Intensive partnership between the University of Münster and UFMG gets a new boost: UFMG Rector's Visit to Münster
On 12.06.2023, the Rector of the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Prof. Dr. Sandra R. Goulart Almeida together with Prof. Dr. Eduardo N. dos Santos, Institute for Inorganic Chemistry of the UFMG were guests at Münster University. The visit programme organised by the Brazil Centre began with a tour through the natural science and medical campuses of Münster University. The next stop was a guided visit to the Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry (IAAC) by its Deputy Managing Director Prof. Dr. Heiko Hayen, Dr. Marian Hebenbrock (research group Prof. Dr. Müller) and Prof. Dr. Ekkehardt Hahn - a long-standing cooperation partner of Prof. dos Santos - with whom the Rector and Prof. Santos were able to exchange information about the Institute and its equipment as well as about teaching and research at the Institute and get to know various laboratories.
The UFMG Rector and her companion were warmly welcomed by Prof. Dr. Johannes Wessels in the Rector's Office. After an extremely productive discussion about the new "Key Impact Areas" of the University of Münster and the research priorities of the UFMG as well as about the numerous cooperation that have linked the two universities for many years, it was agreed to intensify the cooperation in the near future. In addition, the extension of the Memorandum of Understanding between the University of Münster and UFMG was signed by both rectors.
In the afternoon, several members of the Brazil Centre and representatives from various departments met with the high-level visitors in the Senate Room of the castle to present their previous or planned cooperation activities with UFMG and discuss initiatives and ideas for future cooperation.
In an introductory talk about UFMG, the rector emphasized the recent placement of UFMG in the Brazilian INEP ranking as the best federal university in Brazil and the proven excellence of the majority of its study programmes, but also internationally renowned research achievements, e.g. in medicine, physics, chemistry, computing, etc. The University of Münster was then briefly introduced by Anja Grecko Lorenz, Executive Director of the Brazilian Centre, after which the participating researchers presented their current research focuses and cooperation interests as well as in some cases their institutes. Representatives from physics, medicine, computer science, business informatics, digital transformation, landscape ecology, political science and music participated. This led to lively and promising discussions in which common grounds, points of intersection and cooperation potentials were identified in various fields of knowledge, such as artificial intelligence (especially in medicine), nanotechnology and sustainability.
Prof. Dr. Almeida mentioned that the University of Münster is a strategic partner for the UFMG and is also eligible for mobility funding within the UFMG's CAPES/Print internationalisation programme. Joint initiatives, she says, will be met with reciprocity by UFMG. Students from Münster are also invited to apply for the annual UFMG Summer School in Belo Horizonte, which is always advertised and recommended by the Brazil Centre.
The visiting programme was rounded off with a city tour in bright sunshine, during which Prof. Dr. Almeida and Prof. Dr. dos Santos not only got to know the university buildings of the social sciences and humanities departments and the historical corners of Münster, but also experienced a lively everyday study life in Münster.
In view of the positive results of this visit, the Brazil Centre is very confident, that the high level of mutual interest and the diverse interconnections of exciting research topics as well as the planned activities will certainly help to further strengthen the cooperation between the two universities, which can be of great benefit to both institutions and their academic communities.