Sandwich doctorate grants and training courses abroad through the PrInt Program allow students to internationalize their journeys
The Institutional Project of Internationalization (PUCRS-PrInt), supported by Capes, promotes the creation of international research networks, boosting the innovation in the processes of teaching and student qualification. Get to know how some PUCRS graduate students have expanded the impact of their research with experiences abroad:
PhD student from the Graduate Program in Biomedical Gerontology, Nícollas Gonçalves Cavedini, carried out a sandwich doctorate period at the University of Groningen, in the Netherlands. Abroad, the student could establish an artificial intelligence model to support the diagnosis process and the treatment of patients with tumors. “We developed a Deep Learning model to perform automated tumor burden segmentation across all patient images,” stresses Cavedini.
For him, the CAPES/PrInt program allowed him to have an experience in another country and to work in center that is a reference in his field of research. “This opportunity allowed me to experience carrying out research in a center that is a world reference in my field, the University Medical Center Groningen”, he says.
PhD student from the Graduate Program in Social Communication, Eduardo Comerlato, carries out research on print journalism from an Ibero-American perspective. In his project, he proposes a classification of the different rhetoric styles that were distributed between 1493 and 1722. In the Universidad de Sevilla, in Spain, he carried out a sandwich doctorate period, which can boost his research as it is co-supervised by Carmen Espejo, one of the main specialists on Modern Age journalism.
“The impact of this six-month experience in the Universidad de Sevilla has extremely prolific and gratifying because, in addition to the supervision, I was also finally able to come into physical contact with the object of my research. Before this, I had carried out my studies only through scans provided by Ibero-American libraries,” says the student.
The PhD student from the Graduate Program in Education, Gabriela Heck, participated in the “Summer Immersion at Oxford University Museum of Natural History” course, in England. In this course, she was able to have a practical and theoretical immersion in every department of the Oxford University Museum, from reception and public service to research, archives, and collections. In her doctoral research, she aims to understand how people with disabilities build their scientific capital and how museums can assist in this process.
“Participating in a course on accessibility in one of the oldest and most renowned museums of natural history in the world was an extremely enriching experience, both for my academic journey and for my professional and personal development,” says the student.
PhD student from the Graduate Program in Communication, Anna Veiga, carried out a sandwich doctorate period at Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier III, in France. During her time there, she could deepen her research on the different borders in the show Narcos: Mexico, both from the geographic and from the symbolic perspectives.
“During my time in France, in the Laboratory of Interdisciplinary Studies on Reality and Social Consciousness (LEIRIS), of the School of Subject and Society Sciences from the University of Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, I could deepen my studies and reflect on other perspectives,” explains Anna.
At Dalhousie University, the PhD student from the Graduate Program in Computer Science, Aline Lisboa, carries out a sandwich doctorate. She studies how Generative AI can be used to boost collaboration, generate innovative ideas, and optimize software development. For her, this opportunity gave her the chance to get to know new cultures and a diverse country.
“For me, the CAPES/PrInt program is, without a doubt, one of the most meaningful experiences of my academic journey. It is amazing being able to dive into the world of scientific research in such a rich environment, with the opportunity of interacting with people from different cultures and ethnicities,” says the student.
With the goal of measuring the level of confidence an individual has to start, maintain, or resume healthy eating habits, even in the face of challenges or setbacks, nutritionist and PhD student from the Graduate Program in Psychology, Taina Silva, is developing a scale to assess the levels of food self-efficacy.
The deepen her research, she carried out a sandwich doctorate in the University of Porto, in Portugal. “In addition to technical gains, the program expanded my ability to collaborate on international projects, offering a broader vision regarding the possibilities of practical research application and strengthening my preparation for future academic partnerships of global impact,” she adds.
