To the FCCN Conference 2024 are coming! From April 15th to 17th, the Madeira Congress Center and Pestana Casino Park in Funchal will host the 15th edition of this largest gathering of the research and higher education community. Before the start of the 2024 edition, it is time to understand how the experience of those who attended last year's FCCN Conferences.
Pedro RM Inácio, Pro-Rector for the Digital University and Professor at the University of Beira Interior, was the first to answer questions and leave us his testimony.
"The FCCN Conferences are an opportunity to connect and strengthen the community spirit, to exchange ideas and experiences, and to provide focused and effective updates on everything surrounding the infrastructure and technologies supporting Higher Education and Science in the Portuguese landscape." Pedro RM Inácio
Was the 2023 edition of Jornadas FCCN the first one you attended or have you participated in other editions of the event?
The 2023 edition of Jornadas FCCN was in fact the first time I was able to attend, despite the desire to participate in previous editions, often defeated by reasons of excessive schedule.
What motivated you to be present at the event in 2023?
The main motivation was an invitation to speak, which was added to the desire to participate and the prestigious image that I have associated with these Conferences.
What did you like most or what exceeded your expectations in the 2023 edition of Jornadas FCCN?
Two aspects of this event that exceeded my expectations were the number of participants and the location of the conference. I remember finding it fascinating to see so many people at the buffet lunch and the various lectures. Choosing the Almada Naval School to host the event allowed me to visit and tour part of the facilities of an unusual location, which I think I would never have the opportunity to visit otherwise. I see a hint of boldness and irreverence in this choice that contributed to the event's overall appeal.
Of course, I could also mention the youthful and easygoing spirit of the FCCN team and the community that surrounds the events, but that's something I'm already used to and so I won't mention it here.
What did you take away from the event? Did the Conferences allow you to gather useful information for your daily life?
First, I brought with me the feeling of having contributed to the Conferences and having been useful to colleagues in the field. Second, I expanded my network of contacts very naturally and had the opportunity to share experiences (and hear them) with people who experience them firsthand.
Do you consider the FCCN Conferences to be important for the national teaching and research community? Why?
Without a doubt. These Conferences are a very concrete way of sharing and updating knowledge. More abstractly, and considering what I consider to be a society undergoing effort, transformation, and dynamism, especially in terms of technology and digital connections, it seems increasingly important to me to have events that promote, in a well-defined and in-person manner, social interaction and thematic knowledge sharing.
What do you expect from the 2024 edition?
I think the challenge in terms of exceeding expectations regarding the location has already been overcome from the outset, since the Conferences are taking place this year in Funchal. Expecting more of the same isn't a bad thing when what's already been done is quite good.
Given the current revolution in artificial intelligence and the overall context of international instability, I hope to see more of these topics at these Conferences, particularly regarding their application to higher education and scientific research in Portugal.
