Campus and Community

“Starting university is an exciting step forward”: Welcome Week arrives at Técnico’s Oeiras Campus

September 3rd

The first welcome day at the Oeiras Campus was marked by exploring the campus, meeting new people, and the expectations of those who are now beginning their journey at Técnico.

“I’m a little nervous, but also excited”, says Maria Cardoso, one of the first students who arrives at the Oeiras Campus of Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa. Industrial Engineering and Management, her first-choice course, brought her here. Now, as she begins to explore the campus and meet new people, a new phase of her life is taking shape, one that had previously only existed as an expectation.

This Thursday, 3 September, Técnico’s Oeiras Campus welcomed a new generation of students on the third day of Welcome Week. Throughout the day, course presentation sessions introduced various programmes and provided opportunities for questions about the academic journey that is now beginning. Amid the hallways, classrooms, and new groups forming, the campus welcomed the first faces of those who will be studying there.

Francisco Correia, who is starting the Undergraduate Programme in Electronics Engineering, stepped onto the campus for the first time. The size of the campus struck him upon arrival; he described it as “smaller, but very welcoming”. For Pedro Afonso, a newcomer to the Undergraduate Programme in Telecommunications and Informatics Engineering, the priority was “exploring the environment” of what will be his “home for the next three years”. At the end of the day, he found a simple way to sum up the moment: “Starting university is an exciting step forward”.

New paths, new choices at Técnico

For those arriving at Técnico’s Alameda campus to begin their graduate studies, the transition takes on a different dimension. This is the case for Guilherme Oliveira, who, after completing his Undergraduate Programme in Geology at the Faculty of Sciences of Universidade de Lisboa, was searching for a master’s programme with “a more engineering-oriented path”. “I wanted to complement my foundational education with a more applied focus linked to the challenges in the field of energy resources”, he explains. The Master’s Programme in Energy Resources Engineering at Técnico is the “ideal programme” for him.

Duro Gencer is also embarking on a new academic journey, after considering various educational options in Europe. The Turkish student chose the Master’s Programme in Chemical Engineering at Técnico, drawn by the “environment and the possibility of finding new opportunities”. “I was looking for a university that would allow me to study in a demanding field while also offering a well-rounded international experience”, he notes. “I feel that Técnico can provide me with the balance between academic training, exposure to other cultures, and new perspectives for the future”.

In the Master’s programme in Transportation Systems, Gonçalo Carrilho seeks to delve deeper into a field he discovered while pursuing his undergraduate degree at the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences at NOVA University Lisbon. He found the opportunity to further pursue this interest at Técnico. Now, his main expectation is “to open doors to career opportunities” in a sector he believes is growing and where he sees “room to continue developing skills”.

For those who oversee the orientation of new students, these days are also an opportunity to witness the enthusiasm of those just starting out. Ana Paula Falcão, a professor at Técnico and tutor of the Undergraduate Programme in Mining and Energy Resources Engineering, recognises this aspect in her interactions with each new generation: “Their arrival always brings a breath of fresh air”, she shares.

Throughout the year, the professor works with undergraduate students and knows that adjusting “doesn’t happen overnight”. Técnico, she adds, is “a place to study” but also a space where students can “build friendships and engage in other activities that enrich them as human beings”. The challenge, she summarizes, lies in “finding the right balance”.

It is in this balance—between academic demands and campus life, between new beginnings and paths already taken—that the first days of another academic year at Técnico unfold.

Técnico welcomed the new students from the following courses: