(26.09.18) On 11 September 2018, students and researchers from the city of Sorocaba near São Paulo had the opportunity to learn about the German research landscape and opportunities for studying and research in Germany. During an informative workshop on the Sorocaba campus of the Federal University of São Carlos, representatives of various universities and funding organisations presented their institutions and funding programmes for researchers from all over the world. The audience at the event, which was organised by the DFG Office Latin America, consisted of around 60 people from master’s students to early career and experienced researchers. The workshop was also supported by the German House for Research and Innovation (DWIH) São Paulo.

The DFG Liaison Scientist in Brazil, Prof. Dr. Helmut Galle, presented the activities of the DFG office in São Paulo, focusing on the bilateral funding opportunities made possible by a cooperation agreement with partner organisation FAPESP in the state of São Paulo. Galle also explained how the online database GEPRIS can be used to find information about research projects and search for available doctoral and postdoctoral posts. Another useful source of information for international researchers is Research Explorer – a resource that lists over 25,000 universities and research institutions, which students and researchers can use to help them choose a suitable institution or to initiate contact with researchers in Germany.

In addition to the DFG, the participants at the workshop included representatives of DWIH São Paulo, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH), the Free University of Berlin, the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the University of Münster (WWU). The event concluded with a networking lunch, which provided a relaxed atmosphere for conversation and the opportunity to ask individual questions.

“I was very impressed by the event, because we learned about opportunities we were previously unaware of. Given the many different kinds of support available to international researchers, I would definitely consider doing research in Germany,” said participant Etiane Moraes, who recently completed a master’s degree in electrical engineering and is now searching for a suitable doctoral programme.

The programme was rounded off by a presentation from former DAAD fellow Prof. Dr. Adriana Delgado, who lectures at UFSCar and spent time working at the GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research in Darmstadt during her doctorate.

The event was organised on the initiative of Prof. Walter Ruggeri Waldman from the Department of Chemistry at UFSCar. When Waldman visited the German House for Research and Innovation São Paulo with a group of other researchers at the start of the year, it prompted the idea of organising an information day in Sorocaba on opportunities to research and study in Germany.