Written by Julia Swill | October 23, 2025 | SHARE
In new video, Lehigh engineering student Owen Vincent ’27 shares his hands-on research experience in Lisbon, Portugal, where he explored sustainable energy solutions through the Iacocca Institute’s International Internship Program.
For Owen Vincent '27, this summer meant trading the Lehigh campus for the streets of Lisbon, Portugal. Vincent was researching sustainable energy solutions at Instituto Superior Técnico through the Iacocca International Internship Program (IIIP) and its partner, the Study in Portugal Network (SiPN).
In a video produced by SiPN, Vincent discusses his work understanding how plants can be used as sustainable materials for energy storage applications.
"The coolest experience I'd say I've had here was definitely going out and doing field work," he said. Gaining practical, hands-on experience in the lab helped Vincent to build the technical skills needed to be competitive in the global workforce.
Beyond the lab, Vincent embraced life in Lisbon, immersing himself in the culture and learning to communicate through differences.
"It's a beautiful city," Vincent said. "I was quickly welcomed here."
Assistant Professor and Researcher Marta Marques Alves from the Department of Chemical Engineering at Instituto Superior Técnico emphasizes the mutual benefits of hosting international interns.
"It would be good to share this experience and to have people from abroad, because this is a way that I can learn from the outside and give the experience and the expertise that I have in the field," she said.
Since its launch in 2011, IIIP has provided high-quality summer internships across five dozen countries for nearly 900 students, including those from the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science.