The Técnico students Miguel Amorim (Industrial Engineering and Management) and Nuno Matos (Aerospace Engineering) won the first two Engineer Alberto de Freitas scholarships. The ceremony took place in a hybrid format this Monday, December 14. These scholarships result from a collaboration protocol established between Técnico and Lisbon Rotary Club (LRC) that created the Engineer Alberto de Freitas scholarship programme, in honour of the civil engineer graduated at Técnico.
The scholarship contracts were signed in person by the two scholarship holders and the vice-president of Técnico for Academic Affairs, professor Alexandre Francisco,. Engineer Rui Matoso, president of the LRC, professor Isabel Ribeiro, Vice-president of IST for Administrative Modernisation, Maria Francisca de Freitas, the scholarship patron, and several members of RCL attendd the ceremony joined the ceremony via Zoom.
“On behalf of Técnico I would like to thank the support given to our students”, said professor Alexandre Francisco. “It is very important for us to see the work of our students recognised, and to see that they can count on these supports that are so important in their academic path”, added the Vice-president.
“Words cannot express how helpful this scholarship is to me.I am deeply pleased and honoured to receive this scholarship and I will do everything to be worthy of it”, said Miguel Amorim. “I hope that one day I will have the possibility to do the same with those in need”, added the Técnico student.
“This scholarship will be very important. I am a displaced student, so it will be a very important help”, said Nuno Matos.
“This is the best way to honour Alberto de Freitas”, said Maria Francisca de Freitas, extremely moved by what the students have just said. “Our family is really grateful to Lisbon Rotary Club, for giving us this opportunity to honour someone who is very dear to us and who is very present in our hearts”, she added. Maria Francisca de Freitas also highlighted the work left by her husband, “who was a wonderful person in all dimensions of his life” and recalled that he too was a scholarship holder . “Follow Alberto de Freitas’ steps. Fly high and go far”.
According to engineer Rui Matoso, LRC has the tradition of “supporting high potential students with some economic needs”. “We had the unconditional support from the patrons, who proposed to donate these scholarships”. “I would like to say a special word of recognition to the scholarship patron for her altruistic gesture in line with one of Rotary’s mottoes: Service Above Self”, said engineer Rui Matoso.
“I am very pleased about your commitment to participate in voluntary activities with institutions that we support in favour of the community”, said engineer Rui Matoso to the scholareship holders.
