“I left this meeting with new contacts and lasting conversations, and with the certainty that the Portuguese diaspora in Paris is a force worth cultivating.” The testimony of Luís Oliveira, a Mechanical Engineering alumnus from Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, marks the first edition of the joint ‘Portuguese Universities Alumni Meeting’ in Paris, held on 25 March at the Official Residence of the Portuguese Ambassador in France.
Inês Cecílio, a Chemical Engineering alumna from Técnico, highlighted the event’s potential as a platform for building Portuguese professional networks and shared her takeaways, highlighting “professional affinities, personal discoveries, and plans for a future meeting”.
The event brought together around 150 former students from various Portuguese higher education institutions, with the aim of strengthening the community in the city and promoting networking among alumni. The initiative was organised by the Portuguese Trade & Investment Agency (AICEP) and the Portuguese Diaspora Council, with the support of Caixa Geral de Depósitos.
For Rogério Colaço, president of Técnico, it is a “great pleasure” to see Técnico joining these initiatives aimed at bringing together the Portuguese academic diaspora. “The success of the Chapters in Paris and London demonstrates the strong engagement of our alumni in projecting the international excellence of Portuguese higher education”, he adds.
Técnico was represented by its alumni and Sofia Cabeleira, head of the Career Development and Alumni Office, who underscored the role of the Portuguese diaspora as a strategic asset for the country, emphasising the “joint effort” among the institutions involved as a “driving force for creating new collaboration opportunities”.
In the opening session, Francisco Ribeiro de Menezes, the Portuguese Ambassador to France, hosted the event, highlighting the role of the Embassy as a “meeting point for Portuguese people living here”, also expressing his willingness to host this type of initiative, as recently happened withthe launch of the Técnico Alumni Chapter Paris, last October.
Eduardo Henriques, from AICEP, emphasised the strategic value of the event, highlighting its impact in “creating networks with business opportunities” and in “attracting investment to Portugal”. Pedro Sousa, from the Portuguese Diaspora Council, challenged institutions to organise similar events in other parts of the world, in order to strengthen the “global community of Portuguese talent”.
Representing Caixa Geral de Depósitos in France, Ricardo Calico highlighted the importance of networking among Portuguese professionals abroad, which “creates opportunities and builds bridges”.
The event also included representatives from four Portuguese higher education institutions, which included ISEG – Lisbon School of Economics & Management (Universidade de Lisboa); Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics; and NOVA School of Business and Economics.
