29/04/2016
By Ariane Mondo – Ascom ISD – Photos: Luiz Juttel – Ascom ISD

The teacher Álvaro de Oliveira, from Aalto Helsinki University (Finland), makes no secret of the fact that he is an enthusiast of the projects of the Santos Dumont Institute (ISD). Since 2015, he has known the ISD units located in Natal and Macaíba (Rio Grande do Norte) and on several public occasions he has praised the actions developed by the Institute, as in a recent article in the newspaper Tribuna do Norte, from Natal (link HERE).

On April 26th, Professor Álvaro visited the Alfredo J. Monteverde School Scientific Education Center, in Natal, accompanied by Irani Santos It is Alexandre Duarte representatives of Natal Municipal Planning Secretariat (SEMPLA). Everyone was received by three ISD directors: Theodoro Paraschiva, general director; Dora Montenegro, director of the Scientific Education Centers (CECs) and Reginaldo Freitas Junior, director of teaching and research.
Dora explained to the visitors that the ISD, through the Natal Scientific Education Center (CEC), is signing a Cooperation Agreement with the Natal Municipal Department of Education that deals with transportation and attendance of students at municipal public schools, in addition to the participation of teachers representing partner municipal schools in Continuing Training at this CEC.
Alexandre, from SEMPLA, stated that it is important to establish a culture of scientific thinking from an early age, as this can help people throughout their lives. Álvaro concluded by saying that children starting school now find it much easier to learn programming languages, for example.

Professor Álvaro commented that the next steps should include closer contact with the health area to learn more about the teaching-service-community integration strategies developed by ISD. Reginaldo took the opportunity to present some of these experiences and projects led by Anita Garibaldi Health Education and Research Center (CEPS), located in Macaíba (RN).
Theodoro spoke about the activities carried out by ISD in 2016 and delivered some documents from the institution such as the master plan, strategic planning and tactical plan. Professor Álvaro stated that he would read everything very carefully and thanked him, saying: “I am sure that we will follow a joint path”.

Smart and Human Cities

At the meeting, Álvaro once again stated that Natal is the Brazilian capital most prepared to receive the “Smart and Human Cities” project, because there is already interaction between the University and City Hall, a fact that apparently sounds commonplace, but which

and it is not the reality of cities in Brazil. He said that an open platform center will soon begin work in the capital of Rio Grande do Norte and recalled that Natal is the only city in Brazil to have an institution dedicated to thinking about the city, citing the Instituto Metrópole Digital (IMD) from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN).
In March, SEMPLA representatives were at CEC Natal and said that the pedagogical proposal of the Scientific Education Centers can integrate actions of the Smart and Human Cities project in Natal (article HERE).
There are currently 75 smart and human cities in Europe. In Natal, the coordination of actions and local partners in the context of the Smart and Human Cities project is carried out by the City Hall, via SEMPLA, together with UFRN, via IMD. The main goal of the project described on the official website is “to bring together researchers and professionals with extensive theoretical and practical experience in areas such as computer science, engineering and social sciences. The integration of these areas is the scientific and technological basis of current and future smart city projects. As a product, the aim is to design and develop a set of methods, techniques and tools that seek to support the planning, development and implementation of smart cities. Smart Cities are promoting a new paradigm in information and communications technology to transform their systems, operations and service delivery into a truly integrated, intelligent and human approach.”

More about the Santos Dumont Institute: https://www.institutosantosdumont.org.br/

More about Scientific Education Centers (CECs): CECs Natal and Macaíba (RN) | CEC Serrinha (BA)

More about the Anita Garibaldi Health Education Center (CEPS): https://www.institutosantosdumont.org.br/centro-de-educacao-e-pesquisa-em-saude-anita-garibaldi/

More about the Smart and Human Cities project in Natal: http://smartmetropolis.imd.ufrn.br/