“Técnico is a great school and there are many opportunities to develop common projects. We can develop student exchange and joint doctoral degrees”. The enthusiasm of Kumar Chatuverd, the director of the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, was visible at the end of the visit that took place this Friday, June 23. This is “a wonderful school that develops a very good work”, added the director of the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Sudir K. Jain.

“This visit provides a very important opportunity to attract quality students and develop exchange projects in different scientific areas”, noted the president of Técnico, professor Arlindo Oliveira.

Three top science and technology schools of India visited two of Técnico’s campi – Loures and Alameda – and had the opportunity to know more about the Institute for Plasmas and Nuclear Fusion (IPFN) and the Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR).

Research projects that are being carried out by Indian students and researchers at Técnico were also presented during this visit.

“I am very happy. Técnico has a multicultural environment, a high level of training and allow us to explore our ideas and make friends”, confessed Abhishek Gupta, an engineering physics MSc student who is in Portugal for 20 months and recently won a NASA’s Space Apps Challenge Global Award. He doesn’t exclude the possibility of remaining in Portugal and launch a startup.

Ridhima Sharma, a nuclear physics PhD student, really “enjoys working at Técnico because she has many opportunities to develop experimental work”. The fact that all people “speak English” has helped a lot in the integration of this 25 year old student.

To promote the exchange of students and researchers and to develop common projects are some of the initiatives included in the Memorandum of Understanding that will be signed between Fundação Para a Ciência e Tecnologia and this group of Indian Institutes of Technology.