Jacinto Daniel Marcelino Barbeira
Jacinto graduated in Informatics and Computing Engineering from Faculdade de Engenharia at the University of Porto. He has since been employed at Portugal Telecom-Inovação, with responsibilities in developing learning contents and management systems.
How is the Pittsburgh campus different from your home campus?
There are two main differences: our campus in Portugal is only about 10 years old and the architecture in Coimbra is more functional than aesthetic. The second and main difference is that in Pittsburgh the campus is located in the middle of the city. This offers more opportunities for off-campus activities and also brings the city to the campus, thus enabling a richer exchange of activities.
What do you think of living in Pittsburgh?
Although it lacks the “sunny” possibility of going out to an esplanade and enjoying an afternoon at the sun, it has other possibilities. There are lots of events and places you can go, both for sports, culture, or shopping. However it is also a quiet place to live (at least where we are staying), which is very nice when you want to seclude yourself to work.
Why did you decide to do the dual degree program?
Besides the opportunity to try something new in an area that is still green in Portugal, the idea of getting a Masters degree in one of the most reputed institutions in the world made me forget about the workload and take the challenge.
