The Federal University of Ceará (UFC), in northeastern Brazil, has announced the signing of a cooperation agreement with the University of São José (USJ), in Macau, which provides for the launch of joint research projects.
According to a statement released Thursday, the memorandum of understanding envisions joint work in economic development, administration, Chinese language and culture, environmental sciences, data science, artificial intelligence, and medicine.
Also Thursday, a restructuring of USJ’s academic units took effect, including creating the School of Health Sciences.
The agreement signed Wednesday between the UFC and USJ also provides for the exchange of technical-administrative personnel, delegation visits, and the joint organization of events.
The memorandum will also “consolidate strategic alliances between the two universities,” including “activities already developed,” such as the supervision of dissertations and theses and exchanging publications, journals, and teaching and research results.
USJ had already launched a research project with the UFC and the Instituto da Primeira Infância in Fortaleza, focusing on needy families “exposed to chronic stress,” Alexandre Lobo, head of the new Applied Neuroscience Laboratory, told Lusa in June.
USJ has also launched a joint project with the UFC and the Catholic University of Porto in Portugal to use artificial intelligence to interpret and classify people’s reactions automatically, the Brazilian scientist said.
In April this year, Macau lifted border restrictions on university students and foreign teachers, such as Portuguese teachers.
However, those coming to the Chinese region from abroad must still observe a seven-day quarantine in a designated hotel.