Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), School of Engineering, Technical University of Lisbon, Portugal

foreignstudent guide

I n s t i t u t o S u p e r i o r T é c n i c o

| Foreign Student Guide | IST

INDEX

WELCOME MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN OF ISTWELCOME TO THE INTERNACIONAL OFFICE

THE TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF LISBONBrief Description of the University

Instituto Superior Técnico Departments

Undergraduate ProgrammesMaster Programmes

PhD ProgrammesACADEMIC LIFEAcademic Calendar

Enrolment ProceduresApplication Procedure

RegistrationStudent Assessment

ECTS Credits and Grading ScaleLanguage (Lectures and Courses)

STUDENT LIFEMentorship Programe

AccommodationEntry and Residence Regulations

Health and WelfareMeals

Cost of LivingSports Facilities

Student AssociationsGENERAL INFORMATION

PortugalNational HolidaysVarying Holidays

LisbonArrival in Lisbon

BanksPost-Offices

ShoppingTelecommunications

TransportationUSEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS

USEFUL PHRASESCHECK LIST

3566899

101112121313131415151616161818202021212323252526282829293031323334


IST - ALAMEDA

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Since its foundation in 1911, InstitutoSuperior Técnico (IST) has neverceased to evolve and grow, in bothquantitative and qualitative terms,finding increasing ways to contributeto the social and economicdevelopment of the country.Today, ISToffers 21 undergraduate programs,attended by more than 8600 students,covering a wide range of areas ofknowledge, including not only all thetraditional engineering specializations,but also other modern areas such asBiological Engineering, Aerospace andPhysics Engineering. Postgraduatetraining is also important with over1500 students enrolled in 28 Masterprogrammes, 21 doctoral areas andvarious specialized courses.This wide-ranging provision of human resourcestraining, which is so essential toPortugal’s development, is madepossible by a highly-qualified teachingstaff, which includes 670 PhD holders,and a highly efficient organisation ofservices provided by skilled anddedicated administrative staff.


WELCOME MESSAGEFROM THE DEAN OF IST

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However, as is the case with the bestschools of science and technology allover the world, the role of IST is notrestricted to advanced training.The ISTteaching staff and researchers carryout research and developmentactivities, with a high level ofinternational involvement at theforefront of knowledge.

In addition, IST has progressivelystrengthened links with the businessworld, by promoting technologytransfers, various partnerships withcompanies, industries and services, andby setting up new technology-basedcompanies.

High-quality university education andR&D, in growing synergy with theeconomic sector, are today the maincharacteristics of IST.This is why IST isnow a highly reputed school ofengineering, science and technologyboth at the national and theinternational level.

Carlos Matos Ferreira Dean of IST.


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WELCOME MESSAGEFROM THE DEAN OF IST

The International Office is verypleased to extend the warmestwelcome to you and hopes that youwill benefit from your stay with us atIST.We hope this new experience willbe a memorable one, your studyperiod rewarding and your contactwith the Portuguese culture enriching.We trust your new Portuguese friendsbe lifelong! We will try to assist you inthe best way we can and count on ouroffice to help you with yourintegration in the academic and sociallife at IST.

Sílvia SantosHead of the International OfficeTel: +351 218 417 362E-mail: [email protected]


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WELCOME TO THEINTERNATIONAL OFFICE

Brief Description of theUniversity

The Universidade Técnica de Lisboa(Technical University of Lisbon) is astate-owned institution founded in1930 as an association of fouralready existing schools: InstitutoSuperior Técnico (School ofEngineering), Instituto Superior deEconomia e Gestão (School ofEconomy and Management),Instituto Superior de Agronomia(School of Agronomy) and EscolaSuperior de Medicina Veterinária(School of Veterinary Medicine).


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THE TECHNICALUNIVERSITY OF LISBON

Presently it comprises the followingschools:

• FA - Faculdade de Arquitectura (School of Architecture)

• FMH - Faculdade de MotricidadeHumana(School of Human Kinetics)

• FMV - Faculdade de MedicinaVeterinária (School of Veterinary Medicine)

• ISA - Instituto Superior deAgronomia (School of Agronomy)

• ISCSP - Instituto Superior deCiências Sociais e Políticas(School of Social and PoliticalSciences)

• ISEG - Instituto Superior deEconomia e Gestão (School of Economics andBusiness Administration)

• IST - Instituto Superior Técnico (School of Engineering)

UTL is thus a federation ofautonomous technical schools.

Within UTL, the SASUTL - SocialSupport Services (Serviços deAcção Social da UniversidadeTécnica de Lisboa), plays animportant role in providing supportfor students. SASUTL providesservices and facilities for students, sothat they can study and par ticipatein non-curricular activities. Theseservices were created in 1966 foroverall student welfare.


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Instituto Superior Técnico

The Instituto Superior Técnico (IST),created in 1911, is the largest andmost reputed school of engineering,science and technology in Portugal.

IST’s mission is to contribute to thedevelopment of society bypromoting a higher education ofoutstanding quality in the areas ofEngineering, Science and Technology,at undergraduate and postgraduatelevels, and by carrying out researchand development activities inaccordance with the highest

international standards. Its missionthus reflects the three activities thatdefine the concept of a modernuniversity: Education, Research &Development and Links with Society.

With two conveniently locatedcampuses, (Alameda in Lisbon andTaguspark in Oeiras), IST consists often Departments and oneAutonomous Section that areresponsible for teachingUndergraduate and PostgraduateProgrammes. Each Department isorganised in sections, which grouptogether specific subjects within itsscientific area. In addition, thelaboratories of the severalDepartments are an importantsource of support to the teachingand research activities carried outat IST.


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Departments

• Department of ChemicalEngineering

• Department of Civil Engineeringand Architecture

• Department of Economics andManagement

• Department of ElectricalEngineering and ComputerScience

• Department of InformationSystems and ComputersEngineering

• Department of MaterialsEngineering

• Department of Mathematics• Department of Mechanical

Engineering• Department of Mining

Engineering• Department of Physics• Naval Architecture and Marine

Engineering AutonomousSection

With regard to education, IST offers21 Undergraduate Programmes eachlasting five years (10 semesters), 28Master Programmes and 21 PhDProgrammes. The award of a MasterDegree has a maximum duration of4 semesters and requires studentattendance and successful conclusionof the academic component, whichis made up of specialist courses, inaddition to the preparation andpresentation of a disser tation.

Undergraduate Programmes

IST-Alameda Campus• Aerospace Engineering• Architecture• Applied Mathematics and

Computation• Biological Engineering• Biomedical Engineering• Chemical Engineering• Chemistry• Civil Engineering• Computer Sciences• Electrical and Computer


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Engineering• Environmental Engineering• Information Technology and

Computer Science • Materials Engineering• Mechanical Engineering• Mining and Geological

Engineering• Naval Architecture and Marine

Engineering• Technological Physics

Engineering• Territorial Engineering

IST-Taguspark Campus• Electronics Engineering • Industrial Management and

Engineering • Information and Communication

Network Engineering • Information Technology and

Computer Science

Master Programmes• Applied Mathematics• Biotechnology Engineering• Chemical Engineering - Applied

Chemistry• Chemical Engineering - Process

and Industry• Computer Science• Construction• Design Engineering• Ecology, Management and

Modelling of Marine Resources• Electrical Engineering and

Computer Science• Engineering Policy and

Management of Technology• Geographical Information

Systems• Geotechnics in Civil Engineering• Hydraulics and Water Resources• Logistics• Materials Engineering• Mechanical Engineering• Mining and Georesources• Operational Research and

Systems Engineering• Physics


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• Science and Engineering ofMaterials and Surfaces

• Science and Food Technology• Materials Science and

Engineering• Strategic Management and

Development of Tourism• Structural Engineering• Technological Innovation and

Industrial Management• Transport Engineering• Urban Planning and Territorial

Management• Urban and Regional Planning

PhD Programmes• Aerospace• Biotechnology • Chemical Engineering• Chemistry• Civil Engineering

• Electrical and Computer ScienceEngineering

• Environment• Industrial Management and

Engineering• Information Technology and

Computer Science• Mathematics• Mechanical Engineering• Metallurgy and Materials

Engineering• Mining Engineering• Naval Architecture and Marine

Engineering• Physics• Physics Engineering• Systems Engineering• Sciences Engineering• Technological Physics

Engineering• Territorial Engineering• Urban and Regional Planning


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Academic Calendar(http://wwwgire.ist.utl.pt/academiccalendar.htm)

The academic year is divided into 2

semesters of 14 weeks each.

The autumn semester runs from mid

September to the end of December

and the spring semester from early

March to mid June.

Holidays:Christmas and New Year - end of

December to early January

Easter - early to mid April

Holidays between Semesters - mid

February to early March

School holidays - 1st to 31st August

Examination Period: Mid January

to mid February and the end of June

to the end of July

Special Examination Period: early

to mid September


ACADEMIC LIFE

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Enrolment Procedures

Application Procedure

Exchange student: a student whowishes to attend courses, carry outa project or write a thesis mustsubmit the Application Form1 toGIRE, through the exchangecoordinator of the Home University,together with the followingdocuments:

• an authorized list ofcourses/project taken and marksachieved at the Home University

• 1 passport photograph

Free mover student: the student mustsubmit to GIRE the ApplicationForm together with the followingdocuments:

• a letter of motivation stating yourreason for application to IST;

• an authorized list ofcourses/project taken and marksachieved;

• a letter of recommendationfrom the supervisor at theHome University

• 1 passport photograph

Deadlines for Applications:1st semester: 30th June2nd semester: 15th DecemberFinal Project: 3 months before arrival

Registration

To register at IST, after arrival inLisbon, the student should go to theInternational Office (GIRE) and fill ina registration form together with aplan of studies, which will be signedby the Departmental Coordinator.The student will be asked to show:

• ID Card/Passport • 2 passport photographs


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1 Available at: http://wwwgire.ist.utl.pt/App_FORM0203.doc

After this procedure, theUndergraduate Students RegistrationOffice will issue a student identitycard. This card is needed to benefitfrom the facilities at IST. The CentralLibrary on request will issue aLibrary card.

Note: If during the stay the student modifiesthe original plan of studies, this informationmust be communicated through GIRE to theHome University and cer tified by it.

Student Assessment

Assessment: there is no singlesystem of assessment at IST. In mostsubjects the student must pass anexamination, either written, oral, orboth. Normally, the exam is writtenonly. In addition, the student may berequired to do some design orlaboratory work. At the end of eachsemester, two periods are devotedto assessment. A student, who hasfailed any final examination duringthe first period, is allowed to take itagain in the second period.

Passing to the next year inundergraduate studies: currently,there are no specific prerequisitesfor attending any subject at IST. Astudent may pass to the followingyear if he failed a maximum of foursubjects.


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ECTS Creditsand Grading Scale

A mechanism to convert IST toECTS credits without replacing thelocal credit system has beenimplemented by the ScientificCouncil to the whole School. Thebasic allocation of academic creditsis 60 credits per year and 30 persemester, subdividing the credits forthe different courses according tothe importance of the coursesoffered and taking into account thetotal number of hours of workloadthat a medium student needs toreach the goals of each course.Grading: marks range from 0 to 20,ten being the minimum required topass. Multiplying each mark for acourse by the weight of that coursein the whole degree, and thenadding these together obtain thefinal grade, recorded on the degreediploma in the range of 10 to 20.The indicative grading scale is asfollows:

Language (Lectures and Courses)All lectures are given in Portuguese.Knowledge of both written andspoken Portuguese is required of anystudent wishing to study at IST, if theyare to attend regular classes. It isplanned that in some (possibly most)subjects, foreign students will be ableto do their reports and writtenexaminations in English, French orSpanish, but this will have to bearranged with teachers on a case-by-case basis.There is an Intensive PortugueseCourse for Foreign Students atInstituto Superior Técnico in the firstsemester.The course will cost at least100 € for Socrates students and187 € for the other foreign students.If the student wishes to attend thePortuguese Course he/she must fill inan application form2.


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GRADES IST GRADE ECTS GRADE

Excellent 20/18 A

Very Good 17/16 B

Good 15/14 C

Fair 13/12 D

Pass 11/10 E

Fail 9 F

2 Available at: http://wwwgire.ist.utl.pt/portugueseapplication.doc

Mentorship Programme

The GAPE (Student GuidanceOffice) has set up the MentorshipProgram to assist the ERASMUS andother international students duringtheir stay at IST. It is a contact-person-system which puts theinternational student into contactwith a Portuguese one who will helphim settle in and will show himaround the University campus, thecentre city, etc. The objective is toensure exchange students a smoothintegration into the Portuguese wayof student life.

Accommodation

The housing situation at IST is verystrained. GIRE cannot guaranteeaccommodation for internationalstudents at the IST Students’Residence “Residência Eng. DuartePacheco”, at Parque das Nações, orany other University Residence. Ifthe student wants accommodationat the IST Students’ Residence“Residência Eng. Duarte Pacheco”, atParque das Nações, he/she must fillin an accommodation form3 andsend it to GIRE as soon as possible.Since there are only 15 bedsavailable for ERASMUS students,students will be lodged on a firstcome, first serve basis. There aredouble rooms with private bath andtelephone (for the telephone, thestudent must pay a bond of around30 €). The price in this residence,per student, is at least 112.50 €.


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3 Available at: http://wwwgire.ist.utl.pt/accomodation_form.doc

The UTL has put aside oneresidence in the centre of Lisbon forERASMUS students. It can lodge 13students, and there are also somevacancies for teachers. When thisresidence is full, ERASMUS studentsare lodged in the 13 other UTLstudent residences, depending onvacancies available. When spaceallows, students will be placed asnear as possible to the host school.

The price of lodgings for ERASMUSstudents at UTL Residences is atleast 89.15 € per month. Meals arenot included. The student must leavea deposit of one month's paymenton arrival in Lisbon. Students will belodged according to their order ofreservation. Please be sure that youbring with you the confirmation, sentby GIRE, of the reservation of aroom.

In the students residences linen andtowels are provided and will belaundered weekly for an additionalfee. Some residences are equippedwith washing machines for studentuse, while others provide a laundryservice for a very reasonable price.

All residences are equipped withkitchen, refrigerator and television(and VCR in some of them), availablefor student use.

To overcome the lack of vacanciesin residences, most students rent aroom in a private home or anapar tment and share with othercolleagues. A room in a privatehome costs around 225 € permonth. Meals are not included. Anapar tment with dining room, kitchen,bathroom and 2 rooms can costaround 500 € / 750 € per month.An apar tment of this type can beshared with 3 other students. GIREcan provide a list of addresses.


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Entry and Residence Regulations

Foreign students wishing to enterand stay in Portugal must go to aPortuguese Consulate in their owncountry and fill in a form indicatingthe purpose of their stay and theiraddress (when available) in Portugal.

Students who have been awardedscholarships must submit notice ofapproval and the period for whichthe scholarship covers. Studentswithout scholarships must provideproof of adequate financial meansfor the duration of their studies inPortugal.

More information can be obtainedfrom Portuguese Embassies andConsulates or from the Ministry ofInternal Affairs (Serviço deEstrangeiros e Fronteiras, Ministérioda Administração Interna).

Health and Welfare

The student must check thepersonal insurances policies beforeleaving the native country. It is veryimportant to have:

• health insurance• liability insurance

EU citizens - the student isguaranteed the same medicalassistance available in his/her owncountry in any other EU country. Forthat purpose, the student should askthe medical assistance services inhis/her own country, whichdocuments will be required forPortugal. Normally an E-128 or anE-111 health cer tificate is enough.

Non-EU citizens - the student mustcheck with his/her medical assistanceservices which documents arerequired to receive assistance inPortugal.


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All students - the student is obligedto make the necessary arrangementsfor health and accident coverage forthe duration of his/her stay, includingthe time spent travelling and leisureactivities. As a supplement to healthinsurance, the student needs aliability insurance to cover personalinjury, legal aid and damage toproperty.

SASUTL also provides some medicalservices on the same terms as forPortuguese citizens, provided thatthe student is lodged in one of ourstudent residences. These servicesinclude clinical medicine,gynaecology and family planning,mental health, and vaccinations. Eachappointment costs 3.75 €.

CASIST - the Social Support Centreof the Instituto Superior Técnicoconsists of a Medical Unit and a SocialUnit. It is geared towards promotingthe physical, social and psychologicalwelfare of its members.The servicesprovided by CASIST are available onpresentation of a current student'scard and payment of a small fee.

The Social Unit provides psychologicalsupport and legal advice, and includesan extension of SASUTL.The CASISTSocial Unit is housed in the IST-Alameda Campus.Those suffering fromdepression, anxiety, problems withrelationships, lack of assertiveness ormarital problems can use thePsychological Support Service.

There is also a Legal Aid Service. Itsmain objective is to clarify legalquestions concerning the relationshipbetween students and staff and theIST, or other legal problems.


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Appointments:Monday to Fridayfrom 10.00h to 12.00hfrom 14.00h to 16.00hTel: 218 419 343

Meals

There is a students' canteen in ISTwhere lunch or dinner is served for1.75 € per meal.The timetable is:

Lunch - from 11:30 to 14:30Dinner - from 18:00 to 20:30

Other meals can be obtained in thevarious snack bars availablethroughout IST where full mealsshould not cost more than 4 €.There are some fast foodrestaurants near IST, as well as manylow-priced restaurants.

Breakfast, in Portugal, normally takesplace between 07:00 and 10:00 andconsists of milk and/or coffee and toast or bread. In Portugal coffee isnormally “espresso” type, called“bica”, in portuguese.

Lunch is usually a full meal, includingsoup, fish or meat and desser t,followed by a small coffee. Mostpeople have lunch between 12:00and 15:00. Around 17:00, mostpeople have a light snack and acoffee or milk. Dinner is also a fullmeal, like lunch, served between20:00 and 22:00.

Cost of Living (in €)

Living expenses vary according topersonal lifestyle and choice ofhousing. On average, 500 € permonth is required to face the basicexpenses:


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EXPENSES PRICE IN EUROS

Accommodation 225 / 250

Meals 125 / 200

Transportation 25

Leisure 75 / 100

University (books, etc.) 25

TOTAL 550 / 600

Sports Facilities

University students in Lisbon haveaccess to a wide range of sportsfacilities. The campus of the InstitutoSuperior Técnico has an indoorswimming pool, a gymnasium forvolleyball, basketball, etc., an outdoorfield, a tennis court and a squashcourt.These sports facilities belongeither to IST Students’ Union(Associação dos Estudantes doInstituto Superior Técnico - AEIST)or to the IST Graduate Students’Union (Associação de EstudantesGraduados do Instituto SuperiorTécnico - AEGIST).

Besides these, there are low-pricedsports facilities at CDUL, which is aLisbon University Stadium. It islocated near Alameda daUniversidade (Campo Grande) andHospital Santa Maria, Metro station:Cidade Universitária.

Student Associations

AEIST - IST Students’ UnionAssociation was founded onDecember 11th, 1911, and is one ofthe most important studentorganisations in Portugal with greattraditions in and outside the school.Its main objectives are to uphold thebest interests of the students itrepresents, as well as to provideopportunities for fulfilling extracurricular activities.

BEST - Board of EuropeanStudents of Technology is now awell-established network of 47Local BEST Groups within top-leveltechnical universities in 19 Europeancountries.These groups providestudents with information regardingthe possibilities of studying ortraining abroad and strive to improveinternational exchange opportunitiesby co-operating with studentsassociations, University authorities,industry and government entities.


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BEST thus expects to provideEuropean Engineering students withcomplementary education whilebroadening their knowledge of othercultures and developing capacities towork on an international basis.

AEGIST - Association of Graduatesof the Instituto Superior Técnico -this Association is located in the ISTAlameda campus and is the firstassociation of its kind in the countryfor post-graduate students.The basicobjective of this Association is tosupport postgraduate education inthe line of the universities andindustry needs.

IAESTE4 – The InternationalAssociation for the Exchange ofStudents for Technical Experience isa confederation of NationalCommittees representing academic,industrial and student interests. EachNational Committee is responsiblefor the administration of the

exchange in its own country.The National Committee in Portugalcarries out its activities at IST,through the International Office,GIRE, since 2003.This Association isan organisation for the exchange ofstudents at institutions of highereducation wishing to obtain technicalexperience abroad relative to theirstudies in the broadest sense. It shallpromote international understandingand good will among the students ofall nations irrespective of race,colour, sex or creed.The Associationoperates an exchange programmefor the benefit of students, academicinstitutions, industrial and otherorganizations offering traineeships.The offers of training are exchangedwith other members on a reciprocalbasis.

IST is also involved in otherinternational student associations forthe exchange of university students,such as ESTIEM, IACES and IAPS.


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4 Available at: http://www.iaeste.org

Portugal

Portugal is one of the world's oldestcountries. It became an independentnation in 1143, and has maintainedits independence and nationalboundaries from the 13th centuryto this day, except for a brief periodunder Spanish domination between1580 and 1640. Portugal became a


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republic on 5th October 1910 and isan established democracy today.Portugal's geographic location at thesouthwestern par t of ContinentalEurope assures quick and easyaccess not only to the Europeanmarket, but also to the easternshore of the United States and theAfrican Continent.

Population density is highest in theLisbon area, in the northern city ofOporto and in other coastal cities.

Area: 92.646-sq. km, includingMadeira, Porto Santo and Azores

Climate: Portugal has a mildweather, winters are never too coldand summers are always moderatelyhot. Lightweight clothing is suitablefrom June to September. A topcoatand umbrella are advisable forautumn and winter.

Currency: Euro

Electricity: The electric current is220 volts.

Language: Portuguese

Location: Portugal is thewesternmost country in ContinentalEurope. It is bounded by Spain onthe north and east and by theAtlantic Ocean on the south andwest.

Population: Approximately10.318.084, of which 9.820.707 livein Continental Portugal, 243.895 inAzores, 253.482 in Madeira andPorto Santo.

Time Zone: GMT

Water: it is perfectly safe to drinktap water in private homes and inpublic places.


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GENERALINFORMATION

National Holidays

January 1st New Year's Day

April 25th Liber ty (Revolution) Day

May 1st Labour Day (International)

June 10th Portugal's National Day

June 13th St. Anthony's Day (Lisbon only)

August 15th Assumption

October 5th Republic Day

November 1st All Saints Day

December 1st Independence Day

December 8th Immaculate Conception

December 25th Christmas Day

Varying Holidays

Shrove Tuesday (February)Good Friday (March/April)Easter (March/April)Corpus-Christi (May/June)


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Lisbon

Centuries ago an idyllic settlementtook root on the hills, close to ariver and not far from a vast ocean.The hills offered protection againstthe wrath of enemies and the river amean of survival so that thesettlement soon became a goodplace to live. Legend tells us Ulyssesfounded it during one of his famousjourneys. Another chronicle reportsthat Elisha, grandson of Abraham,founded the city around 3259 BC.But the local conditions are sufficientproof that it was well populated asfar back as Neolithic times. Thetribes that lived there originally wereIberians, a stocky, stout, dark-hairedrace.

Then the Phoenicians arrived by sea(c. 1200 BC) and founded a port bythe name of Alis Ubbo ("sereneharbour"). After the Phoenicianscame the Celts (first half of sixthcentury BC) who mixed with thelocal tribes resulting in a peopleknown as Celt Iberians. Later, around205 BC.The Romans invaded thecity and its name changed to Olisip.Apparently it was also namedFelicitas Iulia, after Julius Caesar, butthis name was short lived.

Time passed and once more newinvaders reached that site on thehills with its calm river and mildclimate. Among them were theVisigoths and the Moors. It was onlyin 1147 that D. Afonso Henriques,who was to be the first king of theterritory Portus Cale, later known asPortugal, conquered it with the helpof thousands of Crusaders fromnorthern Europe. King Afonso III wasvery fond of Lissabona, as it wascalled then, and a century later he


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made what is now Lisbon the capitalof the country. It stands on the mostwesterly point of the Europeancontinent, where the river Tagusflows into the Atlantic Ocean. Theclimate is probably one of themildest in Europe.

During the Por tuguese Age ofDiscovery (15th and 16thcenturies) the city was endowedwith bigger and more luxuriousbuildings. In 1775 it was devastatedby an ear thquake, in which it isbelieved that about 30 000 liveswere lost and more than 9 000buildings destroyed. The city wasrebuilt rapidly for that day and ageunder the direction of the Marquisof Pombal. The downtown par t ofLisbon has retained its eighteenthcentury character.

Over the centuries, Lisbon haswitnessed a great deal of changeand development although manytraces of the city's rich and troubledpast have been retained. In 1994Lisbon was the European Capital ofCulture, and the city was promotedthroughout the entire year in a widevariety of events. Ar t exhibitions,cinema, theatre and musical eventsall made Lisbon the right place tobe, and in fact it still is!

In 1998, Lisbon hosted the lastworld exhibition of the last century,Expo´98, which was subordinated tothe theme of the ocean because ofPortugal's importance as a nationinvolved in discovery andsea-voyages.


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GENERALINFORMATION

Arrival in Lisbon

Lisbon can be easily reached fromalmost any European capital. Arrivalby plane brings you to LisbonAirport, (Aeroporto da Portela)located just a few kilometres fromthe city centre. Regular or expressbuses serve it, and taxis are not tooexpensive, but beware of attemptedovercharging by some drivers.

The train brings you to SantaApolónia station (near Rossio) inLisbon, just a few kilometres fromthe old centre of town. Severalregular buses pass just outside thisstation, and taxis are also available.

Coming from either the Airport orSanta Apolónia station a taxi shouldcost around 6 € to get you to IST.

Whatever means of transport youchoose, IST is easily reached. Takeany public transport that passes near"Alameda" (D. Afonso Henriques) or"Saldanha".

Banks

Open from 08:30 to 15:00;from Monday to Friday.

At IST, there are 2 banks (CaixaGeral de Depósitos, CGD e BancoPortuguês de Investimento, BPI)where you can easily deal withcurrency exchange, deposits and allother bank operations.

Debit cards for use in the ATMmachines system is wide spread(there are often several machines inthe same street), and credit cardsare also common. Cards accepted incash machines are: AmericanExpress, 4b, Clau,Bancontact/Mistercash,Bancomat3/Eufiserv, Eurocheque,


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Cirrus, Master card, Eurocard, Plusand VISA.These machines work 24hours a day and are commonlyknown as MULTIBANCO, and youcan use your MULTIBANCO card towithdraw money or pay for services(at shops, main train stations, etc.).Check with your bank for details ondebit and credit cards compatiblewith those used in Portugal. Cashtransfers can be made betweenPortuguese banks and banks in othercountries, the transfer charge varyingfrom bank to bank. Ask your bankwhich Portuguese banks they dealwith on a regular basis.

You can also send money throughthe Post Office, where the charge isoften lower than through banks.

Post Offices

During the week, Post Offices areopen from 09:00 to 18:00 andclosed on weekends (www.ctt.pt).

Shopping

Shops are usually open only fromMonday to Friday, from 09:00 or10:00 to 18:00 or 19:00, and someclose for two hours for lunch, from13:00 to 15:00. Some shops areopen on weekends, especially onSaturday mornings.

Shopping centres are normally notmuch more expensive, and areusually open on weekends.

There are big shopping zones in thefollowing streets/squares of Lisbon:Chiado, Rossio, Rua Augusta (Baixade Lisboa – downtown) and Avenidada Liberdade.

There are also three big shoppingcentres in Lisbon: Amoreiras,Colombo,Vasco da Gama.The Saldanha Atrium is a smallershopping mall that is convenientlylocated near IST.


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Telecommunications

Public telephones, either PortugalTelecom (PT) or Marconi, can befound at airports, seaports, bus andrailway stations, in the streets, barsand restaurants. There are two typesof telephones that you are likely tocome across: coin and cardoperated.

International Calls - Say, for example,that you want to call London.Youdial directly 00, followed by thecountry code (44), then area code(206), and finally the telephonenumber.To make international calls it isadvisable to use card operatedtelephones, and it is important toknow that when dialling from apublic PT telephone the cost of thecall is over the double the cost ofthe same call made from a privatetelephone.


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Transportation

Inside the city of Lisbon there aretwo main kinds of transportation:

Subway: Metropolitano de Lisboa(normally called Metro) and runsfrom 06:00 to 01:00(www.metrolisboa.pt).

Buses: CARRIS covers almost all ofLisbon and runs from 06:00 to 23:00(www.carris.pt).

The Lisbon airport and theInternational railway station -Estação de Santa Apolónia(www.cp.pt) are served by busesthat cross the city. Running hoursare shown at bus stops.

A single bus ticket costs 1.00 € anda single underground ticket 0.60. Tensingle underground tickets cost5.10 €. A monthly pass, commonlycalled “passe”, is valid for the urbannetwork (bus, underground) andcosts 22.00 €.

Instituto Superior Técnico is locatedbetween the subways stationsAlameda and Saldanha or you takethe buses number 7, 16, 18, 20, 22,33, 40, 42, 107.There is a direct Metro line (REDLINE) that connects “IST Alameda”to “Estação do Oriente” where islocated the IST Students Residence.


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General

National emergency number: 112Hospital Santa Maria: 217 805 000

Hospital S. Francisco Xavier: 213 000 300Hospital São José: 218 841 000

Poisoning: 808 250 143Fire Station: 213 422 222

Lisbon airport (arrivals & departures): 218 413 700CP (Railways): 808 208 208

National information: 118International information: 179

Police: 21346PSP: 213 613 900

GNR: 213 321 700Serviços Estrangeiros e Fronteiras: 217 115 000

(Internal Affairs & Foreign Services)TIME: 151

Tourist Information Department: 800 296 296

IST Telephone Numbers

IST: 218 417 000GIRE- International Relations Office: 218 417 685/362

E-mail: [email protected] / wwwgire.ist.utl.pt IST Local Group of BEST: 965 069 583E-mail: [email protected] / www.best.eu.org/lisbon

IST Students' Union (AEIST): 218 438 248/218 417 250/218 438 500E-mail: [email protected] / www.aeist.pt

IST Graduate Students’ Union (AEGIST): 218 417 004

USEFULTELEPHONE NUMBERS

Good morning! Bom dia!

Good afternoon! Boa tarde!

Good night, see you tomorrow. Boa noite, até amanhã.

How are you? Como está?

Glad to meet you. Prazer em conhecê-lo.

See you later. Até logo.

Where is it? Onde fica?

Where’s the Bathroom? Onde é o quar to de banho?

Hello? Who is speaking? Está lá? Quem fala?

This is... speaking Daqui fala ...

I don't understand. Não compreendo.

Can you speak slower, please? Pode falar mais devagar, por favor?

I don't speak Portuguese. Não falo Português.

My name is ... O meu nome é ...

May I have the bill, please? Podia dar-me a conta?

How much is it? Quanto é?

Thanks. Obrigado.

Never mind. Não tem importância.

Help! Police! Socorro! Polícia!

What time is it? Que horas são?

I would like to buy. Eu gostaria de comprar.

Do you accept credit card? Aceita car tão de crédito?


USEFUL PHRASES

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CHECK LIST

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Before coming be sure that:

• Your university/teacher has toldGIRE when you are expected toarrive and leave IST;

• Your university has sent to GIREthe application form duly filled intogether with the rest ofdocuments required;

• You bring the confirmation thatyou have been accepted by IST;

• Your accommodation has beenconfirmed by GIRE;

• You bring your health (E-128 orE-111 for EU students) andliability insurance cer tificates;

• You bring your national identitycard (EU students) and passport(non-EU students);

• You bring some money;

• You bring about 6 photos fordocuments.

If you have any questions or doubtsdon’t hesitate to contact GIRE forfur ther explanations.

We wish you a pleasantand safe stay in Lisbon


IST - TAGUSPARK

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Editorial CoordinationSílvia Santos

With special thanks to Graça Pereira(GIRE) for the revision of the text and to

Natália Rocha (GAPE) for the informationupdate (current prices/dates, etc).

ProductionMargarida Riscado

Designdossier | comunicação e imagem

[ www.dossier.com.pt ]

Printingdossier | comunicação e imagem

DistribuitionGIRE

SponsorSocrates/Erasmus

Programme through the (Agência Nacional Socrates)

DateSeptember 2003

Further InformationGIRE - International Relations Office

IST - Av. Rovisco Pais, 11049-001 Lisboa - Portugal

Tel: + 351 218 417 362+ 351 218 417 554

Fax: + 351 218 419 280E-mail: [email protected]


COLOPHON

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Instituto Superior Técnico

Avenida Rovisco Pais

1049-001 Lisboa - Portugal

www.ist.utl.pt

Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), School of Engineering, Technical University of Lisbon, Portugal

Documents

Transcript of Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), School of Engineering, Technical University of Lisbon, Portugal