TU Delft extends strong collaboration with Brazil

News - 01 May 2023

On 22 March 2023, Delft University of Technology signed a new partnership agreement with the University of São Paulo (USP) to endorse and extend the collaboration in research and education in our leading research themes. University Ambassador Brazil, Prof. Patricia Osseweijer, led the delegation with representatives from Architecture and the Built Environment, Civil Engineering, and Applied Sciences. It also included several thematic workshops and meetings with Rectorates of the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) and USP, as well as the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP). The delegation builds on many years of strong Dutch-Brazilian collaboration in the areas of energy, water, design, planning and governance of the built environment, and aviation.
 
The visit in the week of March 20 aimed to launch a large collaboration on integrated infrastructure design (fluvial metropolis – aquatic project) for the City of São Paulo and with the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism at USP and co-lead a workshop as a formal side event of the United Nations Water Week in Campinas. The Dutch Consul General Wieneke Vullings attended the signing of the institutional agreement with USP, and the Vice-Consul General Vasco Rodrigues attended the event at UNICAMP.
 
“Both events are a great leap forward in our long collaboration. The UN workshop paved the way for implementation of water management solutions for circular resource recovery developed in the EU Horizon 2020 Water Mining project led by TU Delft. The attendance of companies such as Solvay, Royal HaskoningDHV, Koppert and wastewater treatment companies such as Agua do Algarve, General Waters and Sanasa shows the mutual interest in replicating pilots in Brazil and learning about the local constraints and opportunities” says Patricia Osseweijer. “Signing the institutional agreement with USP was a long-held wish of mine. USP is known as the best University of Latin America, and this agreement will help to endorse our current and develop future collaboration in important global themes such as climate change, resilient infrastructure and biodiversity.”

Above: Signing of MoU by Presidente da AUCANI, Prof. Sergio Persival Baroncini Proença, President of the USP International Cooperation Office (AUCANI) and Prof. Patricia Osseweijer, University Ambassador Brazil TU Delft  and (right above) signing witnessed by Wieneke Vulling (right) Dutch Consul General Brazil. Right below: Full delegation at signing ceremony USP.

The signing of the agreement with USP will also support the development of in-depth business plans on specific joint projects in such areas as socio-ecological design, water management, innovative metropolitan solutions, and biobased economy, as well as facilitate student exchange and possible development of Dual Degree PhD programs. The Dutch Consul General Wieneke Vulling witnessed the signing by Prof. Patricia Osseweijer on behalf of Prof. Tim van der Hagen and Prof. Sergio Persival Baroncini Proenca, Provost for International Cooperation on behalf of Prof. Carlos Gilberto Carlotti Junior, Rector Magnificus USP.

The architectural project of fluid grounds: from local to continental approaches seminar at USP-FAU

Collaboration with USP on resilient cities of the future

At USP’s Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism (USP-FAU), a two-day seminar “The architectural project of fluid grounds: from local to continental approaches” was organized by Prof. Alexandre Delijaicov (USP) and dr. Taneha Bacchin (TU Delft). It included working meetings on on-going projects between BK-FAU as well as strategic conversations on how to launch new joint research programmes on Climate Justice and Socio-Ecological Development in the Amazon and the São Paulo Metropolitan Water-Waste-Mobility Nexus.

“The international seminar and institutional meetings with USP’s Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism aimed to continue the long-lasting research and education collaboration between USP and TU Delft and to initiate a new five-year cycle of mobility and research exchange under the framework of joint research programmes: (1) Fluvial Metropolis, The Aquatic Project: São Paulo Metropolitan Water-Waste-Mobility Nexus; (2) Socio-Ecological Design and Material Ecologies; (3) Amazon Environmental Justice, Forms of Life, and the Politics of Scale. The joint research programmes are transdisciplinary and cross-faculty initiatives between USP and TU Delft research units in close collaboration with the public sector. A technical meeting was held between the City of São Paulo, USP-FAU, and researchers from TU Delft on the ‘Aquatic Project’ - a recent technical cooperation agreement between the City of São Paulo (SPTrans) and FAU-USP for the design, planning, and governance of the waterway public transport system in addition to environmental education, environmental preservation measures, reforestation, and recovery of metropolitan hydrologic system.” The meeting represented the start of the exchange between institutions and researchers on the topic and future collaboration.

TU Delft researchers gave several keynotes including Prof. Marcel Hertogh, Director DIMI, on Towards Resiliency, Transdisciplinary approaches for future infrastructures and dr. Taneha Bacchin on Transitional Landscapes, Precisions.

Left: Keynote by dr. Taneha Bacchin and right: Keynote by Prof. Marcel Hertogh

Fernando Barrancos Chucre, Prof. Marcel Hertogh, and Prof. Patricia Osseweijer

TUDelft and USP collaborate for resilience of São Paulo city

Addressing current challenges with new innovation, a working meeting with representatives of the São Paulo city government, including Fernando Barrancos Chucre Executive Secretary for Planning and Priority Deliveries (SGM/SEPEP), allowed for conversations on both the fluvial mobility project and circular wastewater opportunities.

Continuation of SPRINT between TUDelft and FAPESP

In São Paulo, we also met with Prof. Luiz Eugênio Araújo de Moraes Mello, the Scientific Director of the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) to discuss larger joint research opportunities between the Netherlands and São Paulo Brazi. It was agreed to extend the mutual investments in the SPRINT program covering the joint SPRINT call for the organization of workshops and the exchange of researchers.

Novel approaches to resource recovery in wastewater treatment: UNICAMP leading the way

With partners at UNICAMP, we hosted a hybrid United Nations Satellite Workshop during the World Water Conference – Water we Waiting for. The event examined challenges and opportunities for the implementation of circular wastewater treatment in Brazil and included presentations by Vasco Rodrigues, the Dutch Deputy Consul General in São Paulo Brazil, Prof. Mark van Loosdrecht, Prof. Marcelo Nolasco (USP) and Prof. Luana Mattos de Oliveira Cruz (UNICAMP), as well as industry players (Aguas do Algarve, RHKDHV, Koppert).

“The workshop was really important to identify and guide new collaborations between TU Delft and Unicamp in order to improve the circular wastewater treatment. We could discuss about Brazilian challenges and which studies are relevant to implement new technologies that have been used in The Netherlands, considering social, cultural and economic aspects,” adds Prof. Luana Mattos de Oliveira Cruz.

Left: Presentation by Vasco Rodrigues, the Dutch Deputy Consul General in Sao Paulo Brazil

Right: UN Satellite Workshop Water we Waiting for? At NIPE, UNICAMP, Campinas with from left to right: Mr. Brenno Lima, Dr. Bruna de Souza Moraes, Mr. Robert Thijssen, Prof. Marcelo Nolasco, Vasco Rodrigues, Prof. Patricia Osseweijer, Prof. Gustavo Paim Valenca, Prof. Luana Mattos de Oliveira Cruz, Dr. Thiago Bressani, Mr. Hélio Gabardo

Continuation of extensive collaboration UNICAMP

We were also welcomed by the Acting Rector of UNICAMP, Prof. Maria Luiza Moretti, Prof. Osvaldir Taranto, Executive Director of DERI – International Relations Executive Board, and Prof. Gustavo Paim Valenca, to discuss further our collaboration. UNICAMP and TU Delft have had a strong partnership for more than twenty years that includes a dual degree Ph.D. programme since 2012, and TU Delft has a permanent office at UNICAMP. Fifteen Ph.D. students have received their degrees in the years of the programme.  The collaboration also includes joint courses in different areas and joint organization of events. Joint research areas range from bioenergy to water and sewage treatment and civil engineering. You can also see more on UNICAMP’s website.  

Prof. Gustvao Paim Valenca highlights, “TU Delft has been UNICAMP’s largest international collaborator over the past years, especially for the dual degree PhD programme. Since its establishment in 2013, this programme accounts for the largest number of UNICAMP’s dual degree PhD graduates, and we are looking forward to welcoming more students to the progrmme in the coming years.”   

Meeting with the UNICAMP Rectorate, with from left to right: Ms. Marie Kummerlowe, Prof. Gustavo Paim Valenca, Prof. Maria Luiza Moretti, Prof. Patricia Osseweijer and Prof. Osvaldir Taranto

 

Meeting with Smart City Business America, Brasília

Smart City Business America (SCBA) is network of 400 companies and governments around the creation of a smart cities ecosystem in Latin and North-America. SCBA is present in 9 countries and promotes the advancement of discussions related to Smart Cities in the region, with the ambition being the leader of the initiative to create an ecosystem and a market for Smart Cities.

Prof.dr.ir. Marcel Hertogh and Dr. Yirang Lim had a meeting with Dr. Jorges Barros, the CEO Brazil of SCBA. Yirang handed over her PhD thesis ‘Impacts of Smart City Development: Experience of South Korea.’ The subject of the meeting was possibilities for collaboration between Resilient Delta Initiative (RDi) and SCBA. During the meeting we discussed the four possibilities for collaboration which we have formulated in advance, together with prof.dr.ir. Arjan van Timmeren, and possible ways to move forward. An important starting point can be an MoU, which we already prepared. Jorge invited RDi to give a key note lecture at the big international congress in São Paulo, May 23-25, this year. After the meeting, he proudly gave us a tour of the city centre.

Left: Marcel Hertogh, Yirang Lim and Jorge Barros.

 

Right: The city of Brasília

More information

Contact: Professor Patricia Osseweijer, P.Osseweijer@tudelft.nl; +31-6-51033916 and Marie Kummerlowe, a.m.kummerlowe@tudelft.nl; 31 0634188353