 E3 is a 1-day forum organized by MIT Portugal students seeking to add value to knowledge through the creation of synergies between academia, industry, entrepreneurs and policy makers. It will take place at Faculdade de Ciência e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa, in Lisbon, on the 30th of June. Daniela Couto, a Bioengineering PhD student at IST, is one of the organizers, and talked to us about the event. Further details are available at the website www.e3forum.org.
MPP: Why did you decide to organize the E3 Forum?
DC: We felt the need to open up to the community and discuss how to create a new generation of professionals. We then discussed it with other colleagues. Right now the E3 organization has grown to a universe of about 30 MIT Portugal students, from the four different focus areas, and different years. We want to create awareness about a new generation of professionals that are highly qualified and can contribute to create job opportunities, a richer society, new technologies, and ultimately fuel growth. We integrate a bigger community that allowed us to pursue a Ph.D. – and on the 30th of June we want to contribute with something bigger: creating an informal environment to discuss Education, Employment, and Entrepreneurship! MPP: Why did you choose these words?
DC: We believe these three keywords play a very important role in summarizing the three distinct pathways a young professional can follow. Education and learning grants students and professionals the (hard) skills required to advance science and technology. Employment is, today, a more demanding reality for highly-trained professionals. Entrepreneurship is more than starting companies: it is an attitude towards life, which we want to encourage in a young generation of professionals. MPP: Is this an event for MPP students only?
DC: E3 is a forum organized by MIT Portugal students to network with other students, companies, investors, institutions, and researchers. This is an open event to the community, though registration is required (at our website). In particular, the E3 Forum is being organized to gather young students or professionals who want to have an active role in discussing and planning a new generation of professionals. MPP: Were you able to gather sponsors? Who are they?
DC: At this moment we have gathered the support of some institutional and private sponsors and we are planning on having the support of a few others. We are disclosing them in our website as our collaborations evolve. We want to acknowledge the support given by the MIT Portugal Program, FCT UNL, AE FCT UNL and Ciência Viva - they have been the main partners of our event. MPP: Who are the speakers? How did you choose them?
DC: We have gathered a group of international and national speakers that range from academics to entrepreneurs. Examples of speakers that already confirmed their presence at E3 are Paul Stein (Scientific Director of Rolls Royce), Zeinal Bava (President of Portugal Telecom),(not confirmed, unfortunately), Mackey Craven (Venture Capitalist at Bessemer Venture Partners), José Salcedo (CEO of Multiwave Photonics), and Cláudia Ranito (CEO of MedBone). We have chosen a broad variety of speakers that integrate the three areas we want to reach and discuss: education, employment, and entrepreneurship. MPP: What do you hope to achieve?
DC: Our goal is to create an informal environment to discuss education, employment and entrepreneurship. In this informal environment we will encourage entrepreneurship in a new generation of young professionals in corporate, academic, and social environments. We also intend to increase the social and corporate awareness of this generation of professionals and build up partnerships and collaborations between students, industry and academia based on the research outcomes. MPP: How do you relate being a student at the MIT Portugal Program to the decision to organize this conference?
DC: I believe bridging different branches of society, like industry, institutions, or policy makers, is a need felt by every young graduate student or professional. So, I'm no different. However, I believe the students of the MIT Portugal Program are more aware of this need of bridging society, in particular industry, due to the nature of the Program. Having had the opportunity to study at MIT as a student from the Program increased my awareness of innovation and entrepreneurship and my need to be proactive. Another important aspect is that we are a group that already knew each other inside -- because of the MIT Portugal Program -- and we felt committed to this cause that we are now embracing. |
