Professor Alan Oppenheim, from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), visited Técnico on the occasion of professor José Tribolet’s academic jubilee. The renowned MIT professor was invited to give a Distinguished Lecture at IST – “How I think about Research” – which was attended by a large number of students, researchers and faculty.

“Research allows us to expand our knowledge”, said the MIT professor. “My own approach over many decades has been to focus on a style that gives students the experience as much as possible of an initially unstructured intellectual adventure with a safety net underneath”, he added.

The MIT professor stressed the importance of making the best out of our time, overcoming fatigue and learning how to “slow down”. “Creative research occurs when we experience a totally different state of mind, like riding a bike, skiing or meditating. We often need to switch off from work and let it go”.