On 29 September, Instituto Superior Técnico inaugurated a new room for students enrolled in doctoral programmes. The initiative is part of the Doctoral School, created just over a year ago, which “has been working to strengthen the quality, visibility and internationalisation of the doctoral programmes at Técnico,” as explained by Leonel Sousa, director of the Doctoral School.
Rogério Colaço, President of Técnico, highlighted the evolving profile of the institution. “For many years, Técnico was known primarily for training engineers”, but today “more than 10% of students consists of doctoral candidates”, with “over 100 thesis defences taking place each year”. The new space also aims to counteract the “trend of clustering doctoral programmes” by bringing together people from various fields of study. “May this inauguration symbolically mark the beginning of a new path”, he said.
“One of the main goals of the Doctoral School is to foster a strong and active community among doctoral students at Técnico”, confirmed Leonel Sousa. “If I had to name this space, I would call it ‘the home of Técnico’s doctoral students’. It belongs to you, so please use it and take care of it.”
The Doctoral School will soon contact Técnico doctoral students with information on how to access and use the room.
The PhD Open Days, which aim to bring together PhD students, researchers, and external partners, will take place on 27 and 28 October.
