Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina

The Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) occupies the 10th position in the Times Higher Education (THE) Latin America University Rankings 2024, moving up two positions from last year, when it was in the 12th position. With this new ranking, the institution is now one of the top 10 universities in Latin America – the only institution from Santa Catarina in the position and the third federal institution in the country.

The THE ranking, published on 12 November, evaluates academic institutions based on criteria such as Research Quality, Industry and Research Environment. UFSC stood out in two of these areas: Industry, which was ranked among the six (6) best universities, and Research Environment, placed among the eight (8) best universities.

The industry score, which went up more than two points compared to last year, assesses a university’s ability to help industry with innovations, inventions and consultancy, seeking to capture knowledge transfer and observing partnerships in relation to the number of researchers. “The metric suggests the extent to which companies are willing to pay for research and a university’s ability to draw funding from the commercial market – useful indicators of institutional quality,” reports THE. The data for this indicator is provided by Elsevier and refers to patents published between 2019 and 2023.

The progress of UFSC in the ranking reflects the university’s performance in teaching, research and student education. The achievement is registered by the university community as a milestone in UFSC´s ranking in higher education in Latin America. According to THE’s methodology, the institution from Santa Catarina went up in the following indicators: teaching, research environment, industry and internationalization.

Access the THE Latin America University Rankings complete results here.

Read the methodology of the Latin America University Rankings 2024.

Translated by SINTER/UFSC.

Read the original article here.

Opening ceremony of the I UFSC International Week in the CCS Auditorium. Photo: Andrey Santiago/Agecom/UFSC

The first edition of UFSC International Week began on Monday, 21 October, with the debate on topics related to the internationalization of higher education and the need to strengthen academic partnerships. It was organized by the Prorectorate for Graduate Studies (PROPG), the Office of International Relations (Sinter) and the Prorectorate for Research and Innovation (Propesq). The event offers a program made up of panels, conferences, round tables and other activities aimed at sharing internationalization experiences.

The planned activities began in the morning, and the opening ceremony was held on Monday night, in the School of Health Sciences (CCS) Auditorium, on the Trindade Campus, in Florianópolis. The ceremony was attended by the Rector of UFSC, Irineu Manoel de Souza; the Prorector for Graduate Studies, Werner Kraus Jr.; the Secretary for International Relations, Luiz Carlos Pinheiro Machado Filho; the Prorector for Research and Innovation, Jacques Mick; the Director of International Relations of the Fundação Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (Capes) [Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel], Rui Vicente Oppermann; and the Prorector for Research and Graduate Studies of the Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina (Udesc), Sérgio Henrique Pezzin.

>Watch the opening ceremony of the Week

Coordinator of the UFSC I International Week, Professor Werner Kraus, highlighted the “intense schedule of activities” of the five-day event. In addition to holding a conference and three main panels, the prorector highlighted the number of works registered for the parallel sessions (about 50 presentations, most of them linked to the Capes-PrInt Program). “It will be a very fruitful week. I am sure that we will all be very pleased with what will be discussed and with the prospects that lie ahead of us, “said Werner.

In turn, Prof. Luiz Carlos Pinheiro Machado Filho stated that the implementation of UFSC’s internationalization policy has been built on basic principles, such as reciprocity, academic excellence, solidarity and diversity. In his speech, he also stressed that this process should involve the entire university community, including professors, students, and technical-administrative staff (TAEs).

Professor Sérgio Pezzin, who represented the Udesc Rectorate at the time, defended a closer action between both universities, with the objective of expanding academic partnerships and strengthening relations between the institutions. “UFSC is a very important partner for Udesc, just as Udesc is for UFSC. We have many complementary areas in which we can, together, be stronger, strengthening our work and working as a network, “he said.

The Rector of UFSC, Irineu Manoel de Souza, reinforced that the internationalization of the University must occur in a comprehensive way, involving undergraduate and graduate programs, research and outreach. “I am sure that the Week will pave the way for important discussions for our University. Despite the financial difficulties, we have the prospect of new moments, dialog, expanding knowledge and making the University really the motivating factor of a new society, nationally and internationally, “said Irineu.

Shortly after the session, Capes’ Director of International Relations, Rui Oppermann, gave a presentation on the activities of the foundations. He highlighted that “internationalization is in the DNA of CAPES”, since the first activities developed there were faculty development programs in countries such as France, the United States and England. Opperman also presented a panorama of stricto sensu Graduate Studies in Brazil. According to data from 2022, the country today has 4,592 graduate programs, with 7,027 courses, distributed in 425 institutions, 49% of them public and 33% belonging to the federal network.

Capes is the main distributor of scholarships in Brazil, responsible for financing 79% of the total. Currently, the Coordination maintains 47,187 master’s scholarships and 52,895 doctoral scholarships. Next, it is the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), with only 8% of the total: 4,310 master’s scholarships and 6,097 doctoral scholarships.

Afterwards, Professor André Brasil, from the University of Leiden, in the Netherlands, spoke about the evaluation methods in the context of internationalization. Also affiliated with Capes, André is a researcher at the Center for Science and Technology Studies (CSTs) and a member of the UNESCO Chair on Diversity and Inclusion in Global Science. His research focuses on national evaluation systems, scientometrics, academic publishing, open science, responsible research and innovation (RRI), and diversity in science, especially with regard to multilingualism and geographic inclusion.

Throughout the week, the program was full of additional activities — proposed by the UFSC community itself — and lectures on internationalization in Higher Education, with the participation of UFSC authorities and professors, as well as guests from institutions abroad and professionals related to Internationalization.

The UFSC I International Week closes this Friday (25 October).

> Watch the event on UFSC Internacional YouTube channel

For more information access: sinter.ufsc.br/semanainternacional.

Reproduced by the UFSC Communication Agency, with additions by the Office of International Relations (SINTER/UFSC).

Translated by SINTER/UFSC.

Read the original article here.

The Production Engineering program at UFSC, inaugurated in 2023, represents a consolidation of the previously separate Civil, Mechanical, and Electrical Production Engineering degrees into a single, comprehensive program. This new structure is informed by current market studies and aims to equip students with not only the traditional skills of a Production Engineer but also with interdisciplinary knowledge in areas such as data literacy, sustainability, and entrepreneurship, so as to meet the evolving demands of the market.

Production Engineers are responsible for the design, implementation, operation, improvement and maintenance of integrated production systems for goods and services, involving people, materials, technology, information and energy. They also specify, predict and evaluate the outcomes of these systems, considering both societal and environmental impacts. Their work draws on specialized knowledge from Mathematics, Physics, Humanities and Social Sciences, combined with the principles and methods of Engineering analysis and design.

The program’s curriculum is structured into three cycles. The first cycle spans the first seven semesters, providing foundational engineering knowledge and covering the major professional areas in Production Engineering. The second cycle, encompassing the eighth, ninth and tenth semesters, offers elective courses from the Department of Production and Systems Engineering and other departments at UFSC. During this cycle, students can choose between two knowledge paths: Operations Management and Supply Chain or Product and Service Engineering.

The third cycle, also covering the ninth and tenth semesters, is optional and designed for students interested in pursuing the Graduate Program in Production Engineering (PPGEP). This cycle includes courses that qualify for credit transfer towards a graduate degree, enabling students to complete a Master’s degree in just one additional year.

Additionally, the program features three integrative courses (two required and one elective), where students apply the knowledge acquired in previous courses to address real-world complex problems. It also emphasizes internationalization by allowing credit transfers for courses taken abroad and offering students the possibility of obtaining a double degree with partner institutions.

Production Engineering students have the opportunity to participate in a wide range of teaching, research, and outreach activities throughout their studies. They benefit from a robust structure that includes a student association (CALIPRO), a Tutorial Education Program (PET), two study groups: Lean Study Group (GLean) and Logistics Study Group (Gelog), a junior enterprise (EJEP) and twelve research laboratories: Sustainable Innovation and Renewable Energy Group (SINERGIA), Costs and Measures Laboratory (LCM), Project Development and Investment Support Systems Laboratory (LabSAD), Logistics Performance Laboratory (LDL), Entrepreneurship and Innovation Laboratory (LEMPi), Ergonomics Laboratory (LABERGO), Environmental Management and Assessment Laboratory (LGAA), Operations Management Laboratory (LGO), Product Design Laboratory (LPP), Intelligent Production and Logistics Systems Laboratory (ProLogIS), Productivity and Continuous Improvement Laboratory (LPMC), and Quality Assurance Center (NGQ).

The Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina is studying partnerships in specialized areas with seven universities, three from Japan and four from Singapore. The networking began during an international mission that lasted 15 days and ended on 26 November.  The Prorector for Research and Innovation, Jacques Mick, was part of the group led by the Support Foundation for Research and Innovation of the State of Santa Catarina (Fapesc) and by the Santa Catarina Association of Educational Foundations (Acafe). The visit was sponsored by the Santa Catarina government, interested in expanding the mechanisms of cooperation between the state, universities, and the private sector to promote development.

According to the Prorector, both Japan and Singapore have similar priorities to those that mobilize much of the community of scientists at UFSC, with emphasis on issues such as understanding, mitigating, and coping with climate change; sustainability, including the development of new materials, renewable energy, circular economy, etc.; the promotion of health, including biomedicine and medicines; and also the reduction of exposure to disasters. “The countries have very unique political systems and very high HDI’s, so the issues related to the rise of authoritarianism, quality in education, and fighting hunger and poverty are no longer present,” he said.

Some of the approaches pointed out by Mick as possible partnership activities, strengthened by the embassies, are the Brazil-Japan and Brazil-Singapore academic collaboration programs for visiting professors exchange; dissemination of advanced research portfolios of UFSC and other universities from Santa Catarina in those countries and the dissemination of funding sources for international research collaboration available in Japan and Singapore. “In terms of bilateral cooperation, the mission had contact with research structures of six universities and one polytechnic institute. Three out of the three Japanese and four Singaporean institutions are among the best in the world,” he added.

The Prorector also pointed out other positive aspects of the international mission for UFSC. Based on the results, the Prorectorate for Research and Innovation (PROPESQ) intends to collaborate with Sinter in the preparation of a portfolio of advanced research at UFSC, in various areas of knowledge, to be published in English and other languages. Moreover, as the mission was made up of several state institutions, Mick also perceives a scenario of possible inter-institutional approach with the network of community universities in Santa Catarina.

Fapesc’s mission brought together the institutions of the federal system (UFSC, UFFS, IFSC, and IFC), the community universities of the Acafe system, a private non-profit institution (SATC) and Unisenai, of the Fiesc system. “The extended interaction of the managers over 16 days promoted dialogues towards an inter-institutional connection. The topic is of interest to UFSC”, reinforces the professor.

For Fábio Zabot Holthausen, Fapesc’s president, the results of the contacts established, the information exchanged and the knowledge acquired are already visible in the integration among the academic leaderships from Santa Catarina. “We were able to have a close look at something that until then was an obstacle to international partnerships and to study ways to enable new possibilities for knowledge exchange. We were received with enthusiasm and in many of the institutions we visited we have planted the seeds for the future. We have a lot of work ahead of us based on the contacts made in Asia. We are convinced that the future of these relations will be very prosperous,” he added.

Information: PROPESQ and FAPESC.

Translated by SINTER/UFSC.

Read the original article here.

On 5 December, members of the Central Administration had a meeting with the Consul General at the U.S. Consulate General in Porto Alegre, Shane Christensen, and the Cultural Attaché, Beata Angelica, at the Rector´s Office. The meeting aimed at discussing the resource feasibility for the implementation of the indigenous student residence project at the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianópolis Campus.

In addition to the Rector Irineu Manoel de Souza and the vice-rector Joana Célia dos Passos, the meeting was also attended by the Prorector for Affirmative Action and Equity (Proafe), Leslie Sedrez Chaves, the Director of the Rector´s Office, João Luiz Martins, and the International Programs Coordinator at the Office of International Relations (Sinter), Guilherme Carlos da Costa.

They discussed possibilities of cooperation to promote economy, social inclusion, education and culture in the state of Santa Catarina, specially the implementation of actions that allow for the consolidation of the residence for the students from the “Ocupação Maloca”.

“We are prioritizing the diversity and social inclusion, equity and accessibility, because our democracies are facing a high risk due to inequality and social exclusion” stated Shane when highlighting that the American government representatives in Brazil seek to promote partnerships with American companies from the private sector to offer support.

De Souza pointed out that the University’s current administration has social inclusion as one of its main priorities and the lack of housing for indigenous people is a big problem at the university.  “In the last few years, the University has been receiving people who are being neglected by the State policies. The fact that they are admitted to the university does not guarantee their retention and successful completion of their program.  Nowadays, our main concern is to ensure the retention of the students who are facing new challenges every single day in this country”, said the vice-rector, Joana, recollecting the 150 days of this administration and the actions taken regarding the theme.

The U.S diplomats proposed to have representatives of UFSC indigenous students to join the group of young leaders promoted by the State Department of the United States. Moreover, they discussed organizing events and seminars involving the academic community in order to show them the mobility programs and opportunities available in American companies.

The Prorector for Affirmative Actions and Equity, Leslie Sedrez Chaves, reinforced the importance of having a close relationship with the United States, which is a strong country in the fight for the Civil Rights. “We are following the United States footsteps regarding affirmative actions adapted to the Brazilian reality. Recently we had the Policy for Confronting Institutional Racism approved in the institution, which shows that we have clear guidelines towards equity promotion actions.”

Indigenous students hand in the Residence Project to the U.S. Consul General

At the end of the meeting, a group of indigenous students along with their leaders presented themselves at the Rector´s Office to hand in the architectural project of the Residence. The project was designed in partnership with the Department of Architecture and Urbanism of UFSC.

Thairaa Priprá, a psychology student, who is a member of the movement “Ocupação Maloca UFSC”, emphasized that indigenous students’ struggle for housing has been happening since 2016. “Every piece of this project was designed jointly with the students of the ‘Ocupação Maloca’. We have been working for five years and today we seek partnerships to make this project feasible, because UFSC also has a lot to gain with it,” she said.

Brasílio Priprá, the representative of the Xokleng people, mentioned in his speech that the diversity of indigenous peoples at UFSC makes the institution a transparent and inclusive place. “The indigenous peoples protect the environment and the U.S. has supported the Brazilian people. Therefore, we ask you to help us: help the students build the ‘Maloca’ again”, he said.

The representative of the U.S Consulate General in Brazil has been able to create connections and strengthen bonds between peoples. The Cultural Attaché, Beata Angélica, emphasized the strength of the indigenous peoples and asked the students not to give up on completing their studies. “Remain in the university and complete your degrees, because this is a great opportunity for your lives. We are here to open doors for collaboration, we want to support you in the fight for equality and this is the role of the diplomatic contribution”.

Translated by SINTER/UFSC.

Read the original article here

The Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) took a decisive step in the fight against intolerance in the university environment. On 29 November,  the University Council (CUn) has unanimously approved, in an ordinary session, the Policy for Confronting Institutional Racism, which is a set of rules divided into seven chapters, providing guidance from the identification of discriminatory acts to how to report, to follow-up and to offer support to the victims. The final document is the result of the direct effort of a group of more than 30 people, comprising representatives of UFSC and social movements, among others; in addition to a plural debate promoted by a public hearing at the beginning of the month.

The session that approved the Policy for Confronting Institutional Racism was not only attended by CUn counselors. The reading of the document draft and the voting were followed by students, faculty, technical-administrative staff members and representatives of social movements, such as the Movimento Negro Unificado [Unified Black Movement], which has been active in Brazil for over 40 years.

Professor Thainá Castro Costa Figueiredo Lopes, representative of the School of Philosophy and Human Sciences (CFH) at CUn, was the rapporteur in the process and recommended the approval of the policy, considering the document to be “an important tool for reducing inequality and democratizing knowledge.” After reading the draft, the counselors had the opportunity to suggest changes and ask questions about the final text. The suggestions were accepted by the working group responsible for the definitive text. The proposal was unanimously approved around 6 p.m, under everyone’s applause.

Watch the comment of the rector of UFSC after the CUn meeting:

Against all discrimination, in defense of all.

The Policy for Confronting Institutional Racism lists different forms of discrimination that must be dealt with at the university. Thus, Nazism, anti-Semitism, xenophobia, and hate speech against religions, among others, are also included as aggressions. The document also lists Epistemic Racism as a practice to be fought. It is described as undermining the value of scientific productions merely because they do not comply with Western canons. It was emphasized by representatives of social movements as a significant progress of UFSC’s Policy for Confronting Institutional Racism.

In addition to the concern about students, faculty, and technical administrative staff members, the document approved by the CUn also establishes guidelines on how to deal with cases of racism involving employees of outsourced companies working for the university and the community in general. The Policy for Confronting Institutional Racism indicates how to deal with these episodes while supporting the victims and opening channels for them to report the aggressions.

In addition, the document presents the educational character about the theme that the university must adopt. Thus, courses to train the university community on how to confront and prevent aggression should be promoted. There are plans to institutionalize the theme in the curricula and provide specific training for those who will work directly with the victims.

Historic Session right in Novembro Negro [Black November]

During the CUn session, after reading the draft of the document, counselors, students, and members of social movements reinforced the importance of the Policy for Confronting Institutional Racism. Many referred to the day as “historic.” The vice-rector of UFSC, Joana Célia dos Passos, pointed out that the approval of the draft took place within the scope of Novembro Negro – a set of events that celebrate Black Awareness Day at the University. “By implementing this policy, we have the opportunity to change Brazilian society,” highlighted the vice-rector. In the end, the rector of UFSC, Irineu Manoel de Souza, who chaired CUn, closed the session under applause: “All this work was only possible thanks to the effort of the group,” he said moved.

Translated by SINTER/UFSC.

Read the original article here. 

Candidates approved for admission to undergraduate programs at the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) in 2022 will have to present proof of vaccination against Covid-19 to be able to enroll at the University.

The obligation is for those approved in the UFSC Entrance Examination (Vestibular) 2022, in the Unified Selection System (SiSU/Enem), and in the complementary selection processes: additional seats for the Black Ethnic-Racial Group/2022; additional seats for Indigenous People and Quilombolas/2022; Entrance Exam UFSC/2022 – Rural Education; Entrance Exam UFSC 2022 – Brazilian Sign Language; and Entrance Exam UFSC 2022 – Indigenous Intercultural Education. Students admitted as transfer and returning students must also present proof of vaccination.

The determination is contained in the Normative Resolution no. 103/2022/CGRAD, unanimously approved by the UFSC Undergraduate Studies Council on 9 February.

The proof will have to be presented together with the other documents required for enrollment at UFSC. Students will have to present to their Program’s Coordination Office a proof of immunization with at least one dose of the vaccine.

The vaccination certificate issued on the ConectSUS platform or a “vaccination voucher/booklet/card/passport printed on letterhead, issued at the time of vaccination by a Brazilian or foreign government institution, with legible data and correct identification of the bearer” will be accepted as proof according to the Resolution.

Persons with a medical contraindication to vaccination will be able to carry out the initial enrollment by presenting a medical certificate of the contraindication. The medical certificate must detail the medical reasons for the contraindication and, in case of doubts on the part of the Coordinators at the time of enrollment, the certificate may be sent to the Student Administration Department (DAE) and a Medical Committee to assess the adequacy of the contraindication. Anyone who does not present proof of vaccination or certificate of contraindication will not be able to enroll at UFSC.

The Prorector for Graduate Studies, Professor Daniel de Santana Vasconcelos, recalls that there was already a requirement for proof of vaccination to participate in the University Entrance Examination and in the other in-person selection processes for admission to UFSC undergraduate programs in 2022. “This is a control situation for the first-year students’ semester”, he says. He points out that the process involves a smaller number of students, distributed in almost a hundred programs, which makes the presentation of documents to Program Coordinators possible.

The committee appointed by the Rector to propose the conditions for the immunization requirements at UFSC is preparing a broader regulation in relation to the “vaccination passport”, which should be valid for all UFSC students, taking into account the planning for the beginning of the 2022/1 academic semester.

The committee is chaired by the Prorectorate for Undergraduate Studies (PROGRAD) and composed of members from the Prorectorate for Student Affairs (PRAE), the Prorectorate for Graduate Studies (PROPG), the Prorectorate for Administration (PROAD), the Prorectorate for Personnel Management and Development (PRODEGESP), the Office of Planning and Budget (SEPLAN), the University Library (BU), and the Superintendency of Electronic Governance and Information and Communication Technology (SeTIC), in addition to the Rector’s Office.

“For all University students, we are planning, as is happening in the case of faculty and staff, a specific system or platform to load and control information, robust enough to handle a large volume of people providing information; after all, there are more than 30,000 undergraduate students and 10,000 graduate students”, says the Prorector for Undergraduate Studies.

Translated by SINTER/UFSC.

Read the original article here.  

The Laboratory of Applied Virology of the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology of the School of Biological Sciences (MIP/CCB) at the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), together with other governmental and academic institutions from 14 Latin American countries, launched on Monday, 29 November, the Pan American Network for Environmental Epidemiology (Panacea). The Panacea network is capable of obtaining real-time data to detect microbiological and chemical risks in the region. In addition, it seeks to develop and implement new molecular tools for application in environmental epidemiology, as well as to train professionals capable of producing, analyzing, and interpreting data.

The initiative has collaboration with the University of Newcastle, the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, the Karolinska Institute, and MGI Tech. Panacea is also supported by the Northumbrian Water Group and the Suez Group, and aims to expand the current analytical capabilities of Latin American and Caribbean countries to implement Wastewater-Based Epidemiology (WBE) programs.

The network co-creation project, led by the University of Newcastle, has begun sequencing historical and contemporary samples across Latin America to determine the variants of SARS-CoV-2 circulating in the region. The research assesses the real-time prevalence and genomic variants of the virus in major cities across the continent. The team is also preparing to expand the network’s work in monitoring antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and other infectious agents.

Research on Environmental Epidemiology in Brazil

Through this project, the Laboratory of Applied Virology at UFSC becomes one of the focal points of the network in Brazil, together with the Environmental Company of the State of São Paulo (Cetesb). “LVA has been working with environmental surveillance in sewage in Santa Catarina since 1993, as an alert system for epidemiological surveillance of environmental viruses and fecal-oral excretion,” says the coordinator of the Virology Laboratory, Professor Gislaine Fongaro. LVA’s environmental surveillance work was also applied during the pandemic, together with the UFSC Task Force against Covid-19, consisting of the Applied Virology Laboratories, Protozoology Laboratory, Bioinformatics Laboratory and the Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Microbiology and Serology (LBMMS).

“In early May 2020, the Laboratory of Applied Virology expanded its studies by also focusing on SARS-CoV-2 in sewage in Florianopolis, as well as evaluating retrospective sewage from the capital of Santa Catarina. Soon after, it followed up during the 2020-2021 summer season the viral circulation in Florianópolis-SC, inviting LACEN (Environment) for collaboration. Then, in August 2021, we started to seek support from city halls, knocking on doors, as well as from municipal health supervisors, consortiums and concessionaires that manage sanitation for the purpose of expanding the project to several cities in Santa Catarina and not only to the capital”, says Gislaine. This broad study includes Campos Novos, Capinzal, Chapecó, Concórdia, Curitibanos, Florianópolis, Herval d’ Oeste, Itajaí, Joaçaba, Joinville, São Miguel do Oeste, and Videira, and is part of an Outreach action, part of the Integrative Environmental Epidemiological Surveillance (VigEAI) project.

“The Panacea network provides the integration of studies and strengthening of epidemiology based on sewage monitoring, as a sentinel tool in Latin America, and our studies may help in this reinforcement,” concludes virologist, professor and researcher at UFSC, Gislaine Fongaro.

Translated by SINTER/UFSC

Read the original article here.

An animation produced by a special student from the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) was featured in the selection of the Science Film Festival, the largest scientific film festival in the world. The animated series Sonhos da Isah (Dreams of Isah) was conceived and produced by João Ricardo Costa, a publicist who, through classes in Film studies and Performing Arts at UFSC, acquired the necessary basis to transpose to the screen his desire to produce an animation. The production that competes in the category Educational entertainment for the family is the third episode of the series, produced in 2019. The festival began on15 October in Brazil, and runs until 20  December. 37 productions will be shown remotely and free of charge throughout the country, which can be followed through the project’s website.

Health and mental well-being are the themes addressed in this year’s edition of the Science Film Festival, in view of the effects of the health and economic crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. João Ricardo’s animation addresses the healthy relationship between children and divorced parents, showing, through a journey through time, the evolution of equity in raising children in shared custody. The theme was inspired by the stage of life in which the director was, affected by divorce and the break from daily contact with his young daughter.

The episode is available for free access on Isah’s Dreams YouTube channel.

João has a degree in advertising and took a specialization course in cinema in the distance learning modality during his graduation. It was from his conclusion work for this specialization that the animated series was born. “I was finishing the advertising course, but I didn’t have any in-person basis in audiovisual production. That’s when a friend who studied philosophy at UFSC gave me the idea of taking single courses in Film studies”. Taking single courses at UFSC as a special student was essential for theoretical enrichment and learning, providing the basis for starting the project and improving it.

“The courses gave me different perspectives on the project that was being born, they helped me a lot in the creative process, opening up a range of possibilities of styles and techniques to execute the production”, says the director. In 2015, the pilot episode of the series Sonhos da Isah was completed, dealing with parental alienation and the new joint custody law, enacted the year before publication. The animation was selected for approximately 40 festivals, helping to raise funds and finance the second and third episodes of the series, published respectively in 2017 and 2019.

The production process moves at a slow but determined pace. João aims to complete five episodes with excellent quality to enter streaming services and open TV, seeking greater repercussion of his project. To accomplish that, he intends to continue improving his techniques, showing the desire to return to UFSC as a special student. “I was getting ready to take some courses, maybe script or specific animation production. That would add a lot.”

Translated by SINTER/UFSC

Read the original article here.

The November 2021 issue of the scientific journal Nature Protocols features the article “Label-free cell assays to determine compound uptake or drug action using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry” by Martina Blank, a researcher who works as a biologist at the Laboratory of Structural Molecular Biology of the Department of Biochemistry (LABIME/CCB/UFSC). The topic of the co-authored article is the result of activities performed during Martina’s post-doctoral internship at the Hochschule Mannheim, in Germany. The research describes a protocol for optimization of mass spectrometry analysis in cellular assays for drug evaluation developed at the Center for Mass Spectrometry and Optical Spectroscopy .  The full paper is available here. More information: martina.blank@ufsc.br.

Translated by SINTER/UFSC

Read the orginial article here.