February brought diversity of languages and cultures back to Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, with the student mobility during the Welcome Week. Over 200 students from around the world arrived at the School in the second semester of the 2025/2026 academic year. Welcome activities took place between February 10 and 15.
“My best friend came to study at Técnico last year and highly recommended it to me”, says Florencia Corta, a Chilean master’s student in Engineering and Management of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, who was “impressed” by the diversity at the school: “There are people from all over the world, many Erasmus students”. Florencia Corta described the reception for exchange students as “really comprehensive”. I really wanted to visit Sintra, enjoyed the Lisbon tour, and loved surfing”.
The Welcome Week for new exchange students was held at Técnico – Alameda Campus, where activities included a welcome session, boarding, and a guided tour of the campus and its surroundings. These activities aimed to help students integrate into the community, familiarise themselves with the courses and the school’s structure, and meet colleagues and mentors through presentations and social and cultural events.
Germans Angelo Busse and Justus Scherkamp, master’s students in Mechanical Engineering and Civil Engineering, respectively, highlighted “the climate” as one of the factors in choosing their destination for the Erasmus Programme. And the “beach”, the “city” and the “culture” were also on their list of expectations for the semester they are now beginning.
The weekend activities likely served as a preliminary experience for around 150 participants, introducing them to Portuguese culture. The Orientation Weekend featured tours of Lisbon, a trip to Sintra with a visit to Pena Palace, and a surfing lesson.
The event was organised by the Student Support Office (NAPE), within the Communication, Image and Marketing Unit (ACIM), in collaboration with the International Mobility and Partnerships Unit (NMPI), within the International Affairs Division at Técnico.
