Mara Silva and Maria da Costa Flora, master’s students at the University of Minho and members of the 2C2T – Centre for Textile Science and Technology, have been distinguished with the Master’s Awards promoted by the Order of Engineers – Northern Region (OERN).

Mara Silva, currently completing her Master’s Degree in Textile Engineering, and Maria Flora, currently completing her Master’s Degree in Biomedical Engineering, were selected to receive the 1,000€ award in recognition of their outstanding academic merit. At 2C2T, Mara is developing her master’s dissertation under the supervision of Dr. Jorge Padrão and co-supervision of Dr. Andrea Zille, while Maria carries out her research under the supervision of Dr. Diana Ferreira and co-supervision of Dr. Rui Sousa.

The awards were presented on 2 July, during the 2nd edition of the OERN Master’s Awards, which recognise academic excellence among Engineering master’s students from public higher education institutions across Northern Portugal. This year, 88 applications were received, with 52 students distinguished for achieving the highest academic performance in their respective programmes.

The initiative, promoted by the OERN with the support of several industrial partners, aims to recognise academic excellence while strengthening the connection between higher education and the engineering sector.

This distinction reflects the commitment, dedication and scientific excellence demonstrated by both students throughout their academic journey, while highlighting 2C2T’s continued commitment to fostering talent, advanced training and high-quality research.

Congratulations to Mara and Maria on this well-deserved achievement!