NEW PARTNERSHIP
CIAC ESTABLISHES A NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HEALTH TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION LABORATORY OF THE FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF RIO GRANDE DO NORTE
On December 14, Professor Mirian Tavares, from the University of Algarve and coordinator of CIAC, visited the facilities of LAIS – Health Technology Innovation Laboratory at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) in a guided technical tour led by Professor and researcher Juciano Lacerda.
During the visit, technological innovations produced in each research area were presented, including Digital Health, Assistive Technologies, Hearing and Language, and Bioengineering. Researchers also provided details about the Virtual Learning Environment of SUS (AVASUS), along with audiovisual products developed by the LAIS communication team.
Mirian Tavares emphasized the importance of communication in promoting the Laboratory’s work, stating, “you have a complete service here that involves the population, addressing health issues with equipment that is simple to use by all SUS health units, for example, and, moreover, with this aspect of research and communication about what you do.” The CIAC coordinator confirmed a concrete interest in establishing cooperation between LAIS/UFRN and CIAC/UAlg and also raised the possibility of developing other partnerships between the University of Algarve and the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte through LAIS/UFRN in various knowledge areas.
According to LAIS researcher Juciano Lacerda, “The development of a work plan between LAIS and CIAC opens doors for a broader scope of cooperation between the University of Algarve and the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte and also enhances the work developed by LAIS in health education mediated by technology, incorporating aspects of art education and digital media art, in addition to the perspective of innovating science and health dissemination in Brazil, the Ibero-American region, and the African continent.”
Kaline Sampaio, a researcher at LAIS/UFRN in the Communication field, added that this partnership can bring benefits to both institutions, stating, “With the strengthening of studies in the fields of Scientific Communication and the production of Open Educational Resources through media devices, we seek to promote access for health professionals and the general population to important public health topics in a way that is appropriate for the purpose and the audience we need to reach.”
LAIS carries out work that combines academic research and product development, converging into a transdisciplinary set of knowledge, including communication, education, art, technology, and design, as mentioned by Maurício de Oliveira Júnior, researcher and former student of the PhD in Media Art. “With the strengthening of studies in the fields of scientific communication and the production of Open Educational Resources through media devices, we seek to promote access for health professionals and the general population to important public health topics in a way that is appropriate for the purpose and the audience we need to reach,” he emphasized. In this context, the partnership between LAIS and CIAC enhances the transdisciplinary and innovative character of both, whether through doctoral research, collaborative research, or the multiple possible contributions in their respective areas of expertise.
For CIAC, this collaboration represents an important initiative in the fields of science communication, media art, and distance education, through the commitment to exchange researchers and develop joint projects.
