On October 23, the DEEC student received a monetary award of 1,800 euros from Celfinet. Rafael was recognized for achieving a score of 19,38 in the Telecommunications Systems course unit.

The jury was composed of Professor Paula Queluz, Professor António Rodrigues, Professors at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (DEEC), and Engineer Carlos Caseiro. The ceremony included the presentation of the award to student Rafael Rodrigues, a monetary donation to DEEC, and several acknowledgments to all those involved in the process.

It began with a thank you to Celfinet from Pedro Amaral, Vice President for Business Interface, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship, highlighting the importance of the telecommunications sector today, which is essential for the development of future pathways

Following this was a speech by Carlos Caseiro, CTO of Celfinet, who emphasized that it is a 'pleasure to be back home,' highlighting the closeness between professionals, students, and faculty at IST. He also pointed out the portuguese telecommunications industry in the global market, mentioning that, although awards have been given to other countries, it represents, in his view, the highest level of development.

Rafael Rodrigues expressed his gratitude for the support from the faculty and Celfinet, noting the importance of merit awards for recognizing the work of students.

Professor António Rodrigues also praised Rafael’s performance, which stood out in a course unit with over 50 students. He reiterated the importance of the sector and the fact that it is often not sufficiently recognized by the general community in their daily lives.

The ceremony concluded with the presentation of a donation for improving the quality of education to Professor José Santos-Vítor and with final acknowledgments, stating that Celfinet can continue to count on the support and commitment of IST. He highlighted that Rafael is an example for his peers and expressed hope that he will continue to win more awards.

We want you to keep changing the world.

Professor José Santos-Vítor

Photography: Daniela Leonardo and Maria Carolina | Instituto Superior Técnico