UNIVERSITY OF SÃO PAULO - BRAZIL

USP inaugurates corner dedicated to Quebec at the International Intercultural Center

Minister of International Relations of the Canadian province, Martine Biron, attended the ceremony of the new corner of the USP International Intercultural Center.

https://jornal.usp.br/?p=761232 Published: 24/05/2024 Updated: 27/05/2024 at 11:07 By Maria Clara Portela*

Rector Carlos Gilberto Carlotti Junior and Minister Martine Biron cut the ribbon at the inauguration of the Québec Space – Photo: Cecília Bastos/USP Images.

A space dedicated to the Canadian province of Québec is the newest corner of the International Intercultural Center (CII) at USP. The inauguration of the Québec Space was attended by the Minister of International Relations and the Francophonie of Québec, Martine Biron.

In a brief speech, the minister expressed her emotions regarding the initiative and emphasized the importance of international spaces. “It is an honor to inaugurate the Québec Space in a center of knowledge like USP, where young people want to learn, want to open themselves to cultures from around the world. Now borders no longer exist, and that is most important. I deeply thank the University of São Paulo for this magnificent and warm project,” Martine said.

USP Rector Carlos Gilberto Carlotti Junior celebrated the integration of USP and Québec – the second most populous province in Canada and the only one with a predominantly Francophone population – and highlighted the unique role of USP. “It is not common for a university to have so many international spaces as we have here, in this Center. In a divided world, having this experience in Brazil, at USP, is an example of coexistence, peace, and academic quality for the whole world,” he emphasized.

[From left to right] The Provost for International Cooperation, Sergio Proença, Minister Martine Biron, Rector Carlos Gilberto Carlotti Junior, and the director of the Québec Office in São Paulo, Jason Naud – Photo: Cecília Bastos/USP Images.

Accompanied by the Provost for Academic Cooperation, Sergio Proença, and the director of the Québec Office in São Paulo, Jason Naud, the minister and the rector discussed the positive impacts of the partnership between Québec and USP and talked about environmental sustainability policies. The new Québec Space joins six other international corners at the International Intercultural Center – Korea Corner, Israel Corner, France Corner, India Corner, Ireland Corner, and Deutschland Corner – to create an environment of cultural integration between different countries and the University, as well as to offer various activities and events. The International Intercultural Center is a project linked to Aucani.

The International Intercultural Center is open from Monday to Friday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the International Diffusion Center (CDI), located at Av. Prof. Lúcio Martins Rodrigues, 310, Bloco B, 1st floor, at Cidade Universitária, São Paulo. For more information, visit the Aucani website.

*Intern under the supervision of Erika Yamamoto