quarta-feira, 09/09/2026
Campus de Azurém, Guimarães
The School of Engineering regularly welcomes leading international professors and researchers, bringing fresh ideas, experiences, and perspectives. As part of these visits, “Engineering Talks” are promoted and open to the community, creating unique opportunities to engage with cutting-edge knowledge and international networks.
AGENDA
23 April 2026, 14h30 | Azurém Campus, room 2-2.09
Youssef Maaloufa, Associate Professor in Civil Engineering, National School of Architecture Agadir, Morocco
- Title: "Seismic damage to Moroccan earthen heritage: A post-disaster analysis of the 2023 Al Haouz earthquake"
- Abstract: Earthen architecture, a cornerstone of the High Atlas cultural identity, relies on the use of rammed earth, adobe, and stone, materials valued for their thermal properties but intrinsically vulnerable to seismic tensile forces. This study, supported by technical expertise and conducted across several douars within an 11 to 70 km radius of the epicentre, analyses the structural response of a wide variety of frameworks to the extreme accelerations of 2023. In situ observations reveal that while failures are often linked to topographic site effects and the incompatibility of modern additions, a notable resilience persists where traditional constructive devices have been preserved.
- Short CV: Youssef Maaloufa is an Associate Professor at the National School of Architecture Agadir, holding a PhD in civil engineering. With a career spanning over two decades, he bridges the gap between high-level academic research and practical industry expertise. His research focuses on sustainable construction, with a specific emphasis on the thermomechanical characterization of bio-sourced materials and traditional and contemporary structural systems, exploring how vernacular techniques can be optimized for modern resilience. He has authored and co-authored more than 30 scientific papers in international journals and conferences.
- Partnership: Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering (ISISE)
28 May 2026, 11h30 | Azurém Campus, Main Building, Room 0.20 (B1.10)
Dava Newman, Apollo Program Professor of Astronautics, MIT (photos)
- Title: "Exploring Optimistic Space Futures"
- Partnership: MIT Portugal and New Space Portugal
- Short CV: Dava Newman is the Apollo Program Professor of
Astronautics at MIT and former Director of the MIT Media Lab, internationally
recognized for her pioneering contributions to aerospace biomedical engineering,
astronaut performance in extreme environments, and next-generation spacesuit
design. As former NASA Deputy Administrator (2015–2017), she played a central
role in shaping the agency’s vision for human exploration of Mars, innovation,
and future space technologies. With more than 350 scientific publications,
numerous patents, and extensive experience leading spaceflight research on the
Space Shuttle, MIR, and the International Space Station, her work bridges space
exploration, health, engineering, design, AI, climate, and sustainability. A
strong advocate for interdisciplinary research connecting science, technology,
policy, and human-centered innovation, she was awarded an honoris causa
doctorate by the University of Minho in 2023.
15 June 2026, 11h00 | Azurém Campus, Building 9, Room 0.04
Rui A. Gonçalves, Assistant Chair (Student Development) - School of
Materials Science and Engineering - Nanyang
Technological University (NTU), Singapore
- Title: "Materials Research in Singapore"
- Partnership: IPC - Institute for Polymers and Composites (Director - António Pontes)
- Abstract: This seminar offers an integrated perspective
on research in Materials Science and Engineering in Singapore, linking the
institutional framework of Nanyang Technological University (NTU) with examples
of research carried out at the School of Materials Science and Engineering
(MSE).
The organisational structures, funding models
and academic practices that underpin scientific productivity will be discussed,
as well as the role of shared characterisation facilities — notably the
Facility for Analysis, Characterisation, Testing and Simulation (FACTS) — which
provides advanced microscopy, X-ray diffraction and surface analysis,
supporting research from the atomic to the macroscopic scale.
In the second part of the seminar, research on
colloids and functional nanomaterials for surface modification will be
presented, including the thermotropic control of lamellar phases for film
deposition and the development of coatings with copper nanoparticles exhibiting
high antibacterial efficacy.
It will be demonstrated how the integration of
infrastructure, organisation, and science drives innovation in materials.
23 July 2026, 10h30 | Azurém Campus, Building 7, Room 1.01
Gabriel Guerrero-Contreras and Sara Balderas-Díaz, Dept. of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Cadiz (Spain)
- Title: "Context Aware AI for Smarter Cities"
- Organiser/Promoter: Grupo de Inteligência Artificial da Universidade do Minho
- Partnership: Departamento de Informática and Centro Algoritmi/LASI
- Abstract: How can Artificial Intelligence help us build
healthier and safer cities? This
talk will explore context-aware and multimodal AI approaches for urban and
health-related monitoring, including air-pollution prediction, synthetic data
generation, sensor data-quality enhancement, and sound-based siren detection.
By combining environmental, mobility, IoT and acoustic data, the talk will show
how AI can support earlier detection, more reliable forecasting and better
decision-making in real-world smart-city and assisted-living scenarios.
- Short CV: Gabriel Guerrero-Contreras and Sara Balderas-Díaz received their
B.Sc., M.Sc., and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Granada, Spain. They are
currently Assistant Professors at the University of Cádiz, Spain. Their
research interests include artificial intelligence, machine learning,
distributed and self-adaptive systems, cybersecurity, intelligent environments,
and air quality prediction.
9 September 2026, 11h00
Azurém Campus, Building 11 | Room 1.34 (Auditório
do DSI)
Célio Albuquerque, Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Brasil
- Title: "Redes Sem
Fios Inteligentes: Desafios e Oportunidades para a Próxima Geração de Sistemas
Conectados"
- Organiser: Vinicius Corrêa Ferreira, Professor Auxiliar, Departamento de Sistemas de Informação
- Partnership: Centro Algoritmi
- Info: O seminário aborda temas
emergentes em redes sem fios inteligentes e sistemas conectados de próxima
geração, nomeadamente CSI Sensing (Channel State Information Sensing), redes
sem fios densas, segurança em sistemas ciber-físicos (CPS Security) e comunicação
multimédia em redes sem fios.
- Bio: Célio Albuquerque é Professor Titular da
UFF (Brasil), doutorado pela University of California, Irvine, com formação em
Engenharia Elétrica pela UFRJ. Exerceu cargos de liderança académica e
científica, incluindo a coordenação do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Computação
da UFF, a direção do LARC e a integração no Conselho de Administração da RNP. É
bolsista de produtividade do CNPq (PQ-1D) e Cientista do Nosso Estado (FAPERJ).
Coordena o laboratório MídiaCom, investigando comunicação de dados multimédia,
redes sem fios, computação móvel e distribuição de conteúdo.
+Info: www.eng.uminho.pt
