On 22nd January, 2026, CERENA hosted its first PhD Day. The day began with a brief welcome from CERENA’s president, Professor Leonardo Azevedo, and Instituto Superior Técnico’s Vice-President of the Scientific Council, Professor Fernando Pereira. CERENA PhD Day was fully organized by CERENA’s PhD students, and its importance was highlighted by Professor Fernando, who considers events like this one contribute to the growth of young researchers.
The first talk of the day was by a former CERENA PhD Student, Roberto Miele, who shared that in his perspective uncertainty is the only constant in the life of a PhD Student, and how, between PhD work, teaching, and outreach activities, he found his pathway. Roberto recognized how a dynamic center like CERENA, where different scientific fields come together, positively shaped his PhD experience. Finally, Roberto highlighted the importance of events such as CERENA’ Annual Meeting. The Center’s multidisciplinarity was felt throughout the day, with the 25 pitch presentations from CERENA’s PhD students, from fields as diverse as photocatalysis, microplastics in agriculture, plastic recycling, sustainable mining, and the impact of fire on natural stones.
As CERENA has collaborators in three different institutions, this day was the perfect opportunity for the different PhD students to visit the labs at Instituto Superior Técnico and then meet with the board. The day closed with a social event, where students connected in an informal environment!
