“They are extremely bright students and they must play an important role in the fostering of civil society”, said Francisco Pinto Balsemão, Chairman of the board of directors of Impresa and Member of the Jury of Primus Inter Pares Award. Nuno Calejo and Daniel Costa ranked 3rd and 4th, respectively, in the Primus Inter Pares competition 2019.
Daniel Costa, Engineering Physics student, and Nuno Calejo, Aerospace Engineering student, decided to study at Técnico because they were interested in engineering and consider management to be a key area. “I think that Engineering and Science can link to society and create economic value through management. Technological progress and economic growth are closely linked”, says Nuno Calejo. “How to manage a tech company when you don’t understand the technology itself?”, asks Daniel Costa, who defends the idea that, in an increasingly technological world managers must have engineering skills.
“Engineering background is key”, says Nuno Calejo. “I think that it’s important that managers have some engineering skills and the ability to understand the scientific principles that make things work, because that is the only way we can make a company grow”, he adds.
After applying for Primus Inter Pares competition, the two Técnico students and the other candidates had to pass through various selection phases. “All challenges were really interesting. It was a pleasure overcoming each one”, says Nuno Calejo. “The interview with the jury” was the most challenging moment for Daniel Costa, who ranked 4th together with Catarina Marques, Industrial Engineering and Management student at FEUP – University of Porto. Both students will get funding to do a PhD at ISEG.
Throughout the competition, Nuno Calejo “confirmed what he already knew: an engineering student can also be a manager and a leader, along with the benefit of having tech skills”. Nuno Calejo confesses “I aspired to rank 1st, but having the opportunity of get funding to do an MBA is very good, as well as being in podium positions”.
The two Técnico students are about to present their MSc theses. “I am still thinking what I am going to do next”, says Daniel Costa. “Doing an MBA will surely contribute to achieve my goal: becoming a tech leader”, says Nuno Calejo. “All the opportunities that Técnico provided me makes me feel confident to pursue my goals”.
