Agreement between Finland and Brazil Renewed
The Executive Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology of Pernambuco in Brazil Jose Bertotti visited Turku to discuss cooperation and to renew an agreement that strengthens the cooperation between Finland and Brazil.
Intercity Collaboration of South West Coast of Finland (LOURA) cities Turku, Uusikaupunki, Rauma and Pori signed a new cooperation agreement with the Brazilian state Pernambuco on 4 June 2014.
Vice Rector Riitta Pyykkö, Development Manager at the Centre for Collaborative Research Antti Saurama and Administrative Secretary Hanna Tuominen from the University of Turku participated in the event.
According to Saurama, the visit strengthened cooperation and research projects.
– Bertotti got a good image of both the ongoing as well as future projects and forms of cooperation, and he got the chance to ask questions directly, which he eagerly did, Saurama said.
Saurama stated that the focus is on cooperation between Schools of Economics.
Next autumn, there will be a return visit to Pernambuco, when the Brazil-Finland Innovation Forum 2014 will be organised 10–14 November 2014 in Recife.
– Even though there have been several similar visits before, this time the scale will be greater than before, thanks to the Tour of Brazil event, Saurama stated.
The delegation will be led by the Chair of the Turku City Board Minna Arve, and the visit will be organised in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission and the Intercity Collaboration of South West Coast of Finland (LOURA).
In addition to the Tour of Brazil event, the programme will include the Blue Growth theme seminar as well as the Pernambuco-Finland/LOURA Cooperation Forum.
Text: Aura Jaakkola
Photo: Rene Mattsson