11/10/2023São Paulo, Oct. 10 – The University of Turin delegation began its “paulista” experience with a meeting at the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP), the public foundation that provides grants, funds and programs to support research, education and innovation of private and public institutions and companies in the Brazilian state, with a budget that exceeds 50 percent of the total of state agencies distributed in the various states of the country.
The delegation was warmly welcomed by Professor Fernando Menezes de Almeida, one of the three directors of FAPESP, while the president was traveling to Italy to sign an agreement with the CNR.
A key point of the meeting was the “Amazonia +10” program, considering that the tenth state included in this program is São Paulo itself, while the other nine are Amazonian states. FAPESP pays special attention to social aspects and Amazonian peoples, seeking to address the challenges affecting this unique region.
The UniTO delegation showed keen interest in the more than 10-year programs funded by FAPESP, which span cutting-edge areas of science.
Professor Menezes also explained the SPRINT program, an initiative aimed at fostering collaboration and mobility between São Paulo State researchers and foreign researchers: the University of Turin was enthusiastic about being able to participate in this initiative.
The day continued with a meeting at the Office of the Provost for International Cooperation of the University of São Paulo (USP). Professor Sergio Persival Baroncini Proença, on a mission to Italy with the USP Rector, greeted the delegation online from the University of Bologna, while his colleagues welcomed them at the headquarters of AUCANI, Agência USP de Cooperação Acadêmica Nacional e Internacional / USP International Cooperation Office.
UniTO Vice Rectors Cristina Prandi and Alessandro Vercelli, together with Professor Marly Babinsky – Vice Provost – and Professor Paulo Braz-Silva – Director for International Mobility – discussed the possibilities of a broad cooperation agreement between the two universities, also considering the meetings planned for the following days. It was agreed to proceed with a framework agreement at the university level, involving the various departments interested in collaboration.
In the afternoon, Professors Boido and Vercelli had meetings with colleagues from the USP School of Medicine Department of Human Anatomy, including Professor Elen Haruka Miyabara – Laboratory of Skeletal Muscle Plasticity – and Professor Silvia Lacchini. With the latter, who is originally from Piedmont, they discussed possible collaborative initiatives between the Alfonso Bovero Museum, of which she is curator, and the Luigi Rolando Museum of Human Anatomy, on the occasion of the celebrations of 150 years since the arrival of the first Italians in Brazil and 620 years of the University of Turin, both of which will occur in 2024.
Meanwhile, Luisella Celi, Cristina Prandi and Cristina Giovanna Varese visited INOVA, USP’s innovation center, a place dedicated to the development of multidisciplinary research and innovation. Professor Zuffo, director of the center, welcomed the Turin colleagues and guided them on a visit that proved to be of particular importance for the development of the Butterfly Area project.
During the afternoon, Professor Varese met with Professor Gianfranco Pisaneschi, director general of IED Brazil (European Institute of Design), to discuss possible collaborations in the area of new biomaterials for fashion and interior design. At the same time, Professor Celi met with colleagues from the USP Department of Agriculture, Professor Paulo Pavinato and Professor Luciana Joia de Lima, the department’s head of international exchanges.
he long and busy day ended at the Consulate General of Italy, where the delegation was hosted by Consul General Domenico Fornara for a networking cocktail reception. This occasion was also attended by Italian researchers active in São Paulo and Brazilian researchers engaged in collaborations with Italy. It was a moment of meeting and exchange of ideas that emphasized the importance of international cooperation in research and education.