The openning session, that marked the beginning of the event, counted on the presence of the UMinho Rector, Professor António M. Cunha, the President of the Order of Engineeres, Carlos Matias Ramos, the President of the National Laboratory of Civil Engineering (LNEC), Carlos Pina, the President of the National Laboratory of Energy and Geology (LNEG), Teresa Ponce Leão, representing the Mayor of Guimarães, Francisca Abreu, and also the President of the School of Engineering of the University of Minho, Professor João Monteiro, and the Vice-head of the School of Engineering and Director of the Steering Committee of the Doctoral Programme in Civil Engineering, Professor António Gomes Correia.
The event, which was mainly devoted to the presentation of the PhD ongoing works, through oral presentations (by PhD students developing their PhD Thesis) and poster sessions (by 1st year students), has also counted on important contributions from well-known personalities from the main area of Civil Engineering. Petr Hajék, from the University of Prague, Maria Rafaela Saldanha, from LNEC, Paulo Vila Real, from the University of Aveiro, Jorge Alfaiate (IST), Maria de Lurdes Antunes, from LNEC and Elsa de Sá Caetano (FEUP) were the I edition' guests, and had promoted lectures in several scientific areas such as sustainable construction, water resources, fire in structures, security in structures, transport infrastructures and bridges and structural structures, respectively.
There still was time for ludic and sportive activies, that gave to the I Workshop an important “living together” environment, as well as an opportunity for cultural exchange. In the end of the first day, there was a “Jogo da Malha” (traditional portuguese game) championship. The event ended at Restaurante Baptista, Guimarães, with a great final dinner that gathered academic staff and PhD Students.
