Phase 2 'Capacity Building and Internationalisation for Higher Education' Brazil Exchange

Funder

British Council

Value

£101,05

PI and Project Team Members

Collaborators

UFRGS - Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil)

Duration of project

2018-2019

Project Overview

This British Council funded capacity-building project addresses UFES’s institutional and regional needs to enhance its internationalization capabilities within priority Social Sciences research areas as per its Internationalisation Plan. The project follows Joseph’s transformative approach to internationalisation as a collaborative undertaking which engages with cultural difference, challenges, ambiguity and risk (2011: 242). It is based on Appreciative Inquiry tenets (Cooperrider and Srivastva 1987; Cooperrider et al 2008) as it entails "a group process that enquires into, identifies and further develops the best of “what is” in organizations in order to create better futures”’ (Preskill and Catsambas 2006: 2) with a particular focus on doctoral study education.

Project objectives

To give continuity to the exchange initiated between the two institutions in stage one of this program last year, strengthening cooperation.
To further develop research between the two institutions in the area of dance and disability.
To broaden the cultural understanding and relationship between the countries, institutions and people involved in this project.
To give visibility to the research and discussions raised in the process of the exchange, sharing the results with the academic community and also taking the results to the community outside the university, through publishing a special issue of a journal on the theme of dance and disability.
To involve academic community of UFRGS, Coventry and also other Brazilian universities, as well as disabled dance artists in the research and writing of the
articles.

Impact statement

Through exploring questions about the politics of dance for disabled dancers in the UK and Brazil, the project will promote the importance of inclusion in dance training and professional practice in both countries.

Sharing expertise as developed in Brazil and the UK will have a positive impact on training routes, curriculum content and publication strategies in both countries.

Relationships between individuals, dance artists and companies, and research communities will be developed and strengthened through the project, bringing about new initiatives to sustain the collaboration.

The e-book will be published in both languages and will be open access to ensure readers in both countries can access the publication, thereby extending access to important new writings on the politics of inclusion and stimulating dialogue between artists, teachers and researchers.

Outputs

Visit of teacher Carla Vendramin to Coventry University for exchange and research.
Visit of Professor Sarah Whatley to UFRGS/ESEFID for exchange and research.
An e-book publication with at least eight chapters, each of them in Portuguese and English, with writings by Sarah Whatley, Carla Vendramin, guest researchers, teachers and disabled dance artists.
Event for launch of the publication in Porto Alegre at UFRGS, open to academic community and community outside the university.