Author: Letícia Suzane Araújo
The State University of Campinas (Unicamp), through its Executive Directorate of International Relations (DERI), held the first edition of the [event name] between April 8 and 10, 2026. International Partners' Days, bringing together representatives from more than 20 partner universities from different countries for three days of activities aimed at strengthening international academic cooperation.
The program began on April 8th with an opening ceremony in the auditorium of the Faculty of Medical Sciences (FCM). The event was attended by the rector, Paulo César Montagner, the general coordinator, Fernando Antonio Santos Coelho, and the director of International Relations, Rafael Dias, who welcomed the participants. During the opening, the string quartet of the Unicamp Symphony Orchestra performed Brazilian music, such as... The Gatekeeper Boy e So That I Can't Say I Didn't Talk About the Flowers.
Rafael Dias highlighted the strategic role of international cooperation in the contemporary scenario. “Internationalization is not just a strategic dimension, but an essential necessity. It is through international partnerships that we broaden horizons, diversify perspectives, and build more complete and innovative responses to issues that know no borders,” he stated.
Throughout the first day, guests participated in thematic panels on the internationalization of higher education. Discussions addressed strategic perspectives and global trends, with notable contributions from Dolores O'Riordan of University College Dublin; César Félix-Brasdefer of Indiana University; José Celso Freire Junior, president of FAUBAI (Brazilian Association for International Education); and Sören Artur Metz of the Technical University of Munich. The day concluded with the signing of a cooperation agreement between Unicamp and Andrés Bello University of Chile.
On the second day (9), participants visited the Fausto Castilho Rare Books Library (BORA) and attended meetings with representatives from Unicamp's academic units. The meetings were organized by areas of knowledge: humanities, at the Institute of Arts (IA); exact sciences, at the Institute of Mathematics, Statistics and Scientific Computing (IMECC); biological sciences, at the Faculty of Physical Education (FEF); and engineering, at the Faculty of Agricultural Engineering (FEAGRI). During the meetings, the units were presented and possibilities for academic and scientific cooperation with international institutions were discussed.
The third and final day (10) included a visit to Fazenda Tozan, providing participants with a cultural and historical experience of the region. Following this, an educational fair was held, in which international partner institutions presented their opportunities to Unicamp students. The program also included a visit to the National Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), an international reference in scientific research.
The closing ceremony took place at the Institute of Geosciences (IG) and featured a performance by the Unicamp Zíper na Boca Choir, marking the end of the event.
