IP Santarém Welcomes Creative Thynker via HQA® Visa Program 

Education and innovation are among the top priorities for the Polytechnic Institute of Santarém (IP Santarém), and both are at the forefront of its latest collaborative project facilitated by the HQA® Visa Program.  Entrepreneur Ryan Gallagher is bringing Thynker Tech to central Portugal, where he will partner with IP Santarém to advance cutting-edge educational technology.  

“I’m excited,” revealed a smiling Gallagher during his visit to IP Santarém where he toured the campus and became further acclimated with the polytechnic’s people and facilities. “The team is very supportive, the university leaders have a great vision, and they seem to be very open to innovation and scaling. The environment is very conducive to both, and the area is so pleasant. I’m super glad to be in partnership with IP Santarém.” 

Evolved Thynking

The focus of this collaborative project is Thynker Tech’s AI Teaching Assistant platform, which has been designed to streamline lesson planning, academic content creation, and course management, while also offering personalized tutoring and feedback for students. Gallagher’s work with IP Santarém aims to adapt the AI Teaching Assistant to align with the K-12 and college curriculum standards of Portugal and other European countries. 

Taking into account educational technology and policy, computational linguistics, and curriculum standards from Portugal and other European countries, this research projects aims to allow Thynker Tech’s AI Teaching Assistant to adapt to each specific learning environment. This evolution is crucial for ensuring that the platform can generate content that is not only linguistically and culturally appropriate, but also compliant with educational standards across various European regions.

Revolutionizing Education 

With an impressive educational and professional background in finance, Gallagher founded Thynker Tech in 2021 while simultaneously acting as the CEO of Luova Education Group, a position he currently maintains. Originally created to solve learning poverty in Southeast Asia, Thynker Tech stands at the forefront of educational technology innovation, with its AI Teaching Assistant exemplifying the company’s commitment to revolutionizing the educational experience for teachers and students alike.  

Empowering Portuguese Projects

The collaborative project between Gallagher and IP Santarém joins the steadily growing list of innovative endeavours facilitated by the HQA® Visa Program. Having delivered more than 6.3 million euros in foreign direct investment to Portuguese universities and polytechnics, Empowered Startups continues to work with its broad network of partner institutions to stimulate economic development, create research opportunities for students, and enhance territorial cohesion throughout Portugal.  

Learn more about the HQA® Visa Program