On 23 April, about 70 Técnico alumni gathered in Amsterdam for the launch of the Técnico Alumni Chapter of the Netherlands.
Pedro Amaral, Vice-President of Técnico for Corporate Interface, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, represented the President of Técnico and highlighted the organic nature through which Técnico Alumni Chapters have grown, reaching multiple cities worldwide and spanning different generations of alumni. He called for alumni to reconnect with the School through active contributions to the academic community and the importance of mobilising the alumni network around solidarity initiatives, particularly through the Técnico Alumni Solidarity Fund. “It is everyone’s responsibility to fight the social injustice of students dropping out due to lack of financial means”, he stated.
Zita Martins, Vice President of Técnico for International Affairs, highlighted the strategic alignment of this initiative with the School’s international vision. “Técnico is not defined only by its buildings, laboratories, or academic prestige. Above all, it is defined by the people who have passed through it and who continue to carry its values into the world”, she said. For her, the creation of the Amsterdam Chapter reflects a relationship between Técnico and its alumni that must be “active, dynamic, and reciprocal”.
For Afonso Batalha, an alumnus of Industrial Engineering and Management, it was “a special moment of reunion among former students, united by the same roots”, leaving a strong desire to continue building “an active and supportive community”.
Marco Freire, an alumnus of Aerospace Engineering, noted that the Chapter could serve as a connecting point between Portuguese professionals from different fields and generations in the Netherlands, “whose interaction is not always easy”, and highlighted the network’s potential in three words: “Youth, Drive, and Diversity”.
Sara Costa, an alumna of Biological Engineering, emphasised the emotional nature of the event, reliving the experiences and challenges that shaped her career. “I look back with pride, proud to be Portuguese, to be a Técnico alumna, and above all to have been taught by such brilliant minds at this institution”, she concluded.
This marked the official creation of the Técnico Alumni Chapter in the Netherlands, strengthening the alumni global network and paving the way for future initiatives that bring the alumni community closer together around the world.
