Nora Fernández joined research group Psychology, Health and Communities and recommends experience
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) Psychology major, Nora Fernández de Valderrama Núñez, came to PUCRS from Jul 12 to Aug 30 to do an internship at research group Psychology, Health and Communities. During her stay in Brazil, Nora published articles and delivered workshops on sexuality and gender in public schools of Porto Alegre. “It has been the best mobility experience, for certain. I love this University. Both the campus and the facilities are amazing. And so are professors, who make every effort to understand students and the path they have to go through. And the treatment I was given in the group couldn’t have been better”, asserts she.
Nora, who finished her degree in June this year, in Spain, came to PUCRS on the strength of the collaboration between her advisor Dr José Manuel Martínez Garcia and the coordinator of the research group Dr Kátia Bones Rocha, who teaches in the Graduate Program in Psychology of the School of Health Sciences. Both articles Nora has collaborating in are about HIV/Aids. One of them addresses digital medias and risk management of HIV infection among MSM. The second article is a systematic revision of the intervention actions focused on the prevention of HIV among MSM. “I had the chance to visit the Testing and Counseling Center (CTA) at Parthenon Hospital and observed several psychologists helping patients”, says she.
This was Nora’s first trip to Brazil and she is sad about the short time she spent in Porto Alegre. “There are so many good things about my professional experience that I would recommend it to everyone who is interested in research, even if they are new to this area, like me. Research groups are great and highly functional. There are many projects in progress in the area of Psychology and, especially, in social studies, the city has a lot to offer”, adds she.
Nora received a very warm welcome by her peers, by the Academic Mobility team and the city as well. “Brazil and Spain are such different countries, especially when it comes to society and life style. I learned that people are very welcoming here and this has helped me tremendously”.
The coordinator of the research group claims that having an UAM student at PUCRS is such an enriching opportunity of integration for both undergraduate and graduate researchers. “Nora is the first student from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid we have opened our doors to after this agreement was established. We hope that our students, especially Doctoral ones, can go on a mobility program too. I have some things scheduled with Dr Martinez, who co-advises the dissertation of my student Raquel Ew”, says Kátia.
