On 29 October, the commemorative session for the 26th anniversary of the Department of Information Systems of the School of Engineering of UMinho was held in Auditorium EE 2.0.20 of the Azurém Campus in Guimarães.

The programme began at 5:15 p.m. with a welcome speech by the Department Director, Professor Rui José, followed by a speech by the Vice-President of the School of Engineering, Professor Daniel Oliveira.

At 5:30 p.m., Professor José Carlos Nascimento gave his last lecture, entitled ‘From Analogue to Artificial Intelligence, the evolution of the purpose and scope of TSI professionals’. This was followed by congratulations and the cutting of the birthday cake, outside the auditorium, attended by dozens of members of the department, as well as the entire academic community who wanted to join in the celebration.

The birth of the Department of Information Systems

The creation of the Department of Information Systems in 1999 resulted from the autonomy of one of the areas of activity of the Department of Informatics – management informatics/information systems. With the creation in the early 1990s of a new degree in this area – the Degree in Management Informatics, currently the Degree in Information Systems Engineering and Management – this area significantly increased in size and capacity, thus justifying its establishment as a new department.

The department considers it essential to combine skills in the creation of information technology-based artefacts with skills resulting from an understanding of the human and social phenomena associated with the adoption and exploitation of these artefacts and the use of information. Special attention is given to organisations (companies and other institutions, public or private), as particularly relevant spaces where such phenomena occur.

The School of Engineering congratulates the Department of Information Systems on another anniversary and wishes the entire team every success.