Pilot project for Intercontinental Academy is approved

At the meeting held on March 4 to 6 at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, the directors of University-Based Institutes for Advanced Study (Ubias) – the network that brings together 32 advanced research institutes affiliated with universities around the world – approved the pilot project for the Intercontinental Academy, an initiative that aims to promote scientific exchange between generations, disciplines and cultures.

The concept of the Intercontinental Academy, presented to the Ubias during the meeting, may be summarized in the expression "2+2+2+2": two institutes from the network, from two continents, will come together to organize a two-year joint research, during which two workshops will be held.

The pilot project, under the aegis of the IEA (Institute of Advanced Studies of the University of São Paulo) and the IAR (Institute of Advanced Research at University of Nagoya, Japan, will select 15 young researchers from different fields of knowledge and universities around the world who will devote themselves to an interdisciplinary collaborative study under the guidance of three senior scientists.

The tangible activities of the Academy are expected to begin March 2014, with the first workshop in São Paulo, when researchers will have the opportunity to exchange experiences, participate in cultural programs, and discuss their research topics, which must be related to the pursuit of solutions for a major global challenge.

English version by Carlos Malferrari