In one of the rooms at the Congress Centre, on the ground floor of the Civil Engineering Building at Técnico – Alameda campus, the music playing in anticipation of a Kahoot! quiz session fills the air. The audience, primarily consisting of materials engineering students, gathers for this activity, which is part of the Materials Science Marathon held on 8 May.
Organised by the Materials Engineering Students’ Organisation (NEMAT), this initiative “aims to show materials engineering students the various paths they can take after graduation”, shares Rafael Cruz, a final-year student in the Undergraduate Programme in Materials Engineering, a member of NEMAT and part of the Marathon’s organisation team. ‘We organise talks and a round table where people from different companies are invited to share their experiences after completing their degree’.
It was the opportunity to explore new perspectives that brought Carolina André to the event. During a coffee break following a round table session with Técnico alumni, the first-year student expresses her excitement about ‘networking with companies and people who have already walked the path she is currently on’. “We often don’t realize the various career options available to us after graduation, and this event helps us make those connections,” says Carolina. She chose to study materials engineering because “it encompasses many fields”, thus satisfying her interest in various branches of science. The Marathon is therefore an opportunity to ‘narrow down interests’ and ‘discover what I truly enjoy’. Nonetheless, when it comes to her choice of institution, she is unequivocal: “Nothing compares to Técnico”.
Sofia Barbeiro, who completed both her undergraduate and master’s programmes in Materials Engineering at Técnico, now works as a repair and process engineer at TAP’s engine workshop. As one of the speakers at the afternoon round table, she shares, “joining Técnico was a worthwhile journey. I participated in many students’ organisations, such as NEMAT and TLMoto, and was part of the organising team for this Marathon and the ‘Explora os Materiais’ event. My master’s thesis was a curricular internship at TAP, which ultimately led to my hiring there’, she recalls.
Sofia advises current students in the Materials Engineering programme at Técnico to “take advantage of the diverse subjects offered, which provide unique skills compared to other courses”. She encourages students to “make the most of the fact that there are only a few of them, as they can share experiences and learn from older students at these events”.
