As part of its commitment to providing both international academic pathways and opportunities, Durham College (DC) announced today that its International office is hosting two professors from Brazil as part of the newly created  Brazil-Canada Technological and Professional Fellowship Exchange program, a joint initiative between  the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) and Brazil’s Secretaria de Educação Profissional e Technológica (SETEC) and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES). The program is designed to bring together instructors and administrators from Brazilian federal institutes of education, sciences and technology to observe how Canadian colleges operate and collaborate on projects linked to applied research and science innovations.

Paulo Roberto Barbosa, a professor of mathematics and mechanical engineering from the Instituto Federal São Paulo, and Sandra Mariotto, a food biotechnology professor from the Ïnstituto Federal do Mato Grosso, are part of a pilot group of 43 professors being hosted by ACCC-member colleges across Canada prior to the Brazil-Canada Technological and Professional Fellowship Exchange program being implemented.

Both professors arrived at DC’s Oshawa campus on February 18 for a three-month visit to explore the Canadian college system and work closely with college faculty members, administrators and subject matter experts to develop detailed curriculum for future fellow visits. In particular, they will focus on the linkages between DC and local industry from an applied research perspective.

“The idea is that upon completion of this activity in Canada, we will be well positioned to assist with designing a custom program for Brazilian educators,” said Barbosa.  “One of our main goals is related to linkages between the college and local industry and the model of applied research and innovation. It is the institutional mission of the Brazilian institutes and efforts have been made in order to have effective actuation in this area – this exchange is part of these efforts. This experience has been fantastic for us!”

In addition to participating in the Brazil-Canada Technological and Professional Fellowship Exchange program, DC is pleased to count nearly 400 international students from more than 32 countries around the world as part of its overall student population. Each receives a high-quality post-secondary educational experience and access to the college’s International office including front-line service for all aspects of the admissions process; international student mentors; and arrival services. DC also offers Canadian students looking to study aboard access to academic pathways with universities in Ireland, Australia and the United States as part of the more than 450 academic pathway opportunities in place with universities in Ontario, Canada and around the world.