Free Nonsense

None of what I do I do alone

By Rui Oliveira*

Dear colleagues,

I take this opportunity given to me by BIP to introduce myself. Many of you don’t know me, but some of you already do. At INESC TEC, I have undertaken tasks that bring me happiness and fill me with proud. This happiness is, of course, due to the recognition and trust that they put on me, but it is fundamentally attributed to the fact that here I am able to dream and conquer more and more.

None of what I do I do alone. There is no way I can. However, there is nothing I am sorry about. At all. I compensate for my limitations with my gift to surround myself with talented, capable and professional people. It has always been so, both personally and professionally. Therefore, you must understand why I have expectations when the universe is INESC TEC. We are almost a thousand, all different, and we have unique conditions to make science that has an effective impact on the world, every day. Maybe it’s because of my age, but I want to believe that what we do will improve, in a timely manner, someone’s quality of life.

I was born in Luanda, Angola, about 50 years ago, and I came to Porto at the age of 7. This is where I still live today. I studied at different schools – Colégio de Ermesinde, António Nobre, Fontes Pereira de Melo –, and I pursued my college education both at ISEP [Porto School of Engineering] and at FEUP [Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto]. At UM [University of Minho] I did my master’s degree. I immigrated to Lausanne, France, and I did my PhD at EPFL [École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne]. I have been teaching at UM since 1992, where I have done a little bit of everything academically speaking.

I have been at INESC TEC for a while now. I first started as the Coordinator of HASLab (the High Assurance Software Laboratory), and now I am a member of the Board. But this is not my first time here – I was here in 1989. I did my bachelor project at the old INESC Norte. That is where I was when Koweit was invaded in August of 1990.  When INESC TEC opened again its doors to me, four years ago, I came running. I didn’t come alone – with me, I brought about 30 researchers who wanted to become part of INESC TEC and grow. Currently I report to the President of INESC TEC, but I have a responsibility to everyone. You know that I don’t do anything alone...

At home, my team is much smaller. We are only four: Carla, Mafalda, Rita and I. Carla is the queen mother, teacher, multi-core. Mafalda and Rita are my masterpieces (but you guessed it, I’m only the co-author!). They study and swim in equal parts. And when I’m not stuck to the computer, I play. I’m the only one who still uses toys. At home, life is simple. I try not to complicate things, to relativise, to be happy.

I don’t have much more to tell you about me. I need plenty of music, plenty of sun. I love photography. I love gadgets. I love eating. I love travelling. I am a lucky guy. I am an optimist because “'Pessimism becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy”.

Thank you!

*Member of the Board of INESC TEC