"During my PhD, I was faced with complex questions, with challenges that seemed insurmountable, but with each obstacle overcome, I grew up, not only as a professional, but also as a person. We learned to think critically and innovatively, to question the status quo, to find solutions to problems that seemed impossible. And that’s the real value of a PhD!"

It is with this description that Cátia Silva, PhD in Engineering and Management at the Instituto Superior Técnico and currently Invited Assistant Professor at DEG, identifies the added value of the PhD. In an opinion article published in Jornal I, the professor analyzes her academic career from undergraduation to the moment she decided to follow a dream that, as she made a point of stressing, was not only her own, but that she shared with her father (one of the greatest references of her life).

"The story I outlined at the Instituto Superior Técnico is not uniquely mine. It is, in a way, of all those who dare to pursue an ideal and dream higher. The future, flexible and unexplored, is waiting, ready to be shaped by those who, armed with knowledge, determination and a hint of boldness, are ready to transcend boundaries and make a difference," she concludes.

The full article of Cátia Silva is written in portuguese and available here.