Paraná hosts FGV workshop on equitable international research partnerships

Researchers, research managers, industry representatives, and funding agency officials gathered in Curitiba (PR) on September 3 to discuss ways to strengthen equitable international partnerships for research and innovation development. The meeting, held at the Fundação Araucária headquarters, is part of a series of regional workshops promoted by Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) with funding from the British Academy and support from the National Council of State Foundations for Research Support (Confap) and the Brazilian Association of Research Managers (Brama). 

In addition to lectures, the event facilitated guided group discussions, followed by presentations and interactive debates focused on enhancing participants' understanding of equitable international collaborations. According to Maria Zaira Turchi, the director for International Cooperation at Confap and top manager at Fundação Araucária, the concept discussed in the workshop emphasizes mutual benefit, shared governance, fair distribution of resources, and respect for local contexts. 

“We want to encourage participants to reflect on their own international experiences and guide institutions on how we can be better aligned with the expectations of our international partners,” Turchi stated. 

She explained that the choice of Curitiba to host the event is due to the prominent role of Fundação Araucária in international cooperation, which is the central focus of the series of workshops. 

“Paraná has a robust CT&I system, with well-established universities, highly qualified researchers, and strong international engagement. We needed to hear what this community has to contribute toward thinking better about equitable international partnerships and how Brazil can become more competitive,” she emphasized. 

The insights and reflections raised throughout the meetings will be compiled into a report for the British Academy, a UK-based research funding institution focused on the humanities and social sciences. 

For Goret Pereira Paulo, the director of Research and Innovation at FGV, another objective of the workshop is to highlight the important role of Research Management Offices in facilitating and enabling international partnerships for research that generates social impact and contributes to tackling global challenges. 

“Research develops in networks, and these networks need to be global,” she asserted. She highlighted the importance of Research Development Offices (RDOs) as fundamental structures to support the establishment of these networks. 

“The researcher masters the state of the art in knowledge, but transforming that knowledge into innovation requires support. Thus, we are introducing the concept of Research and Innovation Offices, units that connect researchers to industry, the public sector, and potential beneficiaries of research, allowing researchers to focus on knowledge generation,” Goret explained, who moderated the panel: “Mitigating Challenges and Enhancing Capacities: The Role of RDOs in Facilitating Equitable Research Partnerships.” 

The president of Fundação Araucária, Ramiro Wahrhaftig, also participated in the event and highlighted Paraná's evolution in international cooperation. According to him, the state has grown from 5,000 doctoral graduates in the early 2000s to about 25,000 today. 

“We need to create workspaces for these doctoral graduates beyond universities, positioning them in companies and public institutions as well. To achieve this, it is crucial to increasingly bring academia closer to the productive sector and local territories,” he stated.  

Opportunities and challenges in international collaborations 

During the panel “What do international funders and partners seek? Opportunities, Strengths, and Challenges for Brazilian Institutions in Global Collaboration,” Silke Blohm, director of 4Science UK, presented an overview of the advances and challenges facing international research partnerships. 

“There is a need to collectively rethink the objectives and approaches of projects, promoting true co-creation and ensuring that policies and best practices are adopted broadly and consistently among funders, research institutions, and countries,” she stated. 

Following this, the scientific director of Fundação Araucária, Luiz Márcio Spinosa, and the institution's top manager, Evaldo Vilela, presented data on Paraná's CT&I system and reflections on equitable internationalization. 

Spinosa emphasized that internationalization is a priority for Fundação Araucária and that when conducted equitably, it promotes scientific diplomacy. He advocated for the strengthening of graduate education through an embedded and multi-campus system, highlighting the importance of the relationship between research and territorial development for the advancement of science, technology, and innovation in the state. 

The third edition of the workshop, titled “Strengthening Long-Term Equitable Partnerships to Expand International Cooperation,” will take place on December 1 in Salvador (BA). The coverage of the first edition, held in São Paulo, is available here.