On the 6th of November, another edition of D-DEI was held at the CTN. An event that, as tradition dictates, brought together the entire department community for a day dedicated to outreach, discussion, and camaraderie.

The day began with a convivial breakfast that gathered everyone for the sharing of experiences and ideas. The transition to the auditorium opened with a brief introduction to the day and its theme, delivered by the President of DEI, Professor Ana Teresa Freitas. This was followed by a dynamic team-building activity focused on IST’s core values — respect, collaboration, excellence, integrity, and innovation — which generated valuable suggestions for improving the department.

The day’s biggest surprise was an unexpected guest: Elisabete Jacinto. The former rally driver shared truly moving personal stories, leaving everyone inspired by the image of a woman who asserted her will in a world often hostile.

Lunch brought new flavors and conversations, as well as a humorous speech from Professor Alberto Cunha, who will soon be leaving the DEI.

In the afternoon, the auditorium hosted two highly engaging debate sessions: “O impacto da IA nas empresas” moderated by Professor Arlindo Oliveira and featuring Catarina Guimarães from Sky, Paulo Rosado from OutSystems, Sérgio Viana from Xpand-IT, and Susana Ferreira from Santander; and “A IA e o ensino da Engenharia Informática” moderated by Professor Luís Caires, with participants Alberto Abad from DEI, Hanan Hibshi from CMU, and Henrique Madeira from the University of Coimbra.

It was, without a doubt, another memorable day in the history of DEI. Here’s to many more to come!