Under the theme “From Ideas to Impact: 20 Years of CMU-Portugal Partnership”, the CMU Portugal Summit will bring together, on October 29th at the Universidade de Aveiro, experts from Portuguese universities, Carnegie Mellon University, and companies to present and discuss cutting-edge topics in ICT related to the scope of the Program.
The Summit will be a key moment to assess how the partnership has evolved and its impact across academia and industry. It will also explore the range of opportunities created through this international collaboration, from research projects to ICT education programs and mobility initiatives, bridging leading Portuguese universities, companies, and Carnegie Mellon.
Call for Posters – CLOSED
The Call is open to MSc and PhD students, including PhD graduates who concluded their degree during Phase 4, provided they are, or have been, active under Phase 4 of the Carnegie Mellon Portugal, MIT Portugal, or UT Austin Portugal Programs and meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Holding, or having held, a PhD scholarship funded through one of the Programs;
- Participation in mobility or entrepreneurship programs;
- Support through research projects or research grants funded or enabled by one of the Programs.
For registration and further information, please visit the Event Website.
Preliminary Agenda I Thursday, October 29, 2026
“From Ideas to Impact: 20 Years of CMU Portugal”
- 9:30 – Registration
- 10:00 – 10:30 Welcome + Opening Remarks
- 10:30 – 12:00 Session I: Fostering Research Collaborations: a look into CMU Portugal Initiatives
The CMU Portugal Program has served for two decades as a bridge for scientific innovation and transatlantic collaboration between Portuguese higher education and research institutions and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). Key to this partnership is a shared commitment to foster research, knowledge transfer, and contribute to solving global challenges across diverse domains such as healthcare, artificial intelligence, neuroscience, autonomous systems, and sustainability. This session highlights key research projects funded under the program’s recent Exploratory Research Projects (ERPs) and PRR (Plano de Recuperação e Resiliência) initiatives. Each CMU Portugal project is built upon collaboration between Portuguese and CMU researchers, emphasizing the importance of these international partnerships in fostering research, investing in talent, and delivering high-impact technological solutions driven from previous CMU Portugal initiatives or recently established collaborations.
Moderator: Lia Patrício, CMU Portugal Scientific Director; Professor, FEUP- ChildrEngage: Measuring Real-Time Children Group Engagement (2025)
Isabel Neto, Assistant Professor Faculdade de Ciências, University of Lisbon - NeuroSAFE: Safe Reinforcement Learning for Closed-Loop Neural Control Using Brain-on-Chip Platforms (2025)
Paulo de Castro Aguiar, Principal Investigator at i3S – Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto - MED-CONGRUENT: Enhancing Multimodal Alignment and Physician Perception in Generative Medical Reports (2025)
Qiwei Han, Assistant Professor at NOVA SBE, CMU Portugal Dual Degree Alum - Toward Cost-Effective Provable Safety in Autonomous Driving (2025)
Susana Sargento, Full Professor, University of Aveiro - A Virtual Reality Game To Transform Attitudes About Climate Change (2025)
Laurie Heller, Professor of Psychology, CMU
- ChildrEngage: Measuring Real-Time Children Group Engagement (2025)
- 12:00 – 13:30 Networking Lunch + Student Poster Session
- 13:30 – 15:00 Session II: From Research to Market: CMU Portugal as an Innovation Hub
By combining Carnegie Mellon University’s world-renowned expertise in tech transfer and venture creation with the research talent of Portuguese universities and research centers, the CMU Portugal Program fosters a dynamic ecosystem that translates cutting-edge research into market-ready solutions.Through an interactive panel discussion, key leaders spanning academia, spin-off founders, and dual-degree doctoral researchers will showcase how CMU Portugal acts as an innovation hub – empowering researchers through entrepreneurial training, supporting joint talent, and bridging the gap between scientific discoveries and global market impact.
Moderator: Carla Costa, Assistant Professor, Engineering and Management Department at Técnico ULisboa
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- Theresa Mayer, Vice President for Research at CMU
- João Gabriel, Full Professor at the University of Coimbra; former Rector of the University of Coimbra and former Director of the CMU–Portugal Dual Degree MSc in Software Engineering
- Bruno Azevedo, Founder & Managing Director, Addvolt , participant of CMU Portugal inRes program
- Afonso Tinoco, CMU Portugal Dual Degree PhD Student and co-founder of Oblivious Labs .
- Pedro Bizarro, Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer at Feedzai
- 15:00 – 16:15 Session III: 20 years of CMU Portugal: Building the Next Decade
For 20 years, the CMU Portugal Program has been shaped by the people who came through it – former directors, researchers, students, and partners who turned an ambitious idea into a thriving international partnership. Beyond the papers, diplomas, and projects, the program’s success lies in the personal and institutional connections built across the Atlantic. This session brings together former and current National Directors, researchers, program alumni, and students to share their experiences. But more than looking back at two decades of lessons learned, the panel will focus on looking ahead to the next decade. Together, it will explore how the Program should continue supporting research, empowering new generations of talent, and contribute to the future of global innovation.
Moderator: Sir John O’Reilly, External Review Committee, CMU Portugal- João Claro, CMU Portugal National Director (2013-2017); Chairman and CEO, INESC TEC & Professor, FEUP
- Nuno Nunes, CMU Portugal National Co-Director (2018-2024); Full professor at Técnico ULisboa; President & founder of Interactive Technologies Institute (ITI)
- Inês Lynce, CMU Portugal National Co-Director (2021-Present) Co-Director; President of the Board of Directors, INESC-ID & Professor at Técnico ULisboa
- Zita Marinho, Associate Professor at Técnico ULisboa, former Research Scientist at Google Deepmind, CMU Portugal Dual Degree Alum
- 16:30 – 17:00 Closing Remarks
For registration and further information, please visit the Event Website.
See also: Portugal-US Partnerships 2026 Summit: “From Knowledge to Competitiveness”, October 30.