CIÊNCIAS receives 57 students on study mobility in the 2nd semester

The students came from 12 different countries, with the most represented being Germany (15), France (8), Italy (8) and Slovenia (7). The group also includes students from Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Luxembourg and Poland. These students are joined by another 31, welcomed in the first semester, who remain for a year-long study exchange program.

Students were welcomed at the Mobility and Welcome Office from February 12th to 18th. Full of stories and excited for their first days at university, they filled the lobby on the 1st floor of building C4, taking advantage of the moments between registrations to chat with each other. In the mornings, they were enrolled in the courses they will be taking this semester at CIÊNCIAS. During the afternoons, they were invited to short information sessions, mainly organized to present information about the campus, to clarify any questions that arose, and to give them the opportunity to meet the fellow exchange students registered that day.

In addition to international peers, students were also encouraged to build relationships with national students in order to expand their network beyond Erasmus. On February 19th, a Buddy Meet & Greet was held in room 6.1.36. At this session, the coordinator of GAPsi – the Psychological Support Office of CIÊNCIAS, Cláudio Pina Fernandes, introduced the mobility students to a group of buddies: Portuguese students who had participated in Erasmus in previous years and who volunteer to support the welcoming of newcomers to CIÊNCIAS as part of the Incoming Mentoring Program. This semester, 10 students joined this program promoted by GAPsi, which has the support of the Mobility and Welcome Office.

In addition to meeting their buddies, the exchange students also had the opportunity to hear a testimonial from an Erasmus colleague undertaking a year-long exchange at CIÊNCIAS. Gaspard Maillard came from the Sorbonne in France and spoke about his classes in his field, Physics, and his experience at the university during his first semester. Finally, the session included a brief presentation by the Student Group of the Student Association of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon (AEFCL), led by Martim Moniz, a member of this organization, who made the AEFCL available to exchange students. He spoke about the structure and mission of the association, university sports, and campus social events. An invitation to Band’Alheira, an AEFCL band competition featuring national artists, which took place on February 25th, was also extended.

After the session, the exchange students put on their CIÊNCIAS t-shirts and gathered in the C6 "Jardineta" garden for a group photo. With the moment captured, they sought out their buddies, who then accompanied them on a campus tour. The atmosphere was one of joy and sharing. In the words of Andrea Vergari, a student from the Università degli Studi di Udine, Italy, “everyone has been very polite and helpful to me and the other Erasmus students, so I can only say thank you.”

It´s CIÊNCIAS that thanks you for choosing us! And wishes everyone a great second semester!