UESP visits the MIT

For the MIT/Portugal programme, Jorge Pinho de Sousa and Américo Azevedo, of the Manufacturing Systems Engineering Systems (UESP) went to the United States, from 11 – 21 April, to work on that renowned institution.

This visit is part of the EDAM (Engineering Design and Advanced Manufacturing) line of action where several elements of INESC Porto will be present as teachers and possibly as researchers in projects involving Portuguese industrial companies.

During that stay, these collaborators had the chance to attend several classes and seminars in the areas of Operations Management, Operational Research, Supply Chain Management, Innovation and Product Development. The quality of these sessions in general was surprising, in both pedagogical and content levels as well as in terms of facilities, interest, the students’ involvement or presentations of the elements of companies that are often part in the classes.

Actually, the strong connection to the entrepreneurial world is perhaps one of the bases of the teaching practice in this university. Almost all subjects, as technological as they may be, include elements related with innovation and entrepreneurship. Of course, the students’ exceptional quality, associated with a selection process that leaves out around 90% of the candidates, also has a huge impact on the teaching quality. You mustn’t forget that the annual fees are around 30 000 dollars…

Jorge Pinho de Sousa and Américo Azevedo also carried out several meetings with teachers and researchers in diverse areas where, along with the curricular issues of the subjects to be taught in Portugal within this agreement, subjects or ways of possible collaboration in research projects were discussed. The MIT seems to be interested in enlarging the current programme, promoting projects where INESC Porto might play a relevant part.