The “Engineering Olympics” competitive event organised by the IEEE Uminho Student Branch took place on 6 and 7 February at the Azurém Campus. The Engineering Olympics brought together students from the most diverse areas of Engineering at the University of Minho for two days to compete against each other and apply some of their knowledge in a practical way.
Three challenges with different themes were presented, and each team had to solve just one of the three during 24 hours. The teams present, formed by the IEEE, were multidisciplinary, so the participants not only had the opportunity to meet students from other engineering courses, but also to experience how different engineering disciplines can interconnect and collaborate, says Andreia Oliveira, from the organisation of this 2nd edition of the event.
To make the competition more dynamic, a few surprises were added, for example, to realise their project the participants had to buy the materials they thought they needed with fictitious money, taking into account a budget imposed on each challenge. This meant that the teams had to think strategically and critically in order to carry out their project successfully.
At the end of the 24 hours, the teams had to present their final projects to a team of judges, made up of lecturers from the different departments of the School of Engineering. In addition to the competition, the event also included a job fair, which was attended by a number of companies. Despite only being the second edition of the event, it was noted by both the participants and the judging panel that the event has evolved significantly and shows enormous potential for further growth.
For Lígia Rodrigues, President of EEUM’s Pedagogical Council, this is an “event that is highly representative of our students’ abilities at the most varied levels: from the organisation of the competitions, their creativity, to all the logistical aspects involved in this edition, including the resolution of unforeseen circumstances. Congratulations to everyone involved!”
