The meeting aimed to deepen scientific cooperation between Portugal and Brazil, covering areas such as education, research, and innovation. Rui Mendes, director of Técnico's International Affairs Department, presented the institution, highlighting its scale, diversity, and "international openness," emphasizing the role of scientific cooperation in its global positioning.
"Técnico is a school open to the world, with a very active international community, present in teaching, research, and the institution's academic life," stated Rui Mendes. The proximity between Portugal and Brazil was also discussed, with an emphasis on the relationship between academia and the definition of public science and technology policies.
The visit recalled the contributions of figures such as Mariano Gago and Manuel Heitor, former Portuguese ministers, to the reflection and development of public policies in these areas, emphasizing the importance of "articulation between Higher Education institutions, research centers, and governmental entities".
“"The State of São Paulo has sought to create favorable conditions for attracting research and for scientific and technological development. The School's experience, in a well-established Engineering reality, constitutes an opportunity to deepen the dialogue between our institutions."
Vahan Agopyan, with a background in Civil Engineering, highlighted the interest in learning about Portuguese research and identifying points of contact between the strategies of both territories. "Portugal has been developing innovation policies that deserve our attention," he added, pointing to the rapprochement between universities and research centers as an opportunity to develop joint initiatives.
The visit concluded at the Structures and Materials Resistance Laboratory of Técnico's Department of Civil Engineering. Infrastructure such as a wind tunnel, a small-scale seismic table, and climatic chambers, used in studying the behavior of materials and structures, were presented.
