The Great Hall of Instituto Superior Técnico hosted the solemn ceremony of the 112th anniversary of Técnico on the morning of 23rd May.

“To create, transmit and disseminate knowledge” is the mission of a School that “has contributed to the development of the country for 112 years “, said the President of Técnico, Rogério Colaço, at the opening session. Looking towards the future and aware of the need to “create links between academia and society”, the Técnico Innovation Center is expected to be inaugurated in October as an “interface” with the community that will bring a “new centrality” to Lisbon city.

The ceremony included several moments. The Outstanding Teaching Award winners were professors João Fernandes (2nd cycle) and Luísa Coeur (1st cycle). “An increasing number of students return to Técnico asking for collaborations”, said professor João Fernandes who also stressed “motivated people are productive and happy”.
Luísa Coeur recalled her grandfather who was also a professor, “he had a classroom at home”. Being a professor is “one of the noblest professions”, she said. Professor Luísa Coeur also thanked her students, and stressed “being kind to students does no harm, on the contrary”.

The Coordinator of the Post-Graduation Area, Júlia Oliveira, represented the Técnico employees. In her speech, she highlighted how technology has changed the workplace and the new way of working imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, to which everyone had to adapt.

Two distinguished professors were honoured: Luís Oliveira e Silva and Vítor Cardoso. “Being a professor at Técnico is a privilege. Being a distinguished professor is a commitment”, said Luís Oliveira e Silva, who is also a researcher in the scientific area of Plasma Physics. “Exposing students to the problems of the future and to research is a duty”, he added. Vítor Cardoso joined the ceremony remotely, from the Böhr University, in Denmark. According to the Técnico professor “science is passed from generation to generation” and, as such, “it requires dialogue”. Vítor Cardoso also stressed “the scientific method turns science into a fundamental tool for society”.

The ceremony was attended by the Rector of Universidade de Lisboa, who explained that “commemorating” is to bring “to memory”, in this case, “the history of Técnico” and its “immense will to transform” the country and the world. “In modern societies, research is the main form of creating value “, stressed Luís Ferreira. In this sense, the Secretary of State for Higher Education, Pedro Nuno Teixeira, recalled that “Técnico is the higher education institution with the largest scientific production” in Portugal. In the end, the Minister of Economy, António Costa Silva highlighted “Técnico’s mark is everywhere” for the past 112 years and “this is what the country is made of “.

The Outstanding Teaching Diplomas Ceremony took place in the afternoon. 297 professors were present at the ceremony held in Técnico Congress Centre. According to the President of the Pedagogical Council, Teresa Peña, this year’s edition is “a new record”, in a school where there are “1327 outstanding students”.

The commemoration of the 112th anniversary of Técnico ended with a dinner that brought together 150 alumni.