The “Cientista Regressa à Escola” (Same Hometown Programme) an initiative by Native Scientists, once again featured the participation of a CMU Portugal member. For the 4th time, CMU Portugal Scientific Director Paulo Marques was challenged to return to his roots and visit his former primary school to inspire young students through hands-on science workshops.
Paulo Marques grew up in the countryside, in Valdonas, near Tomar, Portugal, where he attended the public primary school “Escola Básica de Valdonas” between 1981 and 1985. Now, nearly 40 years after finishing primary education, he returned to where his educational journey began — and many memories came back:
“This was really a quite poor region. For you to imagine, a lot of families only had a donkey as a means of transportation and sending their kids to school was a major effort. Many didn’t actually go, and dreaming of studying more was only that – a dream.”
Paulo Marques is a renowned Portuguese entrepreneur, engineer, and investor. He co-founded Feedzai, Portugal’s first unicorn and the first startup launched under the CMU Portugal Program. Paulo served as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for 13 years, leading the company’s product and technology strategy, and he continues to serve on its board of directors. More recently, he became one of the founding partners of TUMO, an innovative school for young people aged 12 to 18 that explores the intersection of creativity and technology.
During the “Cientista Regressa à Escola” activities on April 9, Paulo worked on creating and building robots for exploring Mars with over 40 children aged between 6 and 10. The inspiration was the time Paulo worked for the European Space Agency, helping advance space exploration. Paulo wanted to show that children can dream big, even with space, independently of their origins or conditions. The workshop was co-sponsored by Robothink, a technology school for children that offers a complete and ongoing curriculum in Robotics, Programming, and Artificial Intelligence.
The overall feedback and participation from the children, and the teachers, during the activities were incredibly positive – probably making it a day they’ll never forget! But the experience was surely memorable not just for the kids, but also for Paulo Marques:
“It’s amazing to show children from a primary school in a small village in central Portugal that through science, they can grow, explore the world, and even the universe — from the tiniest things like atoms, molecules, and cells to the vastest wonders like stars, galaxies, and nebulas.”
‘Cientista Regressa à Escola’ is a science outreach initiative where researchers/scientists return to their primary schools to share their academic and professional experiences with students and inspire them for science. The educational program is implemented by Native Scientists, a non-profit organization connecting underserved children and scientists, that aims to promote scientific culture and literacy to young children, inspiring them to follow a path in science.
In the last three years (2022-2024), 95 scientists have had the opportunity to return to their primary schools. By the end of 2025, another 100 visits are already planned.
More about the initiative here.
Other CMU Portugal participants: Nuno Nunes (former CMU Portugal Director)
