A delegation of managers and professors from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, in the United States, was at USP this Thursday, October 10, with the intention of expanding research collaboration between the two institutions and creating connections between leaders of their colleges.
The meeting is a continuation of a first visit, which took place in August 2023, by the president of the University of Illinois System, which is made up of three units: the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the University of Illinois Chicago, and the University of Illinois Springfield.
The American group was composed of 15 teachers, led by Dean Robert J. Jones. For him, the approach to USP is strategic: “We are in a moment of expansion in terms of internationalization, in the reception of foreign students and in our global presence. Today we already have, in fact, several dozen Brazilian students, and we would like to increase this number. Just like USP, we are a comprehensive university, operating in practically all areas of knowledge, and we are working with a strong focus on partnerships with the Global South, a region where this University stands out. That’s why we are sure that we can develop a very productive joint work that will play a fundamental role in our educational mission.”
The delegation included the Vice-Dean for International Affairs and Global Strategies, Reitumetse Mabokela; the Director of International Relations, Sammer Jones; and directors and representatives from six colleges and institutes of the university in the areas of arts, engineering, medicine, agriculture, computer science, and health.
The visitors were received by the dean of USP, Carlos Gilberto Carlotti Junior, who welcomed the interest of those present in the activities carried out at the University: “More than the number of international agreements, our concern has been with the quality of these partnerships and, in particular, with a multidisciplinary approach, which is the new reality of science. “Today we have the privilege of conversing with a group that includes representatives from various schools, which allows us to think about a job with this broader character,” he commented, also recalling other strategic partnerships of USP in the region known as the Global South: “Currently we have been doing very close and quite relevant work with institutions in Angola and Mozambique,
which also opens up possibilities for triangulations involving the African continent.”
The president of the USP Agency for National and International Academic Cooperation (Aucani), Sergio Proença, supplemented the dean’s considerations with an institutional presentation about the internationalization of the University. Also participating in the meeting were the Vice-Dean of Graduate Studies, Rodrigo Calado; the Deputy Vice-Dean of Innovation, Susana Inés Córdoba de Torresi; and two professors who already develop activities in partnership with Illinois: Larissa Driemeier, from the Polytechnic School, and Jarbas Honorio de Miranda, from Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture.
United Kingdom
On Tuesday, October 8, a delegation from the United Kingdom, with representatives from ten institutions, also visited USP. The visit was scheduled with the goal of presenting the activities carried out at the University and promoting the expansion of its actions in cooperation with the entities participating in the mission, enabling the deepening of connections and exchanges between Brazil and the United Kingdom, as well as the development of strategic partnerships in academic activities, research, innovation, and extension.
During the meeting, the attendees debated the role of universities in generating and measuring the impacts of research on society, as well as the British education system and its possible alignment with the priorities of USP.
The group was composed of managers from the following universities: Leeds, Glasgow, Dundee, King´s College, Queen Mary, and Bath. Representatives from the British Council and the British government also participated.
The meeting was opened by the president of the USP Agency for National and International Academic Cooperation, Sergio Proença, who presented an overview of USP and its actions in the area of internationalization. In addition to presenting numbers and facts about the University and its multidisciplinary research centers, Proença emphasized: “We have been working with some focuses; among them, the qualification of our agreements and the establishment of strategic partnerships. We are also seeking to increase the international reputation of USP. And finally, given the size of our University and the consequent difficulty of extending international experiences to all our students, we are investing in internationalization actions at home, with a series of initiatives ranging from cultural activities and courses to the establishment of large international research centers,” he emphasized, pointing out how collaboration with partners from the United Kingdom can be part of this range of actions.
The British government representative for international education affairs, Steve Smith, celebrated the opportunity for closer ties: “USP is a leader not only in Brazil, but throughout the region, and that’s why this group was so interested in being able to work with you. Partnerships are really important, as it’s when everyone wins. It is necessary for scientists to increasingly expand their international collaborations in order to advance in knowledge, new discoveries, and responses to social demands. We are eager to start the dialogue about our future projects together.”
Next, the members of the delegation made their personal introductions and presentations of their institutions.
In the end, international experiences from different areas of USP were reported by the provosts for Graduate Studies, Rodrigo Calado, and for Undergraduate Studies, Aluisio Segurado; by the deputy provost for Culture and Extension, Hussam El Dine Zaher, and for Innovation, Raul Gonzalez Lima; and by the Director of the Research Centre for Innovation for Greenhouse Gas Innovation, Julio Meneghini.
English version: Nexus Traduções
