The latest update of the World’s Top 2% Scientists Network, the global ranking of the world’s most-cited scientists, has been released by Stanford University (California, USA).Among the more than 100,000 researchers included in the ranking, four ISEL faculty members stand out:Single Year Category- Luís Evangelista (DEC/ISEL), ranked in the fields of Building & Construction, Materials, and Built Environment & Design, affiliated with ISEL.- Stefano Stefenon (DEI/ISEL), ranked in the fields of Energy, Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing, and Enabling & Strategic Technologies, affiliated with IPL.- Ricardo Baptista (DEM/ISEL), ranked in the fields of Mechanical Engineering & Transports, Materials, and Engineering, affiliated with IPL.Career Category- João Gomes (DEQ/ISEL), ranked in the fields of Energy, Environmental Sciences, and Enabling & Strategic Technologies, affiliated with ISEL.- Luís Evangelista (DEC/ISEL), ranked in the fields of Building & Construction, Materials, and Built Environment & Design, affiliated with ISEL.Published on 7 October, the ranking is based on citation data from Scopus, the renowned online database of abstracts and citations of academic journal articles, and reflects citations recorded up to the end of 2025.

On 13 October 2026, ISEL welcomed a delegation from Macau comprising representatives of the Macau Talent Development Committee (CDQQ), the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, and several higher education institutions, including the University of Saint Joseph (USJ), the Macau Polytechnic University (MPU), the Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST), and the University of Macau.During the meeting, opportunities for mobility involving students, academic staff and researchers were discussed, including exchange programmes, advanced training initiatives and mechanisms to strengthen links between higher education institutions and the labour market. The role of the Macau Talent Development Committee (CDQQ) in upskilling professionals in strategic areas and in creating favourable conditions to attract specialised talent was also addressed.In the field of research, scientific and technological areas of mutual interest were identified, with potential for the development of joint applied research projects, knowledge and technology transfer, and collaboration between higher education institutions and companies. Opportunities for cooperation with organisations based in Macau and in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, one of Asia’s most dynamic economic and technological regions, were also explored.This visit provided an opportunity to strengthen institutional dialogue between ISEL and the represented organisations, fostering the identification of future areas of collaboration and opening up new prospects for joint initiatives in the fields of academia, research, technology and talent development.

Between 23 September and 3 October 2026, the President of ISEL, Professor José Nascimento, and the Internationalisation Advisor, Professor António Serrador, carried out an institutional mission to Brazil, accompanied by Fábio Matos and Camilla França from TECHID. The initiative aimed to strengthen strategic partnerships, identify new opportunities for academic and scientific cooperation, and promote ISEL’s presence among leading institutions in the country.The mission included visits to Manaus, Recife and Salvador, with meetings held with universities, research centres and innovation ecosystems. Key topics discussed included the development of joint R&D projects, the creation of advanced training programmes, academic mobility, and the attraction of Brazilian students to ISEL.In Manaus, meetings were held with FPFTech, during which opportunities for collaboration were explored in areas such as artificial intelligence, satellite image processing, advanced materials, robotics, drones and sensors. Joint initiatives in advanced training were also discussed, including the Postgraduate Programme in Advanced Technologies for Drones, as well as applied research projects and student and staff exchange activities.In Recife, the delegation met with representatives of Porto Digital, one of the leading innovation hubs in Latin America, to discuss joint initiatives in innovation, entrepreneurship and mutual internationalisation.The mission concluded in Salvador da Bahia with a visit to SENAI CIMATEC, a leading institution in engineering and technology in Brazil, and its various centres, including CIMATEC Park, CIMATEC Aerospace, CIMATEC Digital and its headquarters. Particular emphasis was placed on participation in the inauguration of the institution’s new digital incubator, a project in which TECHID and ISEL are institutional partners, as well as discussions regarding future academic, scientific and business collaborations.This mission strengthened relationships with strategic partners, reinforced the presence of ISEL and TECHID in Brazil, and opened new avenues for cooperation in research, advanced training, mobility, entrepreneurship and innovation, further supporting ISEL’s internationalisation strategy.Photo: TECHID

A proposal submitted by ISEL has been selected under the EuroHPC Quantum Access Pilot Call, a European initiative providing experimental access to the new generation of high-performance quantum computers.The project, led by Manfred Niehus (DF/ISEL), has been awarded computing time on Euro-Q-Exa, a European 53-qubit quantum processor. The work will explore the use of quantum computing to support the synthesis of estimators and controllers for stochastic physical systems, with particular focus on non-equilibrium thermodynamics and optical-tweezer information engines.The research will be exploratory and comparative, assessing under which conditions quantum methods may complement conventional high-performance computing and FPGA-based real-time control.The award provides an opportunity to build expertise in applied quantum computing at ISEL and to explore new links between physics, control engineering, photonics and embedded systems.

The PRODIGI Program (PROgramming, Information and Digital Citizenship) awarded Merit Scholarships to 18 graduates from the Polytechnic University of Lisbon (IPL) at a ceremony held on June 26, 2026, at the University of Lisbon, recognizing the academic merit achieved in the different modules of the training.The ceremony was attended by the president of IPL, António Belo, the pro-president of the IPL and scientific coordinator of PRODIGI, Cátia Vaz, the president of the Lisbon School of Education, Carla Rocha, and the vice-president of ISEL, Pedro Silva.The Merit Scholarships were awarded to the graduates who obtained the highest grades in the different modules of the program, according to the respective regulations.The following graduates were distinguished:Alda Maria VagarinhoAna Rita FonsecaEvelina CostaFernando AlmeidaJaime ReisJoão MartinsJoão SacramentoJoaquim PaulinoJorge LuisJorge SilvaJosé Carlos SantosJosé Manoel SantosLuis FrancoNuno PereiraNuno FerreiraPedro AntunesSusana GomesTeresa SoeiroDeveloped within a consortium between the University of Lisbon and the Polytechnic University of Lisbon, PRODIGI involves, in addition to ISEL, the Instituto Superior Técnico, the Faculty of Sciences, the Institute of Education, and the Lisbon Higher School of Education.Funded by Impulso Mais Digital, within the scope of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), the program aims to strengthen the digital transition in higher education, promoting the development of advanced and transversal digital skills within the academic community. The awarding of Merit Scholarships reinforces the commitment of partner institutions to promoting excellence, pedagogical innovation, and digital skills development, contributing to meeting the challenges of an increasingly digital society and labor market.  [flickr-photoset:id=72177720334457283, size=q, num=10]Ver no flickr Imagens e texto GCI/IPL

ISEL takes a new step in its commitment to high-impact technological areas with the launch of the Postgraduate Program in Advanced Drone Technologies. The new program, starting in the 2026/2027 academic year, is the result of collaboration between academia, research centers, and leading companies in the sector.Developed to meet the needs of a rapidly evolving market, this postgraduate program aims to prepare professionals to face the technological challenges associated with unmanned systems, an area with growing applications in industry, energy, infrastructure inspection, civil protection, security, and defense.One of the course's main differentiators is its highly specialized faculty, composed of researchers, experts, and professionals working in the sector, providing training strongly focused on business and technological realities.The postgraduate program is based on strategic synergies between ISEL and ISEL.ID – the Research, Development and Innovation Association, reinforcing the link between teaching, applied research, and innovation. In this context, partnerships have been established with leading entities such as TEKEVER and Speed-Bird, whose specialists and professionals are part of the program's faculty, providing students with close contact with the realities of the sector. The international dimension of the program is reinforced through collaboration with higher education and research institutions, including SENAI CIMATEC in Salvador, Bahia (Brazil), and Odessa National University of Economics (Ukraine), promoting knowledge sharing, scientific cooperation, and the development of joint projects.The first phase of applications for the Postgraduate Program in Advanced Drone Technologies will take place between July 17th and September 2nd, 2026, for a program that will begin in the 2026/2027 academic year. More information here.