Get to know the students from PUCRS’s Graduate Programs who are taking their sandwich doctorates around the world
Photo: Leticia Pacheco
The sandwich doctorate is a modality of the graduate program that allows the student to carry out part of their studies in a foreign institution. At PUCRS, the CAPES-PrInt Program (PUCRS-PrInt) offers financing opportunities for PhD students enrolled in the University’s Graduate Programs to study abroad for 6 to 12 months, in an experience that allows them to expand their academic and culture horizons, as well as improve their research skills.
In March 2023, Letícia Priscila Pacheco, a student from the Graduate Program in Languages, completed her sandwich doctorate time at Université Laval, in Canada. Advised by professor and researcher from the School of Humanities Lilian Hübner and by Université Laval professor Maximiliano Wilson, the PhD student carried out her research on the reading of words in Brazilian Portuguese by adults and elderly people.
Letícia participated in interdisciplinary events, shared her research with other colleagues from different fields, and got to learn about similar studies focused on other languages, like French and English. In addition, the student carried out a side project on the reading of words in French in collaboration with professor Maximiliano. According to the PhD student, the opportunity of developing a joint research with an international institution is very important for the Brazilian researcher, qualifying Brazilian science even more.
“I’ve always dreamed of taking a sandwich internship during my doctorate, and the opportunity of carrying out a joint research with an international student is definitely very important for the Brazilian researcher, qualifying Brazilian science even more. With this international mobility experience, I could learn a lot during the activities developed at Université Laval, in addition to expanding my academic contact network,” the student explains.
PUCRS students are in different institutions abroad through the International Cooperation Projects associated with PUCRS’s CAPES-PrInt Program Priority Themes. Learn about each student’s project:
Photo: Giovanni dos Santos
Giovanni dos Santos Batista is a PhD student from the Graduate Program in Engineering and Materials Technology and is spending six months developing part of his research at the Eduardo Torroja Institute for Construction Sciences (IETcc), belonging to the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), in Madrid, Spain. Advised by researcher from the School of Technology Eleani Maria da Costa, the student is developing his studies on cement paste for oil wells with the use of nanoparticles, with the goal of improving the properties of the cement-based material in high pressure and temperature conditions.
According to the student, this experience enables working with professors and researchers who are a reference in the field, in addition to meeting new people, making connections and sharing knowledge. “Without a doubt, this is the best experience I have ever had and I know how much this is affecting and will continue to affect my personal and professional development,” he concludes.
Photo: Diego Moreira
From the Graduate Program in Computer Science, the PhD student Diego Moreira da Rosa is at Université della Svizzera Italiana, in Switzerland. His research is on software interface design for bilingual and multilingual users, and he is being advised by School of Technology researcher Milene Selbach Silveira, as well as professor Monica Landoni from the Swiss institution. In addition, he is collaborating with the Laboratory of User Experience in the Child-Computer Interaction, Gender Equality in Computing, and Accessibility for People with Mental Impairments themes.
The PhD student explains that the Italian language is one of the most commonly spoken in the city of Lugano, in addition to English, which allows for a broad study on how bilingual university students interact with their electronic devices in multiple languages. “The contact with other areas of research expands the horizon and opens new partnership possibilities. Generally speaking, this time abroad has been very positive for the progress of my project, for my personal growth, and for my process of maturing as researcher and professor in Computing,” he says.
Advised by School of Humanities researcher Alexandre Anselmo Guilherme, the PhD student Fernanda Felix de Oliveira is at KU Leuven, in Belgium, for the Graduate Program in Education. She is working in the Laboratory for Education and Society, in an opportunity with several research, innovation and technology possibilities in the Philosophy of Education field. More recently, she could also participate in the Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain Annual Conference in Oxford, England, in three days of immersion in memorable presentations and dialogues.
The international experience allowed Fernanda to learn about different pedagogical perspectives and develop a study in the capital of Belgium, Brussels, based on Masschelein’s methodology, developing a “pedagogical atlas of Brussels” with various forms of content on ways of learning and teaching in the Belgian capital. Her doctoral thesis discusses Philosophy in (counter) education) for the development of autonomy and creativity, and is advised by KU Leuven professor Joris Vlieghe.
“Certainly, my research has improved with the experiences in the Belgian university and with the excellent guidance from professor Joris Vlieghe, who has been crucial in this process of research, education, and academic qualification abroad,” she concludes.
