The FCUP Department of Computer Science brings its community together to celebrate the past, recognize the present, and inspire the future of this field.
On October 25, the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto (FCUP) will celebrate 40 years of teaching Computer Science with an event designed to commemorate four decades of a “fundamental contribution” to the development of this field.
The initiative, organized by the Department of Computer Science (DCC), will take place in the Ferreira da Silva Auditorium and will be a unique opportunity to bring together teachers, researchers, students, employees, former employees, alumni, and employers from this pioneering department “in training professionals, conducting research, and building bridges between academia and industry.” The goal is to celebrate the past, recognize the present, and inspire the future of Computer Science.
To this end, throughout the day, there will be several moments of reflection on the trajectory and merit of the DCC, but also on the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in this area. The guest speaker will be renowned professor and researcher Moshe Y. Vardi, who will talk about efficiency, resilience, and the role of AI.
The program also includes a panel dedicated to alumni, a fundamental part of this department's history. In this session, former students will share their successful professional careers with participants.
The event is open to students, alumni, faculty, former faculty, staff, and former staff of the DCC. Admission is free, but registration is required by October 17, 2025.
The history of Computer Science at FCUP
Computer Science teaching at FCUP began in 1985 with the Bachelor's Degree in Applied Mathematics – Computer Science Branch, the first degree in Computer Science at the University of Porto. In 1994, it was renamed Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science.
In 1996, the year the Department of Computer Science (DCC) was created, the range of courses in Computer Science expanded with the creation of the Bachelor's Degree in Network and Computer Systems Engineering and the Master's Degrees in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence and Computing.
Currently, the DCC is involved in four bachelor's degrees (two in partnership with FEUP), seven master's degrees (three involving collaborations with FEUP, FMUP, ICBAS, and FFUP), and two doctoral programs, involving more than 2,000 students and covering areas such as Computer Science, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Security, Network and Systems Engineering, Bioinformatics, and Health Informatics.
Renata Silva / FCUP