One child, with hair “standing on end” and perched on a chair, gained a “very practical and visual” understanding of static electricity. Guilherme Ferreira, an Engineering Physics student, represented the Physics Group at Instituto Superior Técnico in one of the exhibition stands at the Science Fair, which also attracted the youngest visitors. The student explained the phenomenon simply: a metal ball (a Van der Graaf generator) was charged with electrons that repelled one another as they tried to reach the ground. “This path is created through contact with the human body. When sitting on a chair, the electrons do not descend towards the ground, but rise, using our hair”, he said.
This is one of the hundreds of activities showcased at Técnico Open Day, held on 18 April. The event brought together over 4,000 people, including visitors, professors, researchers and Técnico students, to the Alameda Campus.
In the same corridor, two siblings, Aleida and João, were walking around after having explored the activities at the Science Fair in the Great Hall. The older sister, currently in her final year of secondary school, intends to study Biological Engineering at Técnico. Her younger brother is studying Humanities, but wanted to explore the Técnico Open Day. “We wanted to see the Science Fair and the Science for Kids”, they explained.
There was frequent movement between these two spaces. A child tugged at his father’s arm to play “Clima Tictac”, a board game that Abeer Mohtar, a researcher at Centro de Recursos Naturais e Ambiente (CERENA), was demonstrating to another family. In this cooperative game, each participant received danger, action and challenge cards, and was encouraged to understand environmental problems and make decisions to solve them.
After exploring the Science Fair, some parents took their children to “Science for Kids”. Ana Torres rocked her youngest daughter to sleep while watching her three-year-old son observe chlorophyll under a microscope during an activity organised by the Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (iBB). “I think it’s important for them to start enjoying learning without feeling it’s a chore”, she said. In the exhibition stand, Sandra Pinto, an assistant researcher at iBB, explained the activity. “This part is about molecules and their properties; it’s interesting because many of these molecules are found in everyday foods, such as curcumin, which is present in curry and responsible for its colour”.
“Events like this are very important for building community ties”
Suzana and Lara Rodrigues, mother and daughter, were waiting their turn in the queue to check in for the Open Day. Lara, a 12th-grade student, admitted she was still “a bit undecided” about which course to pursue. She decided to explore Civil Engineering and Industrial Engineering and Management, having already attended the Chemical Engineering presentation session the previous year. João Aparício, a professor at Técnico, attended the event as a participant. “I want to see what my colleagues are doing in the labs, understand what matters to people and talk to them. Events like this are very important for building community ties”, he explained.
Further ahead were Mariana and Carolina, two friends who were visiting the campus. With different courses in mind – Architecture and Mechanical Engineering – both had visits to attend. “A few of my relatives attended Técnico; it seems to be a school that opens up many doors and opportunities abroad”, shared Mariana. “And there are a lot of options for those interested in studying engineering”, added Carolina.
While some children were jumping on the small trampoline at one of the exhibition stands of Universidade de Lisboa, a group of visitors toured Computer Science Building I, where they gathered to watch a presentation by Ana Carrasco, a PhD student of Computer Science and Engineering, on the ‘Now’ robot, which was developed in the field of social robotics. “Social robotics is about bringing these robots closer to us, making them capable of interacting with humans in an ethical, acceptable and safe manner”, she explained. Projects within this field include teams of robots capable of responding to emergency situations, such as road accidents or fires, by interacting with victims and the authorities.
Among the visitors was Maria Fonseca, who attended the event for the second year running, this time accompanied by her daughter and a friend. Diana and Eva, aged 12, were planning to visit the Chemical Engineering laboratory and explore the topic of artificial organs.
With gloves on and eyes wide open, the visitors entered the chemistry laboratories to follow, step by step, the work being carried out at the Center of Physics and Engineering of Advanced Materials (CeFEMA). Amidst the workbenches and equipment, researcher Rita Pires explained how “engineering can help address the limitations of current treatments”. During the session, it was possible to follow the “journey” of building an artificial kidney, from the manufacture of membranes to the assembly of the module and laboratory testing.
“The aim of the research project is to develop more effective, durable and safe solutions, reducing adverse reactions and improving patients’ quality of life”, explained Rita Pires.
From promoting training offer to ‘Talks with Scientists’
In the Great Hall, among the many prototypes developed by Técnico students was a locomotive with solar panels, built by ISTrain. Representing the team were Aliya Ibrahimo, a Mechanical Engineering student, and Manuel Barreiros, an Electrical and Computer Engineering student. “We’re used to fairs, but here we have parents who are very interested, and little ones are getting right up inside the trains”, they noted. ISTrain, which brings together Técnico students from various courses, has entered a competition in the UK where the team will present the “innovative features” of their projects.
As part of the “Talks with Scientists” initiative, Luís M. Correia, a professor at Técnico, a researcher at Instituto de Telecomunicações (IT), and an expert in telecommunications, discussed the importance of network resilience and robustness, highlighting redundancy, continuous training and supplier diversity. He also mentioned practical solutions for emergency situations, such as backpacks or clothing fitted with solar panels.
In the afternoon session, Filipa Ferreira, a professor at Técnico and researcher at the Civil Engineering Research and Innovation for Sustainability (CERIS), spoke about the challenges of water management in urban areas, showcasing solutions implemented in Lisbon, such as the General Drainage Plan, including the construction of a tunnel between Campolide and Santa Apolónia.
“This is our first time at Técnico Open Day and we found a welcoming and very dynamic atmosphere”, said friends Diogo and Lourenço, 11th-grade students, who were looking for more information on accessing higher education. They attended a lecture on the Undergraduate Programme in General Engineering, part of the “Courses and Pathways” activity, which showcased the main features of Técnico’s courses, helping them to “gain a better understanding of various areas of engineering, learn a little about each course and the future possibilities they offer”.
“The activities were really interesting and provided a glimpse into a side of science we don’t usually see in everyday life”, said Maria Inês, aged 15, and Margarida, a 12th-grade student, who toured the campus. Accompanying them was their father, José Pires, an electrical engineer who graduated from Técnico. For him, the initiative was also an opportunity to “revisit the campus and enjoy the various activities”. In a family with four children, two of whom are already studying at the School – Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering and Biomedical Engineering – he highlighted the event’s role in “broadening horizons and explaining the value of science”.
Later in the afternoon, after looking through the telescope during a solar observation session, four-year-old André said he had seen “a red ball and two black dots”. These were sunspots in cooler regions, caused by distortions in the Sun’s magnetic field. Pedro Pinta and Rita Caeiro, André’s parents, believe that the Open Day “sparks children’s curiosity about everything that goes on in science”. They intend to return for future editions when their son is older. Throughout the day, visitors had the opportunity to observe the Sun through a lens during a guided tour led by the Physics Engineering Students’ Organisation.
The Técnico Open Day featured hundreds of research and innovation projects, presented in the form of an interactive exhibition with hands-on activities led by researchers and students, as well as laboratory tours. The various Técnico departments and Universidade de Lisboa enlighten the public about their work. The event was organised in collaboration with the Departments, Research Units, Students’ Organisations and the Técnico Students’ Union.
