“I swear on my honour to comply with and enforce the statutes of Técnico Students’ Union”. The declaration, repeated generation after generation, was heard once again in the Great Hall of Alameda campus on the afternoon of November 17, marking the inauguration of the governing bodies of Técnico Students’ Union (AEIST) for the 2025/2026 term. The opening session featured the Técnico Students’ Camerata (CEIST).
António Jarmela, the re-elected president of AEIST, presented a summary of the 368 days of his term, stating that he was concluding it with a “sense of accomplishment”. He highlighted the renovation of spaces, the initiatives aimed at the student community, and the increasing associativism among students, reiterating his commitment to defending “the interests and rights of Técnico students” and his ambition to begin preparatory work for the construction of a new building for AEIST. “You can count on AEIST to defend democracy and transparency”, he concluded.
The ceremony brought together various institutional representatives. The rector of Universidade de Lisboa, Luís Ferreira, viewed the re-election at AEIST as a sign of continuity in a process where student representation requires “the ability to listen to and interpret the community it serves.” He stated that the importance of this dialogue is “inseparable from building the future of the School.”
Rogério Colaço, the president of Técnico, highlighted the upcoming academic years: the new degree system, planned for 2026, and the strengthening of student representation in the School’s governing bodies. In a phase of significant changes, he emphasised the “need for a cooperative relationship, capable of ensuring that associative autonomy is combined with institutional work.”
António Carias de Sousa, a Técnico alumnus and president of the southern region’s board of directors of Ordem dos Engenheiros, recalled that “associative activity is part of a broader commitment to the profession”, emphasising the importance of Técnico as an institution that trains engineers with “a strong sense of mission and responsibility towards the academic community”.
The session also marked the handover of the General Assembly Board. The outgoing president, Jorge Marques, described the previous term as a period of “mutual aid and community”, evoking the joint effort to “rebuild bridges and open doors”.
The ceremony ended with a performance by the Tuna Universitária do Instituto Superior Técnico.
