The Santos Dumont Institute (ISD), a Social Organization linked to the Ministry of Education, received, this Wednesday morning (12), a visit from representatives of the Coordination of Innovation in Educational Technologies (Cointe), from the Rio Grande Department of Education of the North (SEEC). The delegation visited the teaching and research facilities of the Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neuroscience (IIN-ELS), one of the ISD units, in Macaíba.
The visitors were received by the ISD research professor, Fabrício Brasil, and the IIN-ELS manager, Edgard Morya. Initially, Cointe members attended a presentation of the research lines of the master's degree in neuroengineering and, afterwards, they learned about the Institution's laboratory structure, as well as the exoskeleton used at the opening of the 2014 World Cup, held in Brazil.
The pioneering equipment developed by neuroscientist Miguel Nicolelis, creator of the Santos Dumont Institute, is on permanent display at the Nise da Silveira Exhibition Space, located on the ground floor of the IIN-ELS building.
“It is a source of pride for every resident of Rio Grande do Norte to know about this scientific development structure provided by ISD, which is a reference for the entire world. We want to bring students from the state public school here, so they know that it is possible to carry out cutting-edge research without having to leave Rio Grande do Norte”, declared Cointe coordinator, Josenildo Bezerra.
The Coordination of Innovation in Educational Technologies is an initiative of the RN Department of Education aimed at promoting and developing innovations in the educational area through the use of technologies. During the visit, the Cointe coordinator highlighted the possibility of establishing partnerships with teaching and research institutions aimed at training professionals from the state education network to encourage scientific production in public schools.
“In the future, public schools in the state will have robotics, computer and new technology laboratories and we will need professionals who are trained to use these laboratories and encourage scientific practice among primary and secondary school students. We want ISD to be our partner in this process”, projected Bezerra.
Edgard Morya, manager of IIN-ELS, emphasized the need to enable basic network students to work with new technologies, especially those aimed at the rehabilitation of people with disabilities, the main focus of neuroscience research developed at ISD. “We have new ideas emerging in the field of neuroengineering, research that improves and lowers the costs of producing orthoses and prosthetics used by people with disabilities. Soon, we will need qualified minds who can get off the ground and execute the innovations that are being created and which are demands of the population of Rio Grande do Norte”, he declared.
Before visiting the ISD, Cointe representatives were at the Augusto Severo Scientific and Technological Park (PAX/RN). There, they visited the areas focused on setting up companies and developing research in the area of technological innovation.
About Cointe
Cointe's main objective is to promote the integration of educational technologies into the pedagogical practices of public schools in Rio Grande do Norte, seeking to improve the quality of education and provide more dynamic and effective learning experiences. The coordinator develops several activities related to training teachers in the use of technologies, creating digital teaching materials, implementing distance learning platforms, among other initiatives that aim to incorporate ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies) into everyday school life.
About ISD
The Santos Dumont Institute 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 Health Education and Research Center, 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.
