Brazil boost for research and education
11 December 2018
Cardiff University has signed a strategic partnership agreement with one of Brazil’s leading universities in a bid to boost research and educational opportunities for staff and students.
The new partnership will see the University partner with The Universidade Estadual de Campinas, commonly known as Unicamp.
Established in 1966, Unicamp is one of Brazil’s primary medical and scientific research centres. Based in the São Paulo state region, it has affiliate campuses in both Limeira and Paulínia.
The partnership commits the two universities to collaborate in areas of joint research activity. It’s hoped the partnership could also pave the way to joint PhD programmes and further student exchanges.
Signing the strategic partnership on behalf of the University, Vice-Chancellor Professor Colin Riordan said: “I am delighted to be signing a strategic partnership with Unicamp that offers so many opportunities for academics and students alike.
Brazil is a region of strategic importance, and we want to develop partnerships and relationships that lead to more collaborative research in areas of strength as well as broader mutually beneficial academic exchange.
“This partnership builds on existing research links with Unicamp and I look forward to seeing it develop over the coming years.”
The new strategic partnership builds on a Memorandum of Understanding signed by Cardiff University and Unicamp in 2015.
The main objective of the Memorandum was to support collaboration with the University’s College of Physical Sciences and Engineering. The Memorandum has resulted in a series of research focussed visits involving some 100 staff and a growth in joint publications, predominantly in Electrical Engineering, Dentistry, Geosciences and Chemistry.
By signing a formal strategic partnership covering other research areas it’s hoped there will be an expansion of research collaborations and the development of a Staff Mobility Agreement.
Undergraduate exchange in the form of short-term Summer Schools will also be explored as will the development of dual PhD degrees across all disciplines.
The strategic partnership was signed by UNICAMP Rector, Professor Marcelo Knobel and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Colin Riordan.
