Out of 160 young applicants, the winner is a Técnico student. Carolina de Oliveira e Barbeira, who is pursuing a Master’s Programme in Industrial Engineering and Management, won first place in the 20th edition of the Primus Inter Pares award on November 20. This award recognises promising young people in the field of management and is a partnership between the Expresso newspaper and Santander. Fourth place was awarded to Pedro Rodrigues, also a Técnico student, who is attending the Master’s Programme in Data Science and Engineering.
The first three winners of the Primus Inter Pares Award will have the opportunity to study for a master’s programme in Business Administration, with one winner having the option to attend a foreign university. The first award winner, who has the priority in making this choice, chose the Instituto de Estudios Superiores de la Empresa Business School (IESE), in Barcelona, in order ‘to gain an experience outside of Portugal’. The student is ‘very happy and very proud’ and believes that “this opportunity will be essential for building my career”.
“Having studied at Instituto Superior Técnico, a renowned school of excellence, has undoubtedly opened many doors for me”, said Carolina de Oliveira e Barbeira. “It has made me a more resilient and determined person, teaching me not to give up”, which “helps me in my daily life and contributed to win the Primus Inter Pares award”.
The applicants were assessed through various formats, including individual and group work, presentations, debates and a final interview with the jury. They underwent logic and reasoning tests, as well as profile and personality analyses. According to Carolina de Oliveira e Barbeira, this was a ‘challenging’ but ‘equally rewarding’ experience. ‘It was a very interesting process of reflection and self-awareness, where I felt constantly challenged’, she shares.
In previous editions, several top classifications were achieved by Técnico students. In the 18th edition, Luís Medeiros (an Industrial Engineering and Management master’s student at that time) and Manuel Amaral (an Engineering and Management of Innovation master’s student at that time) ranked 3rd and 4th respectively. In the 17th edition, 3rd place was awarded to Manuel Leite (who was studying for a Master’s Programme in Mechanical Engineering at that time), an 16th place went to Nuno Alves (who was studying for a Master’s Programme in Aerospace Engineering at that time).
