In 2012, a group of students came together to create the first Chapter (the name given to a local, national branch) of SPIE – International Society for Optics and Photonics, bringing together members from the University of Porto and INESC TEC. Nearly 14 years on, the group has secured third place in the SPIE Presidential Award in the Outstanding Student Chapter category, a acknowledgement perceived as the “peak of a collective effort” aimed at introducing “new ideas” and building “bridges between the academic and scientific communities” by integrating “young researchers with more senior researchers”, explained Miguel Almeida, Vice-President of the UP and INESC TEC SPIE Chapter.
The award, of “very high” relevance, gives the group international recognition and represents “validation of a community model that works and has real impact”. Built on the principles of “horizontal structure” and “inclusion”, the group focuses on creating opportunities for “informal networking” and has recently taken on the challenge of organising large-scale events, like the International Conference on Optical Fibre Sensors (OFS29) and the International Day of Light Conference, as well as technical workshops aimed at sharing practical knowledge on tools frequently used by students and researchers.
“The biggest challenge was the qualitative leap in our activity: we kept our core seminars and workshops but also decided to take on the organisation of large-scale events with complex logistics,” emphasised Miguel Almeida, who pointed to this involvement as one of the decisive factors behind the award. “On the one hand, we had the honour of acting as one of the logistics teams of OFS29, supporting speakers and participants. On the other, we launched our own International Day of Light Conference from scratch, in a hybrid format.”
All these efforts required improved time management and greater responsibility from the group’s members, while also driving the organisation towards a “more participatory model”. “By opening up the creative process to all members, we were able to bring in more technological and modern ideas, distribute the workload more evenly, and ensure that the Chapter grows in a more sustainable and motivating way for everyone,” said Miguel Almeida.
These choices proved both effective and successful, with the award – which brings global visibility within the optics and photonics community – acting as a “motivational catalyst” for the young members. The Chapter is already looking ahead to the next major event. On 15 May, as part of the International Day of Light, it will host a series of international talks and practical challenges with prizes for students. “We want to consolidate our position as a vital link between INESC TEC researchers and University of Porto students, while preserving the level of innovation that brought us to this international stage.” The challenge has been set.
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