Washington
On October 23, 2012, the Brazil Institute at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) will hold a forum on the state of scientific research in the State of São Paulo, Brazil and future forms of cooperation between the two institutions, as part of the celebrations of FAPESP’s Golden Jubilee. The event will take place one year after a three-day conference on “50 Years of Science in Brazil and Challenges Ahead” held at the Wilson Center to launch FAPESP’s jubilee celebration in the United States.
The scientific director of FAPESP, Dr. Carlos Henrique de Brito Cruz, will keynote the event. FAPESP is a leading funder of scientific research in Brazil. Dr. Brito Cruz’ presentation will focus on FAPESP’s present priorities, São Paulo’s scientific output this century, expanding collaboration with international research center from both public and private sector and the perspective for the coming few years.
Carlos Henrique de Brito Cruz holds a BSc in electronic engineering from ITA Instituto Tecnológico da Aeronáutica. He concluded his Master and PhD degrees at the Gleb Wataghin Physics Institute of Unicamp - Universidade Estadual de Campinas. In the 1980s, he was a researcher at the Quantum Optics Laboratory of the Italo-Latin American Institute of Università Degli Studi in Rome. An associate professor at Unicamp’s Physics Institute, Brito Cruz has worked as a visiting resident at AT&T Bell Laboratories in Holmdel, N.J. and was a visiting scientist at AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, NJ, in 1990. His research interests are ultra-fast lasers and ultra-short pulses, with emphasis on the study of electronic processes on a femtosecond timescale in optically non-linear materials, centered on application in optical communications. From 1991 - 1994, and again from 1998 - 2002, he served as director of Unicamp’s Gleb Wataghin Physics Institute. From 1994 to 1998, he was also dean of research at Unicamp. He has also served as vice-president of the Brazilian Physics Society and is a member of the International Advisory Committee for the Optical Society of America. In 2000, he became a member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences. Dr.Brito Cruz was FAPESP’s president from 1996 to 2002 and rector of Unicamp from April 2002 to April 2005. In addition to his responsibilities at FAPESP, he currently leads the Technology and Competitiveness Board at FIESP, the São Paulo State Federation of Industries. He has been the scientific director at FAPESP since April 2005. Last May, Brito Cruz authored a very informative article on state and federal support for scientific research in Brazil. An English translation of the article can he found here.
The workshop will be hosted by the director of the Brazil Institute, Paulo Sotero, who will introduce Dr. Brito Cruz and briefly review the collaboration between the Wilson Center and FAPESP and prospects for the near future. The presentations will be followed by an open discussion with the participants.
The event will start at 3PM at the Wilson Center 6th floor Flom Auditorium.