Professor José Tribolet’s academic jubilee took place this Monday, 23rd September, at IST Congress Centre. Family, friends, colleagues and many generations of students attended the ceremony.
“Professor José Tribolet influenced many people. His enthusiasm and expertise are an inspiration to us all”, said the president of Técnico, professor Arlindo Oliveira, who also thanked professor José Tribolet for his remarkable legacy.
Professor Alan Oppenheim, from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and professor Tribolet’s PhD coordinator attended “the academic jubilee of a student, a colleague and a friend”. “When I first met José, it became absolutely clear that he was an extraordinary person, and that was just the beginning of my perception of how extraordinary he was”, said professor Alan Oppenheim. “One of the best things of academic life is to see our students grow. It’s a pleasure to cheer them when they are able to come this far”, he added.
“Professor José Tribolet was a pioneer. He introduced digital signal processing teaching at Instituto Superior Técnico and in Portugal. Today, this is one of IST key activity areas with global presence. Thank you for letting us fly so high”, said professor Isabel Trancoso, on behalf of professor Tribolet’s students.
Students, research colleagues and a fellow student, Antonio Guterres, described professor Tribolet as a person with effective leadership skills, unparalleled contribution, dedication and challenging vision.
“I wouldn’t change this job for anything”, said professor José Tribolet. “One of the things I enjoyed most about being a professor is the ability to see ourselves in the future through our students, to watch them moving forward and creating value in real time”, he stressed. “Técnico is a privileged place. It allows people to think and to act freely. I feel privileged to have developed my activity under such conditions”, he added.
“This class is my intellectual legacy”, he explained. “The role of Organizational Engineering in a society centered and controlled by Humanity” was the theme of his lecture. The professor approached some engineering theories that he considers to be fully applicable to organizations and stressed the importance of organizational behaviour.
“What best defines professor José Tribolet is, and was, his great wish that Portugal change for the better and his commitment to make it possible. And of course his creativity. We owe you so much for what you have done and for your legacy”, said professor António Cruz Serra, Rector of Universidade de Lisboa, but also a colleague and a friend of professor José Tribolet.
