Catarina Barata, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (DEEC) and researcher at the Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR), and Catarina Caramalho, a Master’s student in Electrical and Computer Engineering (MEEC), participated in the “Engineers for a Day” project to mark the International Girls in ICT Day. They contributed video testimonies to the initiative, which aims to change perceptions about who creates technology.

“How do satellites communicate with Earth?”, “What are antennas for?”, “How does a 3D printer work?”, “How do smart cars know when the driver is tired?” and “What is artificial intelligence, really?” are some of the questions addressed in this campaign, which features several professors, researchers, and students from Técnico.

The videos will be published over the coming weeks on Técnico’s communication channels, reinforcing the importance of diversity in building a digital future and encouraging girls to pursue studies and careers in engineering.

On the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, celebrated in February, Técnico also ran a similar campaign, where female professors and researchers at the school responded to some of the curiosities posed by children.

The program is a Government of Portugal initiative, coordinated by the Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality (CIG) and INCoDe.2030, in collaboration with the Portuguese Association for Diversity and Inclusion (APPDI), Instituto Superior Técnico, and the Portuguese Engineers’ Association. It involves a network of 101 partner entities (15 of which are municipalities), 62 primary and secondary schools, and 23 higher education institutions.