On November 13, 2024, António Jarmela, a student in the Master's program in Aerospace Engineering, took office as the new president of the Student Association of Técnico (AEIST). Recently, the student shared his objectives and some of the planned activities of AEIST in an interview with Técnico.

“For many of those here, AEIST is a second home,” describes António Jarmela, who sees the association “on a clearly upward trajectory.” His candidacy for the presidency of the body came “because he believes he has something to give to this institution.”

When asked about the role of AEIST throughout his term, the student mentions that “the Técnico community is constantly evolving,” which is why he emphasizes teaching methods, learning models, and spaces and infrastructure. He highlights that, “currently, the focus is on study and meeting spaces.” On the other hand, António states that AEIST will also present a plan for the rehabilitation of the pool at the Alameda campus.

The president also intends to strengthen the connection between students from the Alameda and Taguspark campuses.

We seek to intensify our presence and activity by fostering a stronger connection with these students.

António Jarmela, president of the Student Association of Técnico

António also proposes “a statutory review” for the Association, something which, in his opinion, could “increase student participation, as one of the biggest barriers currently is the timing of the elections.” At the same time, he plans to launch the Global Motion, “a book with AEIST's positions on all issues within the scope of Técnico and University of Lisbon policies, in order to play an active role in the academy.”

Given a voter turnout of over 90% in the last elections for AEIST bodies, António Jarmela stresses the importance of academic community participation: “the teaching methods, class regimes, evaluation regulations, the price of meals, tuition fees, and everything that exists at our School and University are decided by elected bodies.” In this sense, he believes that the “disconnection between the student community and these bodies is something that must be seriously addressed.”

The most important thing (…) is to connect the community to AEIST, and this is a path that is also being taken – this could be the year when the most Autonomous Sections are formed.

António Jarmela, president of the Student Association of Técnico

Full interview: Técnico

Photograph: Técnico