VCU Welcomes Research Partners from Universidade de São Paulo

Virginia Commonwealth University hosted a delegation of faculty, researchers and administrators from the Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil, during the Celebration of Science symposium held Dec. 6-7, to advance collaborative research opportunities and identify new ones in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and education.

The Celebration of Science symposium showcased the unique international partnership between VCU and the Universidade de São Paulo, (USP), the largest university in Brazil.

“Exciting problems in science are becoming increasingly interdisciplinary and international,” said Nicholas Farrell, Ph.D., professor of chemistry in the VCU College of Humanities and Sciences and the director of the VCU-USP Partnership. “Therefore, it is becoming more and more important to reach out to our colleagues globally, and the VCU-Brazil initiative is a prime example of our commitment to international collaboration.”

“We aim to form a global partnership encompassing many disciplines with existing and new joint projects and participating in the extraordinary expansion of Brazil’s current investment in science,” he said.

In the past 20 years, Brazil has demonstrated a significant growth in science. To offer opportunities to Brazilian scientists to study abroad and to attract young investigators and internationally recognized research leaders to Brazil, the Brazilian government introduced a policy called “Science Without Borders.” In 2006, VCU signed a strategic partnership with the Universidade de São Paulo, and this symposium will strategically position the VCU-USP partnership within the “Science Without Borders” initiative.

“VCU’s strategic plan, Quest for Distinction, calls for providing our students with high quality educational experiences focused on inquiry in a global environment,” said R. McKenna Brown, Ph.D., executive director of the VCU Global Education Office. “As faculty and researchers participate in partnerships like these, we provide meaningful experiences to our students that enable them to broaden their education and explore scientific initiatives in other parts of the world.”

The symposium provided a comprehensive overview of opportunities for collaborative research. Brazilian representatives discussed the nation’s current science policy and international relations, and USP researchers discussed institutional initiatives.

The groups also presented research currently being conducted in the areas of public health, pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences, neurobiology, chemical biology, biomedical imaging, genomics and parasitic diseases and genetics. During a reception held at the Scott House, a representative from the Embassy of Brazil in Washington D.C., gave an overview of her government’s initiatives in science and technology cooperation.

Additionally, the group was joined by representatives from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of State and the US Agency for International Development, who presented information about their programs and discussed funding opportunities for scientific research.

The symposium was co-sponsored by the VCU Global Education Office and Office of Research. Funded by the 2012 Global Education Office International Partnership Major Initiative Award, the program is the first event of the VCU Global Health Forum, a three-part series of global health discussions that will be hosted by the university during the course of the next year.

For more information, visit: www.global.vcu.edu/VCUUSP.

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