A delegation from Unicamp, led by Rector Paulo Cesar Montagner, carried out a series of visits to Chinese institutions in Beijing and Shenzhen between September 8th and 12th. In the rector's assessment, the mission represents an important step forward in Unicamp's collaboration with Chinese institutions. According to Montagner, the visits yielded new contacts and prospects for agreements and projects in collaboration with top universities.
"It was an extremely productive journey. We visited several universities, and in all of them, we were able to see the Chinese interest in what we do in Brazil, whether in the areas of technological innovation, energy, or others," said the dean. For example, new fronts for collaboration were opened in areas such as high-performance sports science. "Now we will work to strengthen exchanges and coordinate research groups, because these collaborations are very valuable to us," he added.
The delegation included professors Rafael Dias (executive director of International Relations), Ana Elisa Spaolonzi (director of the Confucius Institute), Paulo van Noije (previous director of the Confucius Institute), Odilon Roble (director of the Faculty of Physical Education), Renato Barroso (director of Sports at the Pro-Rectorate of Extension, Sports and Culture/Proeec) and Leandro Mazzei (associate director of Sports at Proeec), as well as Felipe Sampaio (international cooperation assistant at the Executive Directorate of International Relations) and Ana Carolina Iuliano (administrative assistant at the Confucius Institute).
The delegation's agenda began with a visit to the Center for Language Education and Cooperation, an organization affiliated with the Chinese Ministry of Education and responsible for the Confucius Institute program. The rector introduced Unicamp to the Center's general director, Yu Yunfeng, and recounted the university's Confucius Institute's main achievements.
The delegation then held a meeting at Beijing Jiaotong University (BJTU), Unicamp's Chinese partner in the Confucius Institute project, where they were welcomed by Rector Yu Zujun. The meeting involved members of the Confucius Institute Council, made up of representatives from Unicamp and BJTU, and focused on the presentation and approval of the activity report, as well as the discussion of next steps.
Among the results, the renewal of the agreement between the two universities stands out, with an increase in BJTU's contribution to the Unicamp project. Also at BJTU, the delegation visited engineering and sports science laboratories, as well as the university's sports complex.
In Beijing, the delegation visited four other universities. At Peking University, the Unicamp team was welcomed by Rector Gong Qihuang. The institutions presented a summary of their recent collaborations and reaffirmed their interest in collaborating in new areas, contributing to the development of research on the Brazil-China relationship.
At the Beijing Sports University, after visiting teaching and research facilities, the delegation discussed possibilities for collaboration in various areas of sport. The institutions signed an agreement to build a joint football research laboratory.
At the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, the possibility of signing a collaboration agreement focused on research integrating Western and traditional Chinese medicine systems, as well as nutrition, pharmacology, and sports, was discussed.
While still in Beijing, the delegation visited Beihang University, which has a strong focus on technology and engineering. A collaboration agreement was signed that provides for the development of joint research and the mobility of undergraduate and graduate students. Unicamp was invited to collaborate with the newly created Center for Brazilian Studies at Beihang University, with which it will initially develop research initiatives in the field of bioenergy, which may eventually be expanded to other areas.
South China University of Technology
The delegation then traveled to Shenzhen, where they met with representatives from the South China University of Technology, whose rector is scheduled to visit Unicamp in October. During the meeting, the Chinese university presented the team with scholarship opportunities available to Unicamp students.
On the final day of activities, the Unicamp delegation visited Shenzhen University, where they met with Rector Mao Junfa and toured sports science laboratories. An agreement was signed on this occasion, providing for research collaboration and student and researcher exchanges.
During the meeting, the Shenzhen University team expressed interest in exploring dual degree opportunities in physics, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, and engineering. After the meeting, the delegation visited BYD's headquarters in Shenzhen.
Rafael Dias, director of Deri, states that the activities developed throughout the week have a symbolic meaning, demonstrating to partner universities how much Unicamp values collaborations. "There's also a more pragmatic aspect, as we're able to define the direction of research collaborations, or those related to the mobility of faculty, researchers, students, and staff. Such initiatives are fundamental to our internationalization strategy," says the director.
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