In this "Testimonials" we interview João Cardoso, winner of the Prémio de Mérito Axians em Otimização e Algoritmos 2024/2025.

• Tell us a bit about yourself and your journey at IST.

My name is João Cardoso, I'm 23 years old and I'm from Coimbra. I grew up in a family where mathematics and the humanities always coexisted naturally — both my parents have a background in mathematics, but they never neglected the literary side. In that sense, I inherited that sensitivity, so I’ve always had one foot in the humanities and the other in the sciences. In the LEIC program, and later in MEIC, I sought to reconcile these two areas. I was also fortunate that my academic journey coincided with recent developments in the field of Artificial Intelligence, particularly in language models, which allowed me to bring these two facets together more naturally, in my elective choices, during my time as a guest teaching assistant for the Natural Language course, and in the work I'm currently doing for my thesis.

• What did winning this award mean to you personally?

It was immensely rewarding to receive this prize as a recognition of the effort involved, both during the course itself and in preparing the pitch. I had to revisit the course content and explore it in greater depth, which also gave me the opportunity to add a personal touch. Above all, I felt that it was my dedication and genuine interest that were being acknowledged, more than just my performance in the course.

• Why are awards like this important?

As any Técnico student will know, the pace of classes is quite fast. Because of that, there's often little incentive to delve deeper into the subjects or to explore their connections to other fields and real-world applications. A prize like this provides exactly that missing incentive.

I must also mention Técnico’s growing collaboration with companies like Axians, which fosters a stronger integration between the academic and corporate worlds, and brings students closer to the professional realities for which Técnico prepares them.

• In your opinion (besides awards ;)), what can and should be done to attract more students to Computer Science and Engineering at Técnico?

I believe the general public often perceives Computer Engineering as being solely about “programming,” with all the connotations that come with it. For my mother, it means I probably know what’s wrong with her phone. For others outside the field, it suggests I spend my days staring at mysterious, colorful, and perhaps slightly intimidating symbols on a screen.

This perception, somewhere between “tech-savvy” and something more mystical, doesn’t do the field justice. For some, “programming” is seen as just another skill taught in any engineering course, and therefore not reason enough to apply to a specialized Computer Science and Engineering degree. For others, it’s intimidating, as it suggests that knowing how to “program” (in the sense of speaking the computer’s mystical language) is a prerequisite to enter the degree. I myself shared that insecurity during my first year, until I realized that the goal of the program is not just to teach you how to program, but more importantly to equip you with a set of conceptual tools to tackle complex problems.

That’s why I think it’s especially important to showcase the diversity of paths within Computer Science and Engineering, particularly at the Master’s level, where Técnico offers a vast range of options. My friends from the course are currently working on theses so different from mine that, from my perspective, they too spend their days staring at mysterious symbols. And given that choosing a degree always comes with a certain amount of anxiety, it’s worth emphasizing that, overall, Computer Science and Engineering is one of the few fields that truly opens more doors than it closes.

• Do you have any advice for future Computer Science and Engineering students at Técnico?

Técnico is much more than just a place where classes and exams take place. There are extracurricular activities to suit all interests, offering opportunities to meet new people and develop different kinds of skills. Nowadays, there’s an expectation that each person be an “entrepreneur” of themselves, to stand out through their initiative. That can sometimes feel like an unfair pressure placed on us, but I believe the wide range of student activities allows this differentiation to be tied to a genuine development of our personal interests.

Of course, these activities take up time, but I’d say free time at Técnico is like having room for dessert when you’re already full from the main meal — somehow, there’s always just enough left.

(original image: João Cardoso)