Prof. Alvaro P. Crósta

e-mail: alvaro.crosta@reitoria.unicamp.br

www.unicamp.br

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1966 2016

UNICAMP – University of

Campinas Founded on October 5, 1966 as a public university funded by the State of São Paulo.

Strong focus on high-quality teaching in synergy with top-end research and services to society.

Pioneer in Brazil in building solid bridges between academia and industry.

UNICAMP – University of Campinas

Rankings: Leading Latin American University under 50 years old

11th in QS 2015;

61st in THE 2016.

Top Brazilian university in publications per faculty member:

≈ 8% of Brazil’s indexed scientific articles include an author from UNICAMP

Top Brazilian university in quality graduate programs:

46% of graduate programs ranked by the Ministry of Education’s quality assurance agency as internationally competitive;

Leading Brazilian university in number of patents/licensed patents.

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International partnership strategies

Bottom-up approach:

Funds for mobility of students, faculty and administrative staff

Funds for foreign student internships and visiting professorships

Editorial support for publication in English

Technological support for the development of MOOCS

Administrative support for the organization of international events

Administrative support for cotutelle and double degree agreements

International research and innovation partnerships encouraged in various ways

Three examples:

Bioenergy: the Bioenergy Initiative;

Genomics: the Structural Genomics Consortium;

Parasitic tropical diseases: the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (Synthetic Organic Chemistry Lab)

UNICAMP’s Bioenergy

Initiative

Partnership with São Paulo State Government and FAPESP.

Aiming at:

Creating 3 bioenergy research centers (UNICAMP, USP, UNESP);

Conducting research in biomass production, biomass conversion, biorefinery, engines/fuels, and sustainability.

Joint PhD program in Bioenergy with Delft University in place since 2014.

Bioenergy Laboratory scheduled to open in December 2017: 10 new faculty members already at work.

UNICAMP’s Structural Genomics Consortium

The Structural Genomics Consortium (SGG): a non-profit, public-private partnership devoted to basic research relevant to drug discovery.

SGC’s object: 3D structures of important human proteins and human parasite proteins.

Consortium of six universities: Oxford, Toronto, UNICAMP, North Carolina, Frankfurt and Karolinska Institut.

SGC-UNICAMP’s focus: to develop molecular probes for protein kinases regulating RNA splicing and chromatin.

Protein kinases: enzymes that regulate all aspects of life, including growth, development, physiology, memory, and responses to the environment and to pathogens.

Implementando SGC-UNICAMP

www.thesgc.org

A quick look at

Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative:

The Synthetic Organic Chemistry Lab (LQODS)

LQODS collaborates with DNDi (Drugs for

Neglected Diseases initiative).

DNDi’s mission: to discover and develop

new drugs for the treatment of parasitic

tropical diseases, with emphasis on:

Chagas disease

Visceral leishmaniasis

LQODS also collaborates with MMV.

MMV’s mission: to exploit public active

compounds that could be used for the

prevention and treatment of malaria.

Concluding Remarks

Keys to success:

Academic freedom;

Support for innovation;

Investment in research talent;

Encouragement of initiative;

Solid undergraduate and graduate training;

Bottom-up internationalization policy;

Support for strategic partnerships;

Attraction of funds through continued achievement.

Challenge: to replicate successful initiatives in all research fields.