The city of Macaíba was awarded during the 10th edition of the Fair of Municipalities and Tourist Products of RN (Femptur), held at the Convention Center, in Natal. The municipality's stand, which had the Santos Dumont Institute (ISD) as one of the exhibitors, came in second place in the Originality category, presenting technological, scientific, cultural, economic and tourist potential to the public.
One of the differences of the Macaíba space was the scientific approach carried out by ISD throughout the two days of the event. Students and researchers explained the Institute's lines of research and spoke about the importance of neuroscience and neuroengineering for research in neurorehabilitation. In addition, they presented the two units of the Institute: the Anita Garibaldi Health Education and Research Center (Anita) and the Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neurosciences (IIN-ELS).
The medical student at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), João Artur, was surprised by the presence of ISD at the fair. “I didn't expect that at a tourism fair there would be a stand talking about neurosciences, which is a field of medicine that I'm very interested in. It was an opportunity to learn more about this area”, he stated.
It was also a surprise for little Ana Lívia, aged 5, who visited the fair accompanied by her parents. She was interested in the anatomical representation of the human brain, one of the items taken to the exhibition. “Having contact with this type of knowledge is very meaningful for children. I have no doubt that, for her, seeing how the brain works was a new discovery. Even if she can't understand everything that was explained, the experience is worth a lot”, commented Leila Oliveira, Lívia's mother.
The ISD stand was also visited by local and state authorities, including the mayor of Macaíba, Emídio Júnior, senator Zenaide Maia and governor Fátima Bezerra. The head of the Rio Grande do Norte executive held the official opening of Femptur, on Friday (26). During the visit to the Macaíba city hall stand, she praised the services provided by the Santos Dumont Institute. “I’m a big fan of ISD. Congratulations on the work you do and for developing science in RN”, he highlighted.
For Edgard Morya, manager of IIN-ELS, the fair was an opportunity to exhibit part of the scientific work produced 10 years ago by ISD in Macaíba. “We present to society a summary of our interdisciplinary work that has been carried out for a decade in teaching, research and extension actions at both Anita and IIN-ELS. ISD has a Specialized Rehabilitation Center, a multidisciplinary health residency, a master's degree in neuroengineering and laboratories open to researchers. We increasingly want to be recognized as an institution integrated with local demands, both in health care and solutions and in scientific production”, he explained.
The Macaíba stand also featured an exhibition of products manufactured in the municipality's Industrial Park, such as Boku's popcorn and Chapinha ice cream, and publicity for the Augusto Severo Scientific and Technological Park (PAX). The cultural area of the space included the literary works of Macaíba writer Auta de Souza and the cuisine and crafts typical of rural communities.
“It was a very important action for the municipality because it covered the entire Macaíba production chain. We present all the potential we have for Rio Grande do Norte, with emphasis on science and technology through the Santos Dumont Institute. Our stand was one of the most visited at the fair, a sign that people are interested in what Macaíba has to offer”, celebrated Sérgio Nascimento, secretary of culture for the municipality.
The Fair of Municipalities and Tourist Products of RN (Femptur) took place on the 26th and 27th of April, at the Natal Convention Center, located on Via Costeira. The event featured exhibitions from 50 Rio Grande do Norte municipalities, institutions, government entities and startups, and aimed to promote the tourist and economic development of Rio Grande do Norte.
About ISD
The Santos Dumont Institute (ISD) is a Social Organization linked to the Ministry of Education (MEC) and includes the Edmond and Lily Safra International Neuroscience Institute and the Anita Garibaldi Center for Health Education and Research, both in Macaíba. ISD's mission is to promote education for life, forming citizens through integrated teaching, research and extension actions, in addition to contributing to a fairer and more humane transformation of Brazilian social reality.
