This Thursday the Técnico Congress Center prepared itself to receive the Jubilation Ceremony of Professor Pedro Girão, from the Department of Electrotechnical and Computer Engineering (DEEC). At the entrance to the congress center, many made themselves present as the time approached to begin the session, which included a Jubilation Lesson entitled “Electrotechnical and Computer Engineering: 1970-2020 and Beyond.”

Around the time of the ceremony, the 300 red chairs began to be occupied gradually, to welcome the teacher’s class. The president of Técnico, Professor Rogério Colaço, opened the session, saying that he doesn’t like to call this class a last class, but rather a first class in a new phase of life of Professor Pedro Girão, highlighting his 48 years of contribution to Técnico, and thanking him for his dedication.

With the full room and an expectant audience followed the intervention of Professor Marcelino Santos, from the Scientific Area of Electronics of DEEC, who made a brief summary of the teacher’s career, highlighting the main historical milestones along his career in Técnico.

The academic and scientific journey 

Graduated at Técnico in Electrical Engineering in Telecommunications and Electronic Sector in 1975, and obtained his PhD in Electrotechnical and Computer Engineering in 1985. In 1995 he won the title of aggregate, also, in Electrotechnical and Computer Engineering. He was a full professor in his area of expertise from 2007 until the date of his Jubilation, in 2022. “Professor Pedro Girão taught about three dozen curricular units, half of them he created,” Professor Marcelino Santos said.

“As a teacher, he also taught in Romania, Poland and Spain. He collaborated with several university institutions in Macau, Cape Verde, Angola, Mozambique, in the preparation of curricular programs. At the same time, he organized and taught several training sessions within the European Social Fund”, he said.

Professor Pedro Girão also participated in the creation of several courses at Técnico such as the Degree in Electronic Engineering, Degree in Biomolecular Engineering and Nanosystems, Degree in Engineering in Industrial Management, Degree in Environmental Engineering, Degree in Engineering and Industrial Management and Specialization in Instrumentation and Electrical Measures of the Master’s program in Electrotechnical Engineering.

“He was a member of the Electrotechnics Center of the Technical University of Lisbon and, since 1997, has been part of the Instrumentation and Measures Group at the Telecommunications Institute (IT),” he added. A senior researcher, Professor Pedro Girão has performed several functions, including co-responsible, for a period of about 15 years, for the scientific area. And he even coordinated several national and international projects, which gave rise to 10 patent applications.

With an enviable training and experience, Professor Pedro Girão guided several students in his theses leading to the degree of doctor, at Técnico and to several students in Romania. In total, more than 40 students were guided by the teacher in the most diverse grades. He was the author and co-author of 2 books, several chapters of books with several editions and 70 articles in international magazines and 14 articles in national magazines.

He has held several university management positions as President for Technical Administrative Affairs, DEEC President, DEEC Vice President for Research and Development, Coordinator of the Scientific Area of Electronics and the Section of Theoretical Electrotechnics and Electrical Measures of DEEC, Coordinator of the Deec Graduate Program and Masters, among others.

The profile of the teacher and the man

The light intensity of the Congress Center gradually dropped down. The Jubilation Lesson has started, in which Professor Pedro Girão guided all the audience on a journey through his area of expertise from 1970 to 2020, giving a general and chronological framework on Electrotechnical and Computer Engineering and its main historical landmarks. At the end of the lesson, the now retired teacher expressed his aspirations for the future, in what he considers to be the manifestation of engineering, as a relevant contribution to technological evolution.

The emotion tried to take care of his words when he reached the retrospective phase of his career at Técnico and thanked his masters, students, fellow teachers, and non-teachers. He manifested mixed feelings between joy and sadness. Joy, for having done his duty, and feeling happy to do what he always liked to do. But also of sadness, for having now finished his activity and for this same passage to a status that people usually call being old and with which he does not identify itself with.

The teacher and the man who doesn’t know the monotony, because he is always busy with the various subjects of his interest, said goodbye with some slides of his presentation in which were several faces of students and, then, of the non-teaching colleagues with whom he worked for so many years, in the most diverse departments at Técnico.

A few words were followed by Professor José Alberto Santos-Victor, President of DEEC, who thanked Professor Pedro Girão, praising his Jubilation Lesson and closing the session. Many were the ones who hurried up to try to get closer to the teacher. Smiles, laughs and lots of hugs were exchanged.

Leaving the Congress Center, he was asked about what he was feeling in his heart after the ceremony. Professor Pedro Girão said he was happy because he had “a significant company from people” over the years, but also mentioned being a little sad that he “couldn’t express what he wanted exactly to express to thank people”, because he had so much more to say.

“Students are my reason for being a teacher”

As a final message, regarding his colleagues, he clarified that he would not add much, because he “couldn’t mention individual names” given that it would be impossible to mention them all. He chose, therefore, to refer to those who were no longer present, giving them a greater prominence in the presentation.

To the students, he said thrilled, that he wished he had said in his message that students are his reason for being a teacher. “I lack contact with the students, because they are the continuation of our youth. And what forces us to stay up to date and active is exactly that youth. I love to teach and contribute to them growing” at all levels.

He also feels that “with all the problems and limitations that exist, what keeps the structure running are the non-teachers. They are extremely important to the school” and he recognizes the importance of the close relationship he established with these professionals during his career.

At the end all the materials were packed, the lights were turned out and the door was closed. As for Professor Pedro Girão, he will always keep linked to Técnico, as a the result of the work he has developed at the institution.