2023-08-11 16:45:07
A cycle ends and a new one begins for 69 students from 7 courses on the Malês campus of the University of International Integration of Afro-Brazilian Lusofonia, who graduated last Wednesday (09/08), in a ceremony held in the auditorium Paulo Freire da Seduc (Department of Education of São Francisco do Conde). Students from the Bachelor of Humanities courses (34), International Relations (1), Public Administration – Distance Learning (2); and Degrees in Literature – Portuguese Language (12), History (2), Pedagogy (10) and Social Sciences (8).
Social Sciences student Helcim Danamon Fernando Fernandes, in her speech, thanked the academic community and family members for their support throughout her university education journey. She also highlighted the learning and exchanges with different cultures at Unilab’s Malês campus. “We crossed national borders, we made some of Unilab’s guiding principles – internationalization – in this case bringing Brazil closer to countries in Africa”, she said. Fernandes also underlined the responsibility of new professionals trained by Unilab. “Today we are proud to be social scientists and, in this degree, our commitment and responsibility as professionals will reside. Congratulations to us for the effort, dedication and courage to leave our countries, our comfort zone in search of knowledge”, she said.
Humanities course student Aminata Camará also recalled the efforts to make her dream of a higher education experience come true. “Each of us knows how hard we had to work to cross the finish line. Many have crossed the Atlantic to make their dreams a reality and many have left their cities, towns and their families to pursue their dreams,” she said. She also remembered the fears in the first days at Unilab, the joys and challenges faced. “I still remember our first day of classes, all taken by a whirlwind of feelings, anxiety, hope and a great desire to be able to learn and maybe a little fear, right? What would come ahead. After all we are afraid of what is new, everything makes sense now. For the choices we have made define our future,” she pointed out. She also pointed out that many of the students are the first in their families to enter higher education. “We are fighting so that we can occupy the space that has been denied to us throughout history,” she said.
The speaker of the Pedagogy course Vanessa de Jesus Rodrigues also highlighted the family and ancestral context to which she belongs. “Today we are the result of all the seeds that our ancestors planted and we are proud of this trajectory. From now on, we want to continue planting revolutionary seeds around and contribute to an increasingly fair and democratic society, which allows everyone to have access to quality education and that no one loses hope for better days”, she said. International Relations student José Rodrigues Jamba brought a poetic speech about the realization of a dream and coexistence among colleagues throughout the course of graduation. “With a cloudy sky, rain was inevitable, the drops of water served to water the garden of our dreams. It was a period where we were able to transform mere acquaintances into friends, colleagues, into brothers, intertwining our feelings and emotions”, he pointed out.
History degree student Albérico da Conceição Santos thanked Unilab’s academic community and family members, and also highlighted the responsibility of newly trained professionals, in this specific case, graduates in History. “By locating the life of the historian or professor of History, we come to understand how important the values to be woven into the scope of their activity are, as well as the responsibilities that are attributed to these professionals in their new function”, he said. He also gave a brief account of how he got to Unilab, going through Youth and Adult Education (EJA), until graduating in History and, currently, starting a new stage in postgraduate studies in Anthropology.
The speaker of the Letters – Portuguese Language course, Gilmara dos Santos Silva, recalled the challenges and the need to follow dreams from the end of this graduation cycle and the beginning of a new stage in life. “Therefore, my dear colleagues, in this graduation ceremony, I invite everyone to value each step taken towards our dreams. Every challenge overcome, every obstacle overcome, every learning absorbed. Every moment experienced at this university, which is a storehouse of knowledge and cultural diversity. Let us recognize the invaluable value of our dreams, which have brought us this far, and which will continue to guide us towards a bright future,” he said.
The vice-rector Cláudia Carioca, in her speech, brought the numbers of the Malês campus of 900 active students, among which 191 are African students, in addition to 838 students formed by Unilab, among which 248 are African students. “Thus, Unilab in Bahia fulfills its institutional mission described in Article 2 of its Creation Law: ‘Unilab will aim to provide higher education, develop research in the various areas of knowledge and promote university extension, with the specific institutional mission train human resources to contribute to the integration between Brazil and the other member countries of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries – CPLP, especially African countries, as well as to promote regional development and cultural, scientific and educational exchange’ ”, he pointed out.
Cláudia Carioca also highlighted the importance of having a campus of an international university with development potential in the South-South and North-South articulation. She evaluates these 9 years of Unilab in Bahia under the prism of overcoming challenges and recalled the efforts of Unilab’s management to complete the construction work of the two annexed academic blocks, which are essential for the implementation of Unilab in the metropolitan region of Salvador. and the Recôncavo Baiano. “Today, here at this graduation ceremony, we want to make it clear that the Malês Campus is Unilab and Unilab is the Malês Campus”, she said.
Vice-rector Cláudia Carioca, with International Relations student José Rodrigues Jamba Segunda, winner of the Optica award for best international student
The vice-rector of Unilab was part of the graduation ceremony table Cláudia Carioca; the Dean of Undergraduate Studies Thiago de Araújo; the coordinator of the Social Sciences course Márcio André dos Santos; the coordinator of the History course Juliana Farias; acting coordinator of the Humanities course Caterina Rea; the vice-coordinator of the Letters – Portuguese Language Eduardo Santos; the coordinator of the Pedagogy course Andreia Silveira; and the coordinator of the International Relations course Ercílio Langa.
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