The presentation session of the 7th edition of the Técnico Alumni Mentoring Program took place on December 10 at the Técnico Innovation Center. This is a mentoring program lasting approximately one academic year, which allows Técnico students to receive personalised guidance from alumni of the School. Through this program, mentees can clarify questions about their academic and professional paths and gain a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities across different sectors and fields of activity, through direct contact with those who have already gone through similar stages in their careers. The main highlight of this edition is the introduction of a digital mentoring platform, with a new operating model.
At the opening of the session, Pedro Amaral, the Vice-President of Técnico for Corporate Interface, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, highlighted the program as a structuring initiative that strengthens the connection between students and alumni, with an impact on both sides. “The importance of having alumni here is not just a matter of tradition, but of providing access to paths and possibilities that can be explored from an early stage”, he stated, also emphasising the active role of students which “are also an essential part of this process, because they help us understand and define the priorities of their generation”.
Sofia Cabeleira, Coordinator of the Careers and Alumni Office at Técnico’s Technology Transfer Office, presented the functioning of the new edition of the program. The main novelty is the introduction of a digital platform that centralises the entire mentoring process, developed in partnership with BeeWisee.
This tool allows students to browse alumni profiles, choose mentors with greater affinity, and jointly define the format and duration of the mentoring relationship, providing greater autonomy and flexibility to program participants. João Fernandes, co-founder of BeeWisee, explained that “we felt there was a need to take this digital step in the structure of an existing program. Our goal is to give students a more active role in choosing their mentor and in shaping the mentoring dynamic”.
The value of the program was also highlighted through testimonials from participants in previous editions. Nuno Pereira, a mentor in several editions of the Técnico Alumni Mentoring Program, emphasised his motivation to give back to the institution where he was trained, what he had learnt as the main reason for his participation. “I have had very positive experiences, and I believe the platform introduced in this edition adds significant value to the program”, he added. David Paulos, a Biological Engineering master’s student and mentee in the previous edition, shared that the program exceeded his expectations, highlighting the alignment between the match and his academic path, as well as the definition of a tailored guidance plan. “I was able to draw parallels with what I was feeling at the time and learnt that we can always find different paths to reach the same goal”, he concluded.
The session, which brought together dozens of participants, ended with a networking moment that invited the students to get to know the available mentors better and exchange experiences in an informal setting.
The Técnico Alumni Mentoring Program 2025/26 is open to all Técnico students enrolled in degree-awarding study cycles. The mentoring will take place throughout the academic year, strengthening proximity between students, alumni, and the job market. Information about registrations can be found on the official webpage.
