Unprecedented partnership paves the way for students to receive degrees from both higher education institutions
In the coming weeks, the State University of Maringá (Universidade Estadual de Maringá - UEM) is expected to sign an international cooperation agreement with the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança (Instituto Politécnico de Bragança - IPB), in Portugal, which calls for the exchange of students in order to study and receive diplomas from both educational institutions. This will be the first double degree agreement to be signed by UEM with an international higher education institution.
Portuguese professors Lilian Barros and Pedro Bastos explain how the program will work to the vice-rector, Gisele Mendes
On Tuesday afternoon (30), UEM's vice-rector, Gisele Mendes, received IPB professors Pedro Bastos, director of IPB's School of Agriculture, and Lilian Barros, vice-coordinator of IPB's Mountain Research Center, at the Rectorate’s Office (Gabinete da Reitoria - GRE) to discuss the partnership between the universities. The Portuguese professors also came to UEM to take part in the XVIII Food Engineering Academic Week (XVIII Semana Acadêmica de Engenharia de Alimentos - Semanea) and the II Food Science and Engineering Symposium (II Simpósio de Ciência e Engenharia de Alimentos - Simcea), events commemorating the 25th anniversary of Food Engineering at UEM, which opened last Monday (29) and will continue until Friday (2).
According to Antonio Roberto Giriboni Monteiro, a professor in the Department of Food Engineering (Departamento de Engenharia de Alimentos - DAL) and coordinator of the course, the agreement calls for students from the institution to do three years and six months of undergraduate study at UEM, then one year in Bragança and finish the last six months of study at UEM. On completion of the five years, the university students will receive an undergraduate degree from UEM and a Master's degree from IPB, valid for all European Union countries. Monteiro also points out that it is also being made possible to implement another modality in which Master's students from UEM can also obtain diplomas from both institutions, provided they study for one year and six months in their country of origin and six months in Portugal.
“Undoubtedly, this is a fruitful alliance, which brings an important benefit to the academic careers of our students, as they will leave UEM with a significant addition, which is an international master's degree, accepted by 27 European countries,” said the vice-rector.
According to the director of UEM's International Cooperation Office (Escritório de Cooperação Internacional - ECI), Marcio Pascoal Cassandre, this agreement crowns the university's ongoing internationalization efforts. “Today we have around 90 agreements with foreign higher education institutions on every continent in the world. And this will be the first with the possibility of a double degree. Our students will have the chance to get involved in studies abroad, adding an international component to their careers. UEM will also be able to welcome Portuguese students, expanding the exchange of knowledge and culture.”
Professor Lilian Barros added that currently around 40% of IPB's students are foreigners and that Brazilian students stand out for their high level of grades. In addition, some students go on to study for a doctorate and can apply for attractive scholarships worth 1,200 euros a month. According to a survey carried out by the professor, IPB and UEM have already produced 37 scientific publications together, demonstrating that the partnership with IPB is a long-standing one.
Initially, the agreement will be valid for the Food Engineering course, but it should subsequently be made feasible for other teaching centers, such as the Agricultural Sciences Center, with its Agronomy, Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics courses. Both universities are evaluating areas of common interest and planning to offer graduate courses together.
The meeting was also attended by the director of the Agricultural Sciences Centre (Centro de Ciências Agrárias - CCA), Adriana Aparecida Pinto, the associate director of the CCA, Carlos Alberto de Bastos Andrade, the professor of the Chemistry Department (Departamento de Química - DQI) and coordinator of the Graduate Program in Food Sciences (Programa de Pós Graduação em Ciência de Alimentos - PPC), Oscar Santos Júnior, and the professor of the Biochemistry Department (Departamento de Bioquímica - DBQ), Rosane Peralta.
About IPB: The Polytechnic Institute of Bragança was created 41 years ago in the city of Bragança, in the north of Portugal. The higher education institution is made up of five schools, four in Bragança in the areas of agricultural sciences, education, health and technology and management and one in Mirandela in the area of communication, administration and tourism.