Took place last May 18, at the Lispolis campus, the founding event of the "Alumni - Tourism and Hospitality UE" Club, of the European University (UE).
Professor Sofia Lopes, coordinator of the Degree in Tourism, led the founding event of the club, which aims to bring together former students of the various courses of Tourism and Hospitality of the UE in order to maintain a close relationship between former students and the University, but also to encourage networking among former students, developing moments of get-together and approaching the labour market, to publicize new courses and initiatives in the area of Tourism and Hospitality of the UE and present the benefits of some of the partnerships that the UE has with companies and organizations.
Opened by the Rector of the UE, Hélia Gonçalves Pereira, closed by the Vice-Rector, Ana Passos, and also by the coordinator of the Tourism and Hospitality area of the UE, Sofia Almeida, the event was also attended by the Director of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Technology (FCST), Carla Costa, and the Student Ombudsman, Sara Sousa.
The event was also attended by dozens of former students, with the highlight being the testimonies of some of them, outstanding in this professional area, who told a little of their journey since leaving the EU.
Sofia Cruz, TAP Premium Lounge Coordinator at TAP Air Portugal, Gonçalo Fragoso, Business Development at Portocanna, Sofia Magalhães, Marketing Director at Bairro Alto Hotel, José Alves, entrepreneur in the tuk tuks business, Cristina Pereira, entrepreneur in catering and tourism, Marta Fonseca, lecturer at the European University and Arlindo Madeira, researcher and lecturer at the European University, gave their testimony as former Tourism students of the European University and told what their career paths have been.
"The presentation of an Alumni Club for the Tourism area is the corollary of a desire that already goes back many years. We want to continue to actively intervene in the lives of our alumni and play a relevant role in their professional lives. After all, they are our best ambassadors, testifying the quality of their path", stated Professor Sofia Almeida.
For alumna Cristina Pereira, a catering and tourism entrepreneur, "it was an honour to have been invited to give testimony at the launch ceremony of the EU Alumni Club. My time at the European University contributed to the updating and consolidation of my knowledge in the area of Tourism and Hospitality and will be an indelible mark in my life. I wish our Club to grow and flourish as a common space of colleagues who have lived intensely the academic feeling in the EU".