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FUTA INITIATE TIES WITH LEADING BRAZILIAN INSTITUTIONS


FUTA INITIATE TIES WITH LEADING BRAZILIAN INSTITUTIONS

The Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), Nigeria has initiated ties with top leading Brazilian academic, economic and industrial institutions. It is coming on the heels of the  efforts being made by the Professor Joseph Adeola Fuwape led administration to realize FUTA’s internationalization agenda and draw from immense opportunities which globalization of tertiary education offers in the 21st Century.  A FUTA Delegation comprising the Vice Chancellor, Professor Joseph Adeola Fuwape and the Director, International Strategy Office, FUTA, Professor Thomas Ofuya, via the linkages provided by Cantrell Company and its Brazil partner, Portal Consultoria,  embarked on the  academic and economic trip to Brazil from 11th – 19th March, 2019 and visited a number of academic and industrial institutions in the South America country to implement the FUTA International Economic & Academic Development Mission. The International Academic and Economic Mission was focused at preparing a terrain for the University to advance interests in international academic and economic exchange with potential top-class Brazilian partner institutions.

The International Academic and Economic Mission, which covered  two of Brazil’s most economically and technologically advanced states (Santa Catarina and Paraná) would subsequently among others be beneficial to FUTA in many areas such as :  partnership/collaboration  opportunities with several Brazilian Universities and industrial sectors; partnership with Brazilian agricultural research, extension universities & think tanks in agribusiness education, job training and workforce development: exploration of the Brazilian approach to development of alternative energy and biofuels, agricultural value chain, agriculture and livestock production, civil aviation and other areas of advanced science & technology; development of international academic programs to facilitate scientific and technology transfer; development of student and faculty exchange program/course curriculum development; advanced research in common strategic areas such as agriculture and agricultural technology, especially related to cultivation of cassava, health and life sciences, transportation and transportation-related infrastructure and mobility, business, civil & mechanical engineering, environmental technology, economic development, and administration.

During the Mission, institutions visited by the FUTA Delegation include:  Stemmer Foundation for Research, Development and Innovation at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, (FEESC) Santa Catarina ; UNISOCIESC, Joinville, Santa Catarina; the Paraná State University System through its Secretariat of Science, Technology and Higher Learning (SETI), UNINTER, Curitiba, Paraná; University Of Industry and Federation of Industries of the State Of Paraná, (FIEP) Curitiba, Paraná

At Stemmer Foundation for Research, Development and Innovation, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, (FEESC) Santa Catarina, the FUTA delegation was given presentations which unveiled numerous areas of collaboration that include mechanical and civil Engineering, Metal Mechanics, Agriculture, Energy, Nanotechnology and so forth after the presentation, an agenda for signing of an MOU between FUTA and FEESC was finalized.

The FUTA Delegation was introduced to UNISOCIESC, a college and university system in Santa Catarina and Paraná states with twelve campi. In Santa Catarina, UNISOCIESC has an installation in Joinville (HQ), Balneario Camboriu, Blumenau, Itajaí, Florianopolis, Jaragua do Sul, and São Bento do Sul in addition to a campus in the Paraná capital of Curitiba. UNISOCIESC, once the vocational school for Tupy Foundry, is specialized in metal-mechanic.

The Mission also took the FUTA Delegation to the Secretariat of Science, Technology, and Higher Education, State Government of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná where the Delegation was introduced to the Paraná State University System through its Secretariat of Science, Technology and Higher Learning (SETI). SETI comprises the Management Unit of Paraná Fund, Araucaria Foundation, Paraná Institute of Technology, and seven State Universities of Parana (State University of Londrina-UEL, State University of Maringa-UEM, Ponta Grossa-UEPG, State University of Western Parana at Cascavel-UNIOESTE, State University of the Midwest-UNICENTRO, Northern Paraná State University-UENP, and State University of Paraná-UNESPAR). The visit opened opportunities for collaboration with the seven state universities of Parana.

Another institution visited by the Delegation is UNINTER, Curitiba, Paraná. UNINTER is one of the largest Brazilian Universities and leader in distance learning. UNINTER is present in more than 520 cities with 900 support centers serving more than 93 undergraduate and 180 graduate programs. UNINTER serves 220,000 students annually. The purpose of the visit was to inquire about possibilities for Distant Learning collaboration between FUTA and UNINTER. It is believed that a collaboration with UNINTER Brazil will be beneficial to Distance Learning efforts in FUTA.

At the University Of Industry, Federation of Industries of the State Of Paraná, (FIEP) Curitiba, Paraná, the FUTA Delegation was introduced to University of Industry, Federation of Industries of the State of Paraná (FIEP) and its educational system serving industry, where the Delegation was taken on a factory tour at leading furniture manufacturer, Caemunn Moveis, Arapongas, Paraná. Federation of Industries of the State of Paraná (FIEP) and its vocational training facility SENAI Woodworking and Furniture University are dedicated to woodworking and the furniture industry. FIEP maintains several units of SENAI statewide that focus on specific industries. In Arapongas, SENAI is dedicated to woodworking and the furniture industry, specializing in development of plywood, MDF, and MDP among others. The University of Furniture which forms part of the University of Industry of the Sistema FIEP, Arapongas, Paraná is the leading production center for Brazilian popular furniture typically using MDF and MDP. The SENAI unit at Arapongas is dedicated to training students for entry into the labor force often under direct contracts from industry.

The Delegation further visited the University of Sao Paulo where it met two of FUTA staff undergoing doctoral training through the TETFund, as well as some of their research supervisors who took the Delegation on a tour of their research facilities. FUTA and the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil have an existing academic and research collaboration.

In the long run, the FUTA International Economic & Academic Development Mission to Brazil will open fruitful doors to more collaborations and establishment of technical, scientific, cultural and administrative exchanges for the development of extension research, innovation, courses, internships, consulting advisories, and other related services deemed necessary feasible and of interest of joint ventures