Unilab entourage, formed by the pro-rector Artemisa Candé Monteiro (first left) and vice-rector Claudia Carioca, in a meeting with ambassadors in São Tomé and Príncipe
Signing of cooperation agreements and protocols of intent, dialogue on the counterpart of scholarships for São Tomé students, disclosure of the proposal of the University of International Integration of Afro-Brazilian Lusofonia (Unilab), in addition to meetings with graduates, were part of the agenda of the the university’s first institutional and international mission to São Tomé and Príncipe, held in November and December 2022. One of the objectives of the Unilab delegation was to understand the demands of education institutions and the government of São Tomé, to jointly propose referrals to offer contributions, in addition to, in a two-way street, dialoguing about the needs of the university, for its performance in the scope of internationalization. The Unilab delegation also presented a report on staff training, which includes 89 graduate students and 39 undergraduate students from São Tomé and Príncipe.
Vice-Chancellor Claudia Carioca and Dean of the University of São Tomé and Príncipe Peregrino Costa, during the signing of agreements
“We fulfilled what we came here to do, we are carrying agreements and partnerships in our suitcase”, reported the vice-rector Claudia Carioca, who was part of the entourage of the international mission to São Tomé and Príncipe. Among these agreements is that of academic cooperation with the University of São Tomé and Príncipe (USTP), through the execution of the project “Sustainable Innovation in Agriculture in São Tomé and Príncipe: Teaching and Learning Tool”, within the scope of the Master’s Program in Agroecology and Rural Development, starting at the end of 2022. This postgraduate course aims, among other central objectives, at training and qualifying professionals in the area of sustainable agriculture and exchange of professors.
Another agreement signed between Unilab and the USTP is that of academic, cultural and technical cooperation, which aims to facilitate the exchange of professors, students and technical-administrative personnel, with the aim of creating a Distance Learning Center at the University of São Tomé and Prince. This agreement also has the proposal to initially offer postgraduate courses by Unilab, within the scope of this Distance Learning Center, in the areas of Science; Portuguese Language African Literatures; and Interdisciplinary and Intercultural Methodologies for Primary and Secondary Education.
Unilab delegation, in a meeting with representatives of the University of São Tomé and Príncipe
“This shows that we are fulfilling the objective of our mission: to train staff and also help countries in the transfer of technology and knowledge. We are here for an exchange”, said the dean of Institutional and International Relations at Unilab Artemisa Candé Monteiro, during a meeting with members of the management of the University of São Tomé and Prínicipe. The rector of the USTP Peregrino da Costa highlighted that the relationship and negotiations with Unilab have already been carried out since other administrations at the university. “We included Unilab as one of the priority partners in our relations with Brazil”, he stated.
Regarding the agreement with Unilab related to graduate studies, the vice-rector of the USTP Alzira Rodrigues underlined that it meets a specific and priority demand in the country. “It is a master’s course that has potential, taking into account the characteristics of São Tomé and Príncipe, an agricultural country. And our city must have small farmers who can provide us with quality food. And this quality does not only have to do with size, but also with the quality of the product in terms of pesticides. We want to work with them in the sense that the use of agrautumnxico becomes smaller every day, so that it moves towards organic agriculture”, pointed.
Unilab delegation, in a meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sciences of São Tomé and Príncipe
international mission
The international and institutional mission to São Tomé and Príncipe also included dialogues and closer ties with members of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Communities; the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science; Higher Education Institute; Sá Machado Health Institute; and embassy. Questions about academic mobility were also discussed; teacher training; and access to curriculum content, especially Health courses, to comply with the internationalization of curricula, in line with Unilab guidelines. Also at the heart of the dialogue with the institutions was the need to inform São Tomé citizens about the courses offered by Unilab, in various areas of knowledge.
Unilab entourage meeting with Higher Education Institute
In the meetings held by the institutional mission, Unilab’s contribution to staff training was also highlighted and the university’s internationalization project was clarified. The need for support was also raised, whether in the form of scholarships or through support for the regularization of passports for São Tomé students. Meeting these demands would contribute to guaranteeing the permanence of students in São Tomé and Príncipe with financial subsidies and a more agile processing process in bureaucratic and diplomatic matters.
On the subject of scholarships for São Tomé students, as explained by the pro-rector Artemisa Candé Monteiro, “this was reiterated, through the new Minister of Education, who will take it to parliament, the Popular National Assembly, so that it can be voted and presented the need for the State of São Tomé and Príncipe to assume part of the counterpart of its students here”, he contextualizes.
Unilab entourage, meeting with former students from São Tomé and Príncipe
staff training
Unilab’s internationalization project is aimed above all at training staff, to meet the needs and gaps of the CPLP (Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries) partner countries, especially the Palops (Portuguese Speaking African Countries). In a meeting with the entourage of the international mission, the São Tomé graduates trained at Unilab tell, through their professional and academic careers, that this objective has been fulfilled by the university. An example of this is in the path taken by Edvaldo Santos, who graduated from the Energy Engineering course at Unilab. “When I had the opportunity to take the Energy Engineering course at Unilab, I didn’t think twice, knowing the handicap we have here in São Tomé. So, I grabbed this opportunity at Unilab. Today I have developed several works in the Energy area, not only here in São Tomé, but also in international work. Thanks to Unilab, I did several consultations and today I do consultancy work for the World Bank”, reports the graduate, who opened an energy company in São Tomé and Príncipe, along with classmates from the course.
Graduated from the Energy Engineering course at Unilab Edvaldo Santos
Among these colleagues is Luis Carlos Marques, also a graduate of the Energy Engineering course at Unilab. “I have been contributing a lot to the development of the energy sector here in São Tomé. I was also very lucky to have participated in and prepared the first national energy balance sheets, a tool we didn’t have here to work in the Energy sector. I participated and was involved in the implementation of the first solar power plant in São Tomé”, reports the engineer. Marques contextualizes that at the beginning of his work in his country, he encountered a chaotic situation. “We had constant energy crises, breakdowns, parts, lack of human resources. I had the opportunity to enter the moment of crisis”, he recalls. “I want Unilab professors to know that we have indeed contributed to the development of the country through these works. I believe that in other areas as well, because I believe that all of us who graduated in Brazil are trained”, points out Marques, who also highlighted the plurality of his class when he studied at Unilab, with the presence of students from Brazil and abroad, from all partner countries of the university.
Graduated from the Energy Engineering course at Unilab Luis Carlos Marques
In another area of knowledge, graduate Marlene José has also contributed to her country, after training in Letters – Portuguese Language at Unilab. Today, an eighth-grade teacher in São Tomé and Príncipe, she reports that her graduation and her insertion in extension projects at the university contributed decisively to her professional career. “For me, Unilab is a mixture of things: a space for reflection, encounters, disagreements, a space for cultural clashes, a space for all the knowledge that permeates my teaching profession today”, she says. On her return to São Tomé and Príncipe after her visit to Brazil, Marlene José says that she detected the needs and deficiencies of the students with regard to reading and writing, and idealized a project for a text-writing laboratory at the school where she teaches, with the intention of educate readers and authors. This is an initiative in partnership with the “Letters with Science” project, in which each child exchanges letters with scientists, to encourage them to write and learn about subjects related to science. “It makes her conscious about continuing her studies at university, whether in science or other areas,” she explains.
Graduated from Unilab’s Letters-Portuguese Language course, Marlene José
return to community
For vice-rector Claudia Carioca, this meeting with graduates, during the international and institutional mission, demonstrates the fulfillment of Unilab’s objectives. “Looking at you and seeing the work that Unilab has done and seeing how you are today, that is priceless. It shows that our mission has been accomplished,” she said.
She also pointed out the importance of each one contributing to the community, on their return to their country of origin, and also supporting the promotion of the university. “This shows that we are on the right path and that we are counting on you to promote Unilab to people close to you who, many times, cannot afford to stay at a university that charges fees. [mensalidade]”, pointed out the vice-chancellor.
The Unilab entourage that was on an international and institutional mission in São Tomé and Príncipe was formed by vice-rector Claudia Carioca; the Dean of Institutional and International Relations (Prointer) Artemisa Candé Monteiro; and the secretary of the Secretariat of Communication (Secom) Vinícius Alves Moraes.