The Office of the Vice-President for Graduate Studies (PRPG) at Unicamp, in partnership with the Executive Secretariat for Communication (SEC), is publishing, starting this Wednesday (11/12), a series of seven videos reporting the experiences of doctoral students who took part in exchange programs through the Institutional Internationalization Program, linked to the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel, known as Capes-Print. This is the largest internationalization program at the University.
The videos can be accessed on the Unicamp TV channel on YouTube and also on the University's social media profiles.
With the material, SEC and PRPG intend to show how carrying out part of their postgraduate research at universities abroad expanded the knowledge of these students in their areas and contributed to improving the quality of their studies.
Unicamp was approved for the program in 2019, joining a group of 36 higher education institutions that were included. Over a four-year period, from 2019 to 2023, the University received R$41 million, which was allocated to 117 projects in 22 areas in the 84 postgraduate programs maintained by the institution. The program officially ended on October 31, 2024.
For the Vice-Rector of Graduate Studies, Rachel Meneguello, Capes-Print enabled Unicamp to expand its research networks and enhance the training of graduate students.
“Our academic relations have been strengthened in 28 countries, opening up opportunities for research and exchange, consolidating partnerships in all areas of knowledge,” he said.
Meneguello also said that the results obtained by the program were successful. “The exposure of students to varied academic dynamics and different cultures certainly made it possible to enrich their postgraduate training and broaden their perspectives in their chosen professions.”
Profiles
The videos present the trajectories of the following students:
Livia Genaro, who completed her doctorate at the Faculty of Medical Sciences (FCM) at Unicamp and an exchange program at the University of Barcelona (Spain). Genaro, who defended her thesis in November 2024, investigated the mechanisms responsible for rendering a conventional medication used by patients with Crohn's disease ineffective. During the exchange program, she was able to learn new techniques and learn more about the immunological basis of the disease.
Bruna Egumi Nagay, who completed her doctorate at the Piracicaba School of Dentistry (FOP) at Unicamp, with an exchange program at Radboud University Medical Center (Netherlands), between 2021 and 2022. Nagay researched new strategies for controlling peri-implantitis, an infection that occurs around dental implants. The then doctoral student developed an implant coating with antimicrobial agents, capable of fighting bacteria through light. During her time in the Netherlands, the researcher studied, using technologies that do not exist in Brazil, how toxic this coating could be to the human body.
Leonardo Leite, a PhD student at the Gleb Wataghin Institute of Physics (IFGW) at Unicamp, who completed his exchange program at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN, the French acronym for the former name of the organization), in Geneva (Switzerland). Being at CERN, one of the world's leading particle laboratories, was a dream of Leite's since he was a child. In his PhD, the researcher studies how neutrinos can decay by analyzing the neutrino flux called CNB, the acronym in English for cosmic neutrino background radiation.
Matthew Henry of Amaral, a PhD student at the Faculty of Education (FE) at Unicamp, who completed his exchange program at the University of Barcelona (Spain). In his research, Amaral studies supervised internships in FE's pedagogy courses, based on reports written by students. The aim is to analyze the relationship between theory and practice in schools. At the University of Barcelona, the researcher was able to meet important scholars and names of reference in the field, in addition to having participated in a thematic project.
Lais Zandona, a PhD student at the School of Food Engineering (FEA) at Unicamp, who completed her exchange program at the National Institute of Research for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE, in French), in France. In her PhD, Zandoná is studying how certain compounds found in two fruits native to Brazil – the black pitanga and the grumixama – can help with symptoms related to obesity, especially with regard to intestinal issues and inflammation. In France, the researcher investigated whether the two fruits improve biomarkers involved in cardiovascular diseases and was able to use exclusive methodologies that allowed her to make significant progress in her project.
Juliana Barandão, a PhD student at the Faculty of Physical Education (FEF) at Unicamp, who completed her exchange program at the University of Coimbra (Portugal). In her doctorate, Barandão is studying how accessible public policies for sports and leisure are to the general population, with a focus on public spaces that charge access fees, such as swimming pools and clubs. During her exchange program, for six months, the researcher, who is working on her doctorate while she is working, was able to dedicate herself exclusively to her studies. Barandão also had access to interdisciplinary research and other texts that contributed significantly to her project.
