The tuition fees for all students entering the Bachelor's degree in Mining and Energy Resources Engineering at the Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) during the academic year 2024-2025 will be covered by the industry, relieving students of this burden. The Department of Mineral and Energy Resources Engineering (DER) has secured funding from companies in the minerals, ornamental rocks, mineral resources technology, and energy sectors to cover the entire tuition fees for all students enrolling in the 1st year of this course at the University of Lisbon, to which IST belongs.

"The challenges of Energy Transition and Digital Transition are so global, and the shortage of engineers in the field is felt worldwide, that energy and mineral sector companies in Portugal have decided to cover the full tuition costs for all 1st-year students in this degree program during the 2024-2025 academic year," says Amélia Dionísio, professor, researcher, and vice president of DER. "For this year's higher education applicants, studying Mining and Energy Resources Engineering offers a double advantage: not only do they not pay tuition in 2024-2025, but they also have a global network of companies and research and regulatory institutions with 100% employability waiting for them."

DER's initiative to attract talented students has four objectives: increase the number of engineers in the field, attract talent to its programs, meet the needs of national and international companies, and address societal challenges such as the Energy Transition driven by climate change and the Digital Transition.

According to the vice president of DER, some sponsoring companies have expressed their intention to cover the tuition fees for the entire degree program for students they support in the next academic year. "This will be a great opportunity for students in this degree program, and DER will strive to distribute it fairly," says Amélia Dionísio. "First, we will try to find conditions to make this possibility accessible to all degree students; if that's not possible, we will grant this benefit to the most academically meritorious students."