On 6 January, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, hosted the signing ceremony for the Bondalti and Amélia de Mello Foundation Scholarships at Alameda Campus. Ten students will be awarded the scholarship in the 2025/2026 academic year.
“Everyone is here for different reasons, pursuing different passions, but all united by curiosity and the prospect of a better life”, said João Marcos Pontes, a 2nd-year Aerospace Engineering student, representing the awarded students. “Your support not only helps students, but also families”, he concluded. Vanídia Augusto, also representing this year’s scholarship recipients, said that this support “is confirmation that strength and resilience are worthwhile”.
Vasco de Mello, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bondalti (a member of the Técnico Partner Network) and President of the Amélia de Mello Foundation, assured that the Foundation intends to “attract and retain talent generated in academic and scientific institutions”. Vasco de Mello emphasised “Técnico’s reputation for its enormous quality, recognised in Portugal and internationally”.
Rogério Colaço, President of Instituto Superior Técnico, emphasised that it is a “social crime” when “talented people with ambition are forced to abandon their studies”. He remarked, “from an individual perspective, it is a tragedy”, but on a societal level, “wasting talent is an irrecoverable loss”. He also pointed out that “families facing greater difficulties have less margin for error, and the same applies to countries”. He called for a “payback” to address this issue and make “a transformational difference in the country”.
The Vice-President of Técnico for Corporate Interface, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Pedro Amaral, explained how the School intends to build a “virtuous circle” in its relationship with companies, “such as the one it has already established with Bondalti and the Amélia de Mello Foundation over the last eight years”. This process creates value because Técnico is able to “develop the talent needed for companies to thrive and grow”. In return, companies provide “the inputs and challenges that are essential to our development”, he concluded.
The Bondalti and Amélia de Mello Foundation Scholarship is one of over 20 scholarships to support undergraduate and master’s students at Técnico.
