June
Ohio State hosted the third annual Brazilian Graduate and Scholar Conference (BRASCON), welcoming over 60 Brazilian researchers to campus. Previous hosts of the conference were Harvard (2016) and University of Southern California (2017). Opening remarks were delivered by Gifty Ako-Adounvo, assistant vice provost for global strategies and international affairs at Ohio State. Ako-Adounvo emphasized Ohio State's internationalization efforts and highlighted the importance of the Global Gateways, including the Brazil Gateway, whose team helped bring BRASCON to Ohio State.
"I met amazing people! In particular, two great women scientists inspired me with the impact they are having in the world: Joana Felix and Duilia de Mello. It's incredible to see resilient, passionate and determined women doing what I want to do when I am a professor! Thank you BRASCON for the opportunity to work with you all! " - Paula Dalcin Martins, Ohio State alumna and president of the Brazilian Students Association.
September
President Michael V. Drake traveled to Brazil to celebrate the 55+ year partnership with University of São Paulo-ESALQ, the Brazilian global leader in agricultural academic research. The successful partnership includes an education abroad program with Ohio state’s Alpha Zeta Partners and a Tripartite Institute dual degree program in Translational Plant Science with Ohio State, University of São Paulo and Rutgers University.
President Drake and the Ohio State delegation also met with representatives from FAPESP, a global research foundation, which funded close to 20 Ohio State research projects as well as GRAACC Cancer Research Hospital and Research Institute, which partnered with the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center to coordinate the Latin America Pediatric Oncology symposium.