The Brazil Centre of the University of Münster rounds off 2025 with an Intense Programme of Activities in Rio de Janeiro

During the first week of December, the Brazil Centre of the University of Münster carried out a series of activities in Rio de Janeiro, strengthening partnerships and expanding academic collaboration.

On 3 December, the Scientific Director of the Brazil Centre, Prof. Dr. –Ing. Bernd Hellingrath, and the Director of the Liaison Office in São Paulo, Cíntia Toth Gonçalves, attended meetings at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz). The gathering brought together representatives from the Vice-Presidencies of Research and Biological Collections (VPPCB) and Education, Information, and Communication (VPEIC), alongside international relations staff and researchers. This included Prof. Dr. Daniel Vilella (Fiocruz), CAPES Brazil Chair holder at the University of Münster, who joined remotely. Discussions focused on deepening the cooperation between the University of Münster and Fiocruz, with a particular emphasis on a potential cotutelle framework agreement for joint postgraduate supervision.

Following a lunch with Prof. Dr. Cristiana Facchinetti (Casa de Oswaldo Cruz - COC) and Dr. Aline Mattos (Fiocruz technologist and former postdoc at the University of Münster), the delegation toured the COC facilities. They gained insights into current research strands and shared interests in closer collaboration within the fields of History of Science and Health, as well as Memory, Cultural Heritage, and Collections.

That same evening took a festive turn: Prof. Hellingrath and Cíntia Toth Gonçalves hosted partners and former students at the 9th University of Münster Alumni Meeting, held at the Villa-Rio restaurant in the Flamengo district. The event brought together 15 guests who were briefed on University of Münster’s current activities in Brazil and Germany, and on research funding opportunities. The evening provided a platform for networking with representatives from Fiocruz and DFG Latin America. This exchange of experiences proved itself highly enriching and reaffirmed the University of Münster’s commitment to strengthening its alumni network in Brazil.

On 4 and 5 December, the Liaison Office Director participated in the "Germany Day" event series at the Institute of Philosophy and Social Sciences of the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and the Gragoatá campus of the Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), respectively. Alongside representatives from TUM, FU Berlin, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH), DAAD, DFG, and the University Alliance Ruhr (UA Ruhr), she presented study and research opportunities at University of Münster to approximately 60 students and researchers.

To conclude the year’s activities, on the evening of 4 December, Prof. Hellingrath and Cíntia Toth Gonçalves attended the DAAD’s end-of-year party and centenary celebrations at their headquarters in Botafogo. It was a wonderful occasion to reconnect with German and Brazilian colleagues for an informal exchange accompanied by live music, featuring the Violões da UFRJ (associated with the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro) ensemble.