Instituto Superior Técnico once again opened its doors to the community on 24 May for another edition of Open Day, this time at Taguspark campus, in Oeiras. This year, the event was part of the Oeiras Valley Science Festival, organised by the Municipality of Oeiras, and attracted visitors of all ages, from curious individuals and families to prospective students.
Throughout the day, participants had the opportunity to visit research laboratories, take part in hands-on scientific and technological activities, and engage directly with researchers and students, getting a closer look at the work being done at Técnico – Oeiras Campus.
This is Afonso Gonçalves’ first time at the Open Day. The Electronics Engineering undergraduate student hopes to ‘attract people interested in engineering, because it’s a world full of possibilities. Helping out at the Rob 9-16 exhibition stand, the student shares that there are “activities for all ages; from a beginner-friendly ‘Blink’ project using Arduino, where LEDs flash faster or slower with a potentiometer, to paper circuits for the younger ones — a fun introduction to electronics”.
Leonor, age 11, was one of the many young participants involved in the activities: “I’ve been testing my brain, looking at electric conduction and I’ll go see the robotics section next” she said, while working on her paper circuit.
The laboratories also opened their doors to the public with scheduled lab tours throughout the day. The Stem Cell Bioengineering Laboratory, the Nanosat Lab and the Social Robotics Laboratory, among others, introduced guests to the cutting-edge technologies developed at Técnico.
Renata, age 13, expresses her enthusiasm: “I’m learning about careers I could pursue in the future”. “My favourite activity was the stem cell bioengineering one — they told us about a gel they use to create food, like meat and fish, from other cells”, she adds, highlighting a technique used by Técnico researchers to produce lab-grown sea bass fillets.
At the Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR), 11-year-old Diogo was captivated by a live demonstration of an autonomous underwater vehicle: “I’ve controlled remote-controlled cars before, but never a real drone or an underwater one”, he shares. Ana Farinha, who accompanies the student, emphasised the importance of these experiences: “These kinds of events help kids slowly understand what the real world is like and spark curiosity for the future.”
The Open Day was also a valuable opportunity for many young visitors to start imagining their academic journey. At the Student Support exhibition stand, questions about courses, accommodation, campus life, and extracurricular activities were addressed.
Gabriel Gabriel, a master’s student in Industrial Engineering and Management and a member of the student support office, highlighted frequent concerns: “A lot of people ask if it’s hard to get into Técnico – the truth is, it takes dedication, but it’s not impossible. And the Oeiras Campus atmosphere is really welcoming — students feel right at home.”
Tiago Cunha, one of the prospective students, made the most of the day: “I’m really enjoying this event. I’ve already learned more about the Industrial Engineering and Management course and now I’m going to visit the facilities”.
