that these awards encourage us and recognise our effort, and we will certainly work to remain at the top. In my case, this award gives me more strength for a new phase of my life ”, shares Luís Machado.
André Guimarães highlighted “the honour and privilege to see my work recognised”. “I think that it’s very positive that CGD is willing to invest in Portuguese students”, he adds.
According to Luís Machado, these partnerships “are a symbiotic relationship between universities and institutions like CGD, which are fruitful for both parties”. “On the one hand, universities and students are encouraged to achieve better results. On the other hand, the institutions that reward students promote training of future generations. These generations will eventually be responsible for the development of companies and institutions in this country, namely the ones that are part of these partnerships”, says the Engineering Physics student.
“These partnerships show Técnico’s excellent academic reputation and talented students”, says Rúben Novais. “Companies come here to invest, because they know that Técnico students are very good and are constantly improving themselves”, says the Aerospace Engineering student.
