This week, approximately 200 secondary and vocational school students will visit the National Scientific Computing Unit as part of FCCN's "Open Week." Highlights include visits to the FCCN Studio, the Data Center, and the Tejo HD Immersive Room.
A group of 50 students from the Magestil Vocational School were the first to participate in this initiative, in the early afternoon of Monday, November 18. Upon arrival, the teacher in charge, Vera Sousa, explained the purpose of this visit to the FCT's National Scientific Computing Unit (FCCN).
“We try to open students’ eyes to new things”, he stressed, explaining that the various areas present in this organization “will bring new knowledge applicable to the projects they carry out at school, in a transversal logic”.
Cross-cutting is one of the main themes of the students' visit to the Scientific Computing Unit. In addition to the visit to the FCCN Studio, the passage through the FCCN Datacenter or the Tejo HD Immersive Room.
After visiting all these structures, 19-year-old student Gonçalo Dias considers the work carried out here daily to be “quite important.” “I think it is important, as an institution that is focused on Education and not just looking for profit”, he highlights.
Sowing the future
Gonçalo was one of approximately 200 students participating in “FCCN Open Week” this week – an initiative that seeks to provide “an immersive experience in the FCCN world.”
“The objective of this initiative is to sow the seeds of the future”, emphasizes the Director of Control, Planning and Management of this FCT unit, Salomé Branco. From the outset, she explains, this is a way of make known FCC services and projectsN to future Higher Education students, ensuring its access and future use.
On the other hand, adds the director, this action is also part of the mission of the National Scientific Computing Unit, “trying to attract students to the technology field” – an area in which, he emphasizes, “there are fewer human resources than the market needs”.
Knowledge and motivation
For one of the participants, Mariana Esteves, 18, the visit to the FCCN Studio was of “special interest”: “It was the first time I entered a studio with these characteristics and I really enjoyed the experience”.
As a student of the professional Communications, Marketing, Public Relations and Advertising program, he also had the opportunity to learn about some of the equipment and techniques he might apply in the future.It's a place where I can see myself working in the future.”, he says, revealing, smiling: “I even asked if they accept internships”.
It was at the FCCN Datacenter that participant Mariana Silva, 18, evaluated her experience. “I think it’s important to know what’s behind what we see every day”, he stressed.
The visit served to guarantee new knowledge and also had a motivating effect, he concluded: “I was more motivated to finish my course – we are always motivated when we know the more practical side of things”.
