UOIT celebrates strong ties with Brazil during delegation visit

Proving that science is a discipline that knows no boundaries, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) welcomed a special delegation to campus July 17 to celebrate the university’s relationship with Brazil.

Ambassador Afonso Cardoso, Consulate General of Brazil in Toronto, and his deputy Luis Borda Silos, were among the dignitaries who toured UOIT’s cutting-edge research facilities and laboratories, including the Automotive Centre of Excellence. The group included members of the Brazil-Canada Chamber of Commerce, the Regional Municipality of Durham, and representatives of industries with close ties to Brazil and UOIT: Votorantim Cement North America and EHC Global.

The UOIT-Brazil relationship is anchored by the support of the Canadian Bureau for International Education, a non-governmental organization that facilitates the placement of international students in Canada. The visiting students from Brazil are members of Science without Borders/Ciência sem Fronteiras (SwB/CsF) and have just completed two academic terms at UOIT with a focus on science and technology. All are contributing to research projects at UOIT in the faculties of Business and Information Technology; Engineering and Applied Science (FEAS); and Health Sciences. Some students also worked with local businesses and industry.

“The Science without Borders/Ciência sem Fronteiras scholarship program as conceived by Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has sparked an immediate connection between Canada and Brazil,” said Dr. Michael Owen, Vice-President, Research, Innovation and International, UOIT. “This linkage will certainly continue to pay dividends in the long term for UOIT, Durham Region and the students. We thank the Government of Brazil for this incredible initiative and successful undertaking.”

Among the SwB/CsF students at UOIT are:

• Larissa Manfrinato, who worked with Dr. Scott Nokleby, Associate Professor, FEAS
• Lucas Sousa, who worked with EHC Global

Following the tour, the delegation enjoyed a feijoada – a typical Brazilian lunch – with representatives of UOIT and the SwB/CsF students.

About SwB/CsF

The Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) has an agreement with Brazil’s two major granting agencies – the Brazilian Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (CAPES), the Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development – to support the implementation of the Canadian component of the SwB/CsF scholarship program. The program was founded by the Brazilian government and will offer 101,000 scholarships to Brazilians to study, intern and conduct research in selected countries over a four-year period. CBIE is collaborating with the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) and Languages Canada to advise and offer placement support to Brazilian students in Canadian educational programs and internships with private sector partners. The program’s main goal is to consolidate and expand science, technology and innovation in Brazil by means of international exchange and mobility.

SwB/CsF students currently at UOIT

During the summer of 2013, UOIT is hosting 20 Brazilian undergraduate students who are either working with UOIT faculty members and/or working in Durham Region in industry placements. It is anticipated UOIT will host doctoral students in the near future. Some of the current students studied English for Academic Purposes (EAP) at Trent University’s Oshawa campus.

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