Yoshiyuki Suto, from the Nagoya University.

The Hellenistic world, regarded as the earliest age of globalization in human history, was discussed at the conference Articulating Time in the Hellenistic World, given by Yoshiyuki Suto, a professor of Ancient History and academic staff of the Center for the Cultural Heritage and Texts (CHT) at the Nagoya University..

The emergence of a multicultural society has imposed the need to synchronize calendars and to standardize documentary records and the dating of historical events. "The setting of time was closely related to the sense of social stability," said Suto during the Humanities / Social Sciences Workshop of the second phase of the Intercontinental Academia (ICA), on March 10.

"We have agreed on the use of units such as hours, minutes, seconds and days to express time, but we do not think about the origin of these markers."

From the observation of the stars, the Egyptians have been the first to count annual periods and also the pioneers in creating 12 subdivisions of time based on seasons. Greek historian and geographer Herodotus wrote on this ability of the so-called "time masters" in 3 BC. "Their calculations are more accurate than those of the Greeks, who added an intercalary month every two years so that the seasons could coincide. The Egyptians counted 30 days for each of the 12 months, adding five days to the total of each year and thus the full circle of the seasons would coincide with the calendar," Herodotus wrote.

Suto has been specializing in the history of Egypt under the Ptolemaic dinasty. "It is interesting to observe not only the advanced knowledge of the Egyptians, but also the unique feature of that moment. During Hellenism there has been the first era of globalization in human history. The creation of huge empires and the division into large kingdoms features a totally different time in comparison to the previous one," he said.

This period was marked by the expeditions of Alexander the Great to Asia, by the first invasion of Rome in Eastern Greece and by the spread of the Greek language. Public announcements and historical events often needed to be recorded in more than one type of spelling or language, and considering the calendars adopted by different peoples, Suto said. Those were common public documents referencing reigns, bishoprics and other historical facts, accordingly to Sumerian, Egyptian or Greek calendars, to avoid mistakes about the date or the fact that they wanted to portray.

Thus, the time synchronization was necessary. In order to date documents, some important reference points have been used, such as the Trojan War, the Flood of Deucalion (the Greek Noah) or the Return of the Heracleidae. A more explicit time series was created from the Olympic Games in Athens. "The new benchmark was based on the list of Olympic winners," Suto said.

To show how time synchronization evolved between the different peoples of ancient history, Suto introduced two basic concepts related to time in history. The first concept compares progressive time and recurring time, where progressive time is connected to a linear chain of events between past, present and future, and recurring time is caracterized by a repeated cycle of events from period to period, such as celebrations. The second concept compares natural time and human time, where natural time is related to astronomical phenomena and nature, and human time is linked to cultural articulations and a personal interpretation of natural time.

Even in ancient societies, natural time did coincide with celebrations and human needs as harvesting and planting, for example. But it was during the Hellenistic period that the definition of beginning and end of basic chronological units occurred, as well as the synchronization of various human times and ways to denote human time in daily life, he said.

There was no way to articulate a unit of time that had more than one year. Besides, there were difficulties to distinguish one year from another in a chronologically progressive time. Initially, the way that was found to do this was giving the name of a magistrate or an elected priest to a year. "It has certainly avoided a lot of trouble, but it was not practical because these references did not give a sense of relative sequence in relation to the facts," Suto said.

The way to mark time progressed in the Hellenistic kingdoms, especially in the Ptolemaic Egypt, the most successful and enduring of them. An alternative system became better known: to count the year from the throne succession of each king. For example, the year of the coronation of Ptolemy I (305-4 BC) was called the Year I of Ptolemy of Egypt.

The establishment of the concept of regular years has not only contributed to the identification of a given year, but also of longer periods. "It allowed to articulate progressive time with the respective period of each king's domain," he said.

This was demonstrated in a 300-name-long king list graphed over a papyrus. The document, entitled Turin Royal Canon, dates from the time of Ramses II and brings the exact duration of each reign. It is unknown why it is the only list of kings of the Pharaonic period.

Ptolemy II, co-regent of his father, Ptolemy I Soter, introduced changes in the calendar. He tried to extend the year of his reign, considering the period during which he was co-regent. "The reason for this is unknown but it is believed that it has been an attempt to extend his authority over the legislators of other kingdoms," Suto said.

After all, the regular year system starting from the year in which a new king succeeded the former one resulted in a convenient way to determine the beginning and the end of each period, Suto said. Thus, the striking feature of the Hellenistic phase was not only the structural and cultural integration of the kingdom. There was also the important time synchronization that in previous periods was locally separated in different parts of the kingdom.

Neuroscientist Kazuhiko Kume, from the Nagoya City University.

Researcher in neuroscience and molecular biology, Kazuhiko Kume, from the Department of Neuropharmacology of the Nagoya City University, spoke to the participants of the Intercontinental Academia as one of the pioneers to introduce the study of neuroethics in Japan. "Time in the brain" was the theme of the lecture given during the Biology Workshop, on March 8.

Kume studies sleep patterns and the molecular interaction in the circadian cycle, and calls himself a "weekend philosopher". This is how he has introduced his vision on the relationship between the brain and the cells over time.

The professor showed an image that, when stared at, makes the viewer have the illusion that it moves. "If your brain sees the movement, this happens by the time the brain takes to produce movement. So your brain produces time to a static figure," he said.

Kume initially addressed some concepts of neuroscience and bioethics, which he introduced in Japan from a textbook produced in 2006. In the original sense of the word it means "the ethics of neuroscience" or the behaviour that defines what is good or bad in the study of the brain." For example, is the erasure of negative memories or the improvement of cognitive activity through the use of drugs good or bad?," he pointed out.

Bioethics can also be seen as the neuroscience of ethics. "For example, there is a difference in individual decisions on ethics because of structural differences in the brain." Or: "Can you tell who would say yes or no in a moral dilemma just by looking at the structure of the person's brain?," he asked. Discussing the brain and the mind incites some very common questions such as "What is mind or consciousness?" or "Do I really know why I want a certain thing?"

According to Kume, philosopher and mathematician René Descartes (1596-1650) proposed the idea of a center in the brain where the spirit (mind) would dwell; a kind of home to the soul or the thought. He believed that this center would be in the pineal body (or pineal gland), since it is a unique structure located in the central area of the brain. It is as if our mind stayed there, as if sitting in a theater watching us and deciding what we should do. As if there was a person inside the brain. But this would be impossible, Kume said, because it leads to an endless definition that within that person there would be another center inhabited by another person and so on.

Thus, the arguments against the beliefs of Descartes show that no region is particularly essential to consciousness, for any part can be deleted without the loss of consciousness. However, there are exceptions in the case of major head injuries. On the other hand, the disconnection through sleep or anesthesia induces a reversible loss of consciousness. The brain and the body continue to work, but without consciousness. Furthermore, it is philosophically impossible to conceive the "center of the human being" as this would lead to an endless recursive redefinition, according to Kume.

When two brains of different people share the same feelings, perceptions and emotions then the idea gets a bit more complicated. Kume brought this issue up by showing twins connected by the brain. They have identical genes but different tastes and personalities. They can control their own hands and often fight with each other but they have connections that provide them with the same sensations. One does not like broccoli while the other one eats it and makes the first feel the taste. They also have the ability to communicate without talking out loud. For example, moving towards a particular direction or decide to watch TV.

"We can assume a human being as a set of different personalities. In the contemporary view, it is as if there were several dwarves acting within the brain," he said. Hence Kume's view of what the mind is: like a government without a president in which the mouth is the spokesman representing the government but does not decide and does not know everything. It is like a place of many ministries, each of which is headed by a minister who decides and executes different projects, and reports to the spokesman. In this logic, not even the minister knows everything that is done in their ministry, as each ministry is made of many parts, he compared.

Kume proposes an analysis of the brain from the time classification created by English metaphysicist John McTaggart Ellis McTaggart (1866 - 1925), plus Naoki Nomura's view on the author. (read the article below)

Nomura uses the temporal structure of McTaggart and adds a new time series to the theory, the E-series, based on the synchronization and communication between agents. This series emerges when there is a synchronization between the objective time and the subjective time.

Kume showed that there are different times which vary depending on the instrument used to measure them. The clock, a programmed series, the seasons of the year, the calendar, the period of digestion, the menstrual period, the lunar period, breathing, the heart beat, eye blinking. All these are measures that give a notion of biological time. In this type of time, synchronization is important. For a tadpole to become a frog, for example, a specific objective time is not required, but rather an optimal temperature for the growth of the body and the atrophy of the tail, he exemplified.

Living beings are not exactly governed by a clock, but by a daily metabolic cycle that establishes the so-called circadian cycle. The circadian clock or circadian cycle is the period of approximately 24 hours, which is the base of the life cycle of almost all living beings. So it is a cycle influenced by variations of light, temperature, tides and winds, day and night.

According to Kume, there is a central region in the brain that regulates the mechanism, but experiments show that only a cell or a neuron can acquire the ability to complete the circadian cycle. Thus, the keyword is synchrony between cells. Likewise, considering the body as a whole, each cell operates at a different rhythm (an imperfect synchronism). The final result, however, is a perfect sync.

Metronomes adjust the beat and the time by synchronizing their movements

To illustrate this phenomenon, Kume used a video showing the beating of 32 metronomes that after being placed on a movable table at different rhythms end up getting in sync after one minute and 45 seconds. The same example was used by Professor Nomura.

For Kume, the reasoning of the E-series refers to the Integrated Information Theory (ITT), proposed by Giulio Tononi. A comatose patient regains consciousness when parts of the brain gradually connect the information of the environment, integrating them fully to the brain. Likewise, living beings adjust to the rhythm of the physical environment.

E-Series of Nomura, a new approach to McTaggart

Cultural anthropologist Naoki Nomura, a professor at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences of the Nagoya City University, talked about his study on assumptions developed by McTaggart about time.

"It is still an ongoing work and therefore what I bring here is unfinished, but still a good view of McTaggart's time," he said. A part of Nomura's study is available online in the article "E-series Time As Prolegomena to McTaggart’s A- and B-series Time", which he signs with Koichiro Matsuno, from the Nagaoka University of Technology.

"The Unreality of Time" is the best-known philosophical work by McTaggart, originally published in 1908 in the journal "Mind". The author presents arguments to demonstrate the unreality of time. For McTaggart, the descriptions we know about time are either contradictory, circular or insufficient.

Cultural anthropologist Naoki Nomura speaks about the synchrony of biological time and physical time.

McTaggart basically proposes three time series to describe time. The A-Series is temporal and represents the subjective, psychological time, consisting of past, present and future. The B-Series is timeless. It is the objective, physical time, characterized by events occurred "earlier than" and "later than" another event. The C-series and the D-Series also have static temporal characteristics.

"The A-Series is a very important division for us because it represents the subjective or psychological time. But when we look at the clock we realize that it marks the hours and not whether it is past, present or future. The B-Series means the time without the division past-present-future, representing the objective time. In the B-Series the clock functions as a global timer or a common device that synchronizes the clocks of the world," Nomura said.

The C-Series is a sequence without order, with static temporal characteristics. The calendar may be viewed as a sequence of numbers and the clock as a mechanism that rotates around its axis. So these time objects can be viewed as a still image, a painting, a drawing of time, he said. "The musical score also marks the time, but we see it as a painting," he compared.

"But the biological clock does not seem to fit into any of these series. So my question is where the biological clock would fit under these descriptions," Nomura said.

For the scientist, the answer lies between the A-Series and B-Series. Or in their communication. This combination results in the E-Series, which he created and characterized by synchronization or communication between different times. To illustrate the idea, Nomura showed what happened to the 32 metronomes.

"Their movement allowed them to fit together, all coming to the same rhythm. We see that material bodies may have an openness, interacting with each other and coordinating time. The synchronization of the metronomes happens due to the mutual adjusting movement and the displacement on the table. Where does the measure of time disappear? All come to a constant adjustment by trial and error until the time matches the beat. The communication between them makes the difference," Nomura said.

Similarly, Nomura says, it is possible to think that the flow of materials between cells occurs in the communication between them. The balance, therefore, is by synchronization. They enter a preset rhythm following the pulse of the rhythm given by walking, dancing, speaking. Thus, the synchronization establishes a kind of time which is different from the clock time.

Group photo on the first day of the ICA's second phase.

The activities of the Intercontinental Academia (ICA) have started in Nagoya. This second stage, to be held from March 6 to 18, continues the work begun in 2015, in São Paulo. Thirteen young researchers are preparing an online course on the subject "Time." The Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) will be available for free on a virtual platform, possibly Cousera.

The opening ceremony, held on March 7 at the Nagoya University, was chaired by Hitoshi Sakakibara, and had the participation of the institution's president, Seiichi Matsuo. Further attendees were Martin Grossmann, former director of the IEA-USP and member of the Senior Committee for the ICA, Carsten Dose, executive director of the Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS) and General Secretary for the ICA, and Hisanori Shinohara, director of the Institute for Advanced Research (IAR), co-organizer of the project and host of its second phase in Nagoya. After the welcome remarks, the research team conducted an acquaintance tour on the Higashiyama campus.

Physicist Hideyo Kunieda, advisor and vice president of the Nagoya University, gave the opening speech. He highlighted the motto of the University of São Paulo, "Sciencia Vinces" (Latin for "conquer by science"), drawing attention to the importance of this message to the present day. By presenting an overview of the research conducted at the Nagoya University, Kunieda stressed out the fact that six professors of the institution have recently been awarded the Nobel Prize. Kunieda was in São Paulo participating in the first phase of the Intercontinental Academia from April 17 to 29 last year, and gave a lecture on the theme time in astronomy.

Physicist Hideyo Kunieda presenting an overview of the research conducted at the Nagoya University.

Award-winning research

Ryoji Noyori won the Nobel Prize in 2001 and Osamu Shimomura in 2008, both in Chemistry. Also in 2008, professors Makoto Kobayashi e Toshihide Maskawa shared the award in Physics with Yoichiro Nambu, from the University of Chicago.

In 2014, another Nobel in Physics for the Nagoya University: Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano shared the award with Shuji Nakamura, from the University of California in Santa Barbara. The white LED, popular for being an economical source of light, was a creation of this trio of scientists.

Kunieda drew attention to the fact that some studies take decades to get to be a relevant invention. Hence the importance of young researchers to build the future. "But the role of a great mentor is also important," he said.

Attracting young talent is among the Nagoya University internationalization strategies, according to Kunieda. The institution promotes student symposiums, offers short and medium-term courses, short and long-term visits, exchanges between researchers, cooperative agreements and other actions.

Among the innovative projects of the Nagoya University there is the Center for Integrated Research of Future Electronics (CIRFE), whose research has resulted in savings of 7% in electricity costs in Japan, and the Institute of Innovation for Future Society, focused on applied research involving several areas.

Intellectual courage

Martin Grossmann thanked whoever has contributed to bring the ICA to life. The project of gathering young researchers from around the world to a work that lasts a whole year was released in 2012 during a meeting of the UBIAS Steering Committee held at Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Advanced Study, in New Delhi.

Martin Grossmann, former director of the IEA-USP and member of the Senior Committee for the ICA.

Grossmann remembered the master classs given by Professor José Goldemberg, former president of USP and current president of the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), during the first meeting of the ICA, in São Paulo. Goldemberg was asked what a young researcher profile should be to meet the challenges of career and the university of the future. "They should be aggressive," he said.

Grossmann pointed out that the meaning of "being aggressive" in the world of science could be translated to "being bold" or "having intellectual courage", which coincides with the motto of the Nagoya University: "cultivate the intellectual courage."

Interdisciplinary approach is fundamental to the university of the future, according to Grossmann, speaking of the research at the IEA-USP. "To listen to the others, even if from different disciplines, is fundamental to the advancement of science," he said.

"How can a network of young researchers have some relevance when there is a secular institution like university? The answer is to promote research and interdisciplinary encounters that allow to associate science, culture and technology," said Grossmann.

Facilitating interdisciplinary dialogue

"The Nagoya University has been playing a leading role and giving decisive support for the activities of the UBIAS," said Carsten Dose. "This is a leading institution on a global scale and, therefore, to be here in the second phase of the ICA is a privilege."

Carsten Dose, from the Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS) and General Secretary for the ICA.

Dose recalled the origins of the ICA and the UBIAS network, thanked the hospitality of the host university and the partnerships that enabled all the activities. "The ICA reminds us of what is essential for our institutions, which is to bring together young researchers in a work that facilitates dialogue between different disciplines and different countries," he said.

He remembered the advantages of having institutes for advanced studies related to universities, because these units have bases for producing science more freely, in a way that conventional institutions can not.

In a direct message to the young researchers of the ICA, Dose said he wanted "ambition" to be maintained, as well as the search for "new ideas to make the ICA keep advancing."

The IAR in expansion

Hisanori Shinohara presented the principles, activities and structure of the IAR. "We work with a small staff, as required by the modern institutions, but we intend to expand during my management, not only in terms of human resources but also in terms of budget," he said.

Hisanori Shinohara, from the IAR-Nagoya, presenting the Institute's activities

Shinohara highlighted that the principles governing the IAR are reporting research excellence produced at Nagoya University and the IAR to the academic community, giving substantial support to research excellence and promoting the independence of prominent researchers.

The academic advisory board of the IAR has 13 members, including the six scientists that have been awarded with the Nobel Prize. The institute currently has six research projects in progress. It seeks to encourage and promote informal interdisciplinary activities, promote meetings between young researchers and renowned academics, promote research exchanges with international institutions and manage a research fellowship program.

The participants of the first edition of the Intercontinental Academia will gather in March (6-18) for the second phase of the project. Almost a year after the meeting in São Paulo, organized by the IEA, the thirteen young researchers will complete their studies on the subject "time" in Nagoya and present the content to a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC).

This phase is being organized by the Nagoya University's Institute for Advanced Research (IAR) with the technical support of the IEA. In addition to the former director of the Brazilian institute, Martin Grossmann, also a member of the scientific committee of the project, two employees of the IEA will be in Nagoya. Rafael Borsanelli and Sergio Bernardo have been invited by the Japanese institute to integrate the technical team of the event.

Toshihide Maskawa	Ryoji Noyori

The programme includes conferences with two Nobel Prize winners: physicist Toshihide Maskawa, awarded in 2008, and chemist Ryoji Noyori, awarded in 2001. Maskawa will give a master class on March 7, at 1.30 pm (Nagoya time), followed by Noyori, who will speak at 3 pm. Maskawa and Noyori are two out of six Nobel Prize winners from Nagoya University.

Besides them, more than 30 specialists in biology, physics, humanities, social sciences and arts will give conferences throughout the 12-day meeting. The president of Nagoya University, Michinari Hamaguchi, will discuss higher education and academic research in Japan (March 7, at 6.30, Nagoya time). The former director of the Princeton Institute for Advanced Study, Peter Goddard, will talk about the development and the role of institutes for advanced study (March 11, at 1.00 pm, Nagoya time).

The activities will take place on the campuses of Nagoya University and Waseda University, in Tokyo. The full programme can be found here.

All conferences will be broadcast live on the websites of the IEA and the Intercontinental Academia. The videos will also be available on the IEA website later.

The Intercontinental Academia is a project of the University-Based Institutes for Advanced Study (UBIAS), a network that brings together 36 institutes for advanced study of universities from all continents. The IEA-USP and the IAR-Nagoya are responsible for the first edition. The phase held in Brazil was part of the Global Networks of Young Researchers program of the Olavo Setubal Chair of Arts, Culture and Science, based on IEA with the support of Itaú Cultural.

The second edition of the Intercontinental Academia will begin on March 7, in Israel, with the theme "human dignity". The organizers are the Israel Institute for Advanced Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Center for Interdisciplinary Research (Zentrum für interdisziplinäre Forschung - ZiF), of the Bielefeld University. Akemi Kamimura, a lawyer and human rights activist, is one of the 21 young researchers that will participate in the project, after being nominated by the IEA and approved by the organizing committee.

Os participantes da primeira Intercontinental Academia se reunirão de 6 a 18 de março em Nagoya, no Japão, para a segunda fase do projeto. Quase um ano depois do encontro em São Paulo organizado pelo IEA, os treze jovens pesquisadores se preparam para concluir os estudos sobre o tema “tempo” e o conteúdo para um Massive Open Online Course (Mooc).

Esta fase é organizada pelo Institute for Advanced Research (IAR) da Nagoya University, mas conta com o apoio e suporte técnico do IEA. Além do ex-diretor do Instituto, Martin Grossmann, que integra o comitê científico do projeto, dois funcionários do IEA estarão em Nagoya. Rafael Borsanelli e Sérgio Bernardo foram convidados pelos japoneses a integrarem a equipe técnica do evento.

Maskawa e Noyori, vencedores do Nobel de física e química em 2008 e 2001

A programação no Japão inclui conferências com dois ganhadores do Prêmio Nobel, ambos da Nagoya University: o físico Toshihide Maskawa e o químico Ryoji Noyori. Maskawa dará aula magna no dia 7 de março, às 13h30, seguido por Noyori, que falará às 15h. Maskawa e Noyori integram um roll de seis vencedores do Nobel provenientes da mesma universidade.

Em 2008, Maskawa e seu colega Makoto Kobayashi levaram o prêmio pelo trabalho que previu a existência de pelo menos três famílias de quarks (uma das três partículas hipotéticas que constituiriam a base de todas as partículas atômicas conhecidas) na natureza. Noyori, que foi homenageado com o Nobel em 2001, dividiu o prêmio com o americano William Knowles pelo estudo da produção de moléculas catalisadoras para a síntese assimétrica de moléculas quirais em reações de hidrogenação.

Além de Maskawa e Noyori, cerca de 30 expoentes da biologia, física, humanidades, ciências sociais e artes farão conferências ao longo dos 12 dias de encontro. O grupo de jovens também participará de atividades com o reitor da Nagoya University, Michinari Hamaguchi, para discutir o ensino superior e a pesquisa acadêmica no Japão (dia 7 de março, às 18h30, horário do Japão), e com o ex-diretor do Institute for Advanced Study de Princeton, Peter Goddard, para falar sobre o desenvolvimento e o papel dos institutos de estudos avançados (dia 11 de março, às 13h, horário do Japão). As atividades acontecerão no campus da Nagoya University e da Waseda University, em Tóquio. Veja a programação completa.

Todas as conferências serão transmitidas ao vivo pelo site do IEA e da Intercontinental Academia. Os vídeos também serão disponibilizados no site do IEA posteriormente.

O projeto

A Intercontinental Academia é um programa da University-Based Institutes for Advanced Study (Ubias), rede que reúne 36 institutos de estudos avançados de universidades de todos os continentes. O IEA-USP e o IAR-Nagoya são os responsáveis pela primeira edição. A fase realizada no Brasil está inserida no programa Redes Globais de Jovens Pesquisadores da Cátedra Olavo Setubal de Arte, Cultura e Ciência, sediada no IEA e que tem o apoio do Itaú Cultural.

A segunda edição da Intercontinental Academia, com início marcado para o dia 7 de março em Israel, terá como tema a dignidade humana. Os organizadores são o Instituto Israel para Estudos Avançados da Universidade Hebraica de Jerusalém e o Centro para Pesquisas Interdisciplinares (Zentrum für interdisziplinäre Forschung - ZiF) da Universidade de Bielefeld. Akemi Kamimura, advogada e militante dos direitos humanos, será um dos 21 jovens pesquisadores integrantes do projeto. Ela foi indicada pelo IEA para participar da segunda edição, que terá 17 mulheres entre os jovens pesquisadores.

A project of the IEA in partnership with Itaú Cultural Institute, the Olavo Setubal Chair is a space to discuss and promote activities related to the world of arts, with special focus on cultural management. Its goal is to foster interdisciplinary reflections on academic, artistic, cultural, and social issues of regional and global scope.

To give due weight and importance to this initiative, the first person to hold the Chair has been diplomat and essayist Sérgio Paulo Rouanet, former National Secretary of Culture and author of the cultural incentive law that bears his name.

The official launch took place on February 17, 2016, at a meeting in the President's Office building, with the participation of Rouanet, the director of the Itaú Cultural Institute, Eduardo Saron Nunes, the President of USP, Marco Antonio Zago, Vice-President Vahan Agopyan, the Director of the IEA, Martin Grossmann, and other representatives of the University and the cultural institution.

President Marco Antonio Zago (left) hosting diplomat Sérgio Paulo Rouanet for the official launch of the Chair

"We are honored to have Sérgio Paulo Rouanet inaugurating the Olavo Setubal Chair. The support of Itaú represents the strengthening of the University's relations with the productive sector, which is very important by allowing the USP to benefit from the presence of personalities as the ambassador," said Zago.

After the meeting, part of the group visited the Itaú Cultural Institute. According to Marcos Cuzziol, manager of the Innovation Center / Observatory of the institution, the partnership recognizes the special attention of Itaú Cultural towards management and formation of a cultural policy, integrating the 10 years of the Itaú Cultural Observatory, to be celebrated this year.

The Itaú Cultural Observatory was created in 2006 with a focus on management, economics and cultural policies. Since then, it promotes studies and discussion of these issues, stimulating reflection on culture in its various aspects and analyzing national indicators. Its performance and range are extended with seminars, meetings and lectures; an editorial line of books and the journal Revista Observatório, available for free on the web; and the promotion of research on the cultural field. In addition, since 2009, it holds a free course on cultural management in partnership with the UNESCO Chair on Cultural Policies, with the cooperation of the University of Girona and the support of the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI). The course has one year of duration and takes place in classrooms and through virtual classes.

With information from USP's press office

The Chair

With a minimum duration of five years, the chair comprises two programs: Global Networks of Young Researchers, and Leaders in Art, Culture, and Science, with a forecast joint endowment of R$ 1,500,000.00, sponsored by the Itaú Cultural Institute. Each program (described below) is granted R$ 150,000.00 annually.

Even before the official inauguration of the Chair, part of its activities had already begun. The Intercontinental Academia, the São Paulo stage of which was launched in April 2015, is part of the Global Network of Young Researchers Program, aimed at developing new leaders. The programs seek to encourage and promote the interdisciplinary research of young (under 40) scholars.

The Leaders in Art, Culture, and Science Program follows the template adopted by USP’s José Bonifácio Chair, inaugurated in 2013.

Each year, the Chair is held by an exponent from the world of art, culture, politics, society, economics or academia, Rouanet being the first among them. In addition to the chairperson, professors, researchers, and national and international personalities participate in the activities, with special attention given to public policies for culture and the arts.

"I hope to follow the example of Nélida Piñon, my colleague at the Brazilian Academy of Letters and holder of the José Bonifacio Chair [in 2015], and to help developing this new chair by placing a stone in this new building," said Rouanet.

The Olavo Setubal Chair extends the central role of the IEA in creating and managing professorships within the University. Over the course of its almost 30 years, the Institute lays claim to 11 chairs (eight elapsed and two active).

In 2020, with the choice of Nestor García Canclini as chair holder, the renewal for another five years of the agreement between the IEA and Itaú Cultural was also celebrated.

Olavo Setubal

Olavo Setubal, a culture supportive

A renowned businessman, mayor of São Paulo (1975-1979), and foreign minister (1985-1986), Olavo Setubal left his mark on Brazilian culture by creating an important collection of more than 3,600 works of art. He conceived and founded the Itaú Cultural Institute in 1987, of which he was also the director until 2001. Among his many contributions to culture are the conception and construction of the São Paulo Cultural Center and of the Itaú Cultural Encyclopedia of Visual Arts, a computerized database of Brazilian art with scanned reproductions of works dating from the 19th century French mission during the Empire.

Holders

2024 - Arissana Pataxó, Francy Baniwa, and Sandra Benites

Visual artist, professor and researcher, Arissana Pataxó was born in Porto Seguro (State of Bahia) and is part of the Pataxó ethnic group. She holds a master's degree in ethnic and African studies from the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), where she is carrying out doctoral research in visual arts, the area of her graduation from the same University. In her artistic work, she addresses indigenous reality and its interaction with other contemporary realities, making use of various techniques and supports. Francy Baniwa is an anthropologist, writer, photographer, filmmaker, and doctoral candidate in social anthropology at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), where she became a master in the same area after graduating in sociology from the Federal University of Amazonas (UFAM). She is part of the Wanaliana community, located in the Upper Negro River indigenous land in São Gabriel da Cachoeira (State of Amazonas), and has been active in the indigenous movement in the region for more than 10 years. A PhD candidate in anthropology at (UFRJ), Sandra Benites is the director of visual arts at the Brazilian Foundation for the Arts (FUNARTE) and works as an art curator, educator, and activist for the Guarani Nhandeva people. Born in the Porto Lindo indigenous land in Japorã (State of Mato Grosso do Sul), she became a master in social anthropology through the postgraduate program at the National Museum of UFRJ. She has been deputy curator of Brazilian art at the Assis Chateaubriand São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP).

2022/23 - Conceição Evaristo

Author of novels, poetry, short stories, and essays, Conceição Evaristo graduated in literature from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), obtained a master's degree in Brazilian literature from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-RJ), and a PhD in comparative literature from the Fluminense Federal University (UFF). She defines her work as escrevivência, that is, literary production derived from her life, and the memories and daily lives of people of African descent in Brazil. Her work is considered a reference in the fight against racism and sexismo in the country. Her first publication was at the age of 44, in 1990, in the Cadernos Negros series, by the group Quilombhoje. She is the author of seven books, including Olhos d'Água (2015), winner of the Jabuti Prize. Five of her books have been translated into English, French, Spanish, and Arabic. Evaristo has been awarded the Minas Gerais Government Award for her lifetime of work; the Nicolás Guillén Literature Prize, of the Caribbean Philosophical Association; and the Mestra das Periferias Award, of the Maria and João Aleixo Institute. In 2017, she was honored by the Itaú Cultural Institute with the Conceição Evaristo Occuation and, in 2019, as a literary personality by the Jabuti Prize.

2020/21 - Néstor García Canclini

Born in 1939, Néstor Garcia Canclini is a cultural anthropologist and the first international name to hold the Chair. His research project is entitled "The Institutionality of Culture in the Current Context of Sociocultural Changes, and it approaches the "de-institutionalization" of culture." Canclini is a professor at the Autonomous Metropolitan University of Mexico City and holds a doctorate in Philosophy from the University of La Plata, and the University of Paris Nanterre. He has taught at USP and at universities in the United States, Spain, and Argentina. In 2014, he received Mexico's National Prize for Sciences and Arts. Among his major works is Culturas Híbridas: Estrategias para Entrar y Salir de la Modernidad (1990), which has been awarded honors in the Iberoamerican Book Award from the Latin American Studies Association in 1992. Currently, his research projects are dedicated to the relationships between aesthetics, art, anthropology, creative strategies, and cultural networks of young people. The focus of his work is globalization and cultural changes in Latin America, with a view to the mixtures between cultures, ethnicities, and references of media and of what is popular and traditional. His studies also include themes that are of interest to both cultural policies and the relationship between technology and culture.

2019 - Paulo Herkenhoff and Helena Nader

Paulo Herkenhoff is currently an independent curator. Former cultural director of the Rio de Janeiro Art Museum (MAR). He was also the director of the Rio de Janeiro Museum of Fine Arts (2003-2006), adjunct curator at the Department of Painting and Sculpture at New York's MoMA (1999-2002), curator general of the 24th São Paulo Art Biennial in 1998, curator of the Eva Klabin Rapaport Foundation, and chief curator of Rio de Janeiro's Museum of Modern Art (MAM) (1985-1999). Consultant of the Cisneros Collection (Caracas, Venezuela), and of the 9th Documenta in Kassel, Germany (1991). Helena B. Nader holds a BS in Biological Sciences (medical modality) from the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP) (1970), a degree in Biology from the University of São Paulo (1971), a PhD in Molecular Biology from UNIFESP (1974) and a post doctorate from the University of Southern California (1977). She is a full professor at UNIFESP since 1989, the president of the Brazilian Society for the Progress of Science (SBPC), a full member of the São Paulo Academy of Sciences since 1989 and of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences since 1999. Nader was given the Commander Class of the National Order of Scientific Merit in 2002 and the Grand Cross Class in 2008. In 2005 she was nominated Professor Honoris Causa from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN). Nader has been Provost of Graduation (1999-2003) and Post-Graduate Studies and Research (2007-2008) of UNIFESP. Her experience in biochemistry emphasizes glycobiology, and cellular and molecular biology of proteoglycans, especially heparin and heparan sulfate. Her works are related to the involvement of these compounds in hemostasis in the control of cell division and transformation.

2018 - Eliana Sousa Silva

Silva holds a bachelor's degree in Letters from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ - 1987). She obtained a master's degree (1995) in Education and a PhD (2009) in Social Work, both from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-RJ). In 2007, she founded the Tide Development Network, an NGO that aims to develop the largest set of favelas in Rio de Janeiro: Maré. She is the author of a book that brings together testimonials of residents of the neighborhood. "Testemunhos da Maré" was published in 2012. With experience in the elaboration of social projects, Silva works mainly with social movements, favelas, community education, community work, social diagnosis and public safety. Silva was one of ten people and institutions that won the Itaú Cultural 30 Years Award in 2017, when she and archaeologist Niède Guidon were considered in the Inspiring category. She was also awarded the 2005 Women of the Year Award (Social Area) from Rio de Janeiro's Rotary Club, the 2004 Cláudia Award in the Social Work category, conferred by Editora Abril, and the Ashoka Social Entrepreneurs in 2000.

2017 - Ricardo Ohtake

Ricardo Ohtake graduated from the USP's Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism in 1968 and runs a graphic design office since then. He has been the director of the São Paulo Cultural Center, of the Museum of Image and Sound and of the Brazilian Cinematheque. He has been the Secretary of Green and Environment of the city of São Paulo, and Secretary of Culture of the State of São Paulo. He has participated in books and exhibitions by architects such as Oscar Niemeyer and Vilanova Artigas. Currently he heads the Tomie Ohtake Institute in São Paulo.

2016 - Sérgio Paulo Rouanet

A national secretary of culture (1991-1992) and career diplomat, Rouanet was Brazil’s ambassador to Denmark and to the Czech Republic. He is the eighth holder of Chair 13 of the Brazilian Academy of Letters, elected on April 23, 1992. He was a visiting professor in the Graduate School of Sociology at the University of Brasilia (UnB), professor of the Rio Branco Institute and visiting professor at the University of Oxford, UK. He graduated in Social and Legal Sciences from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, earning postgraduate degrees in Economics from George Washington University, in Political Sciences from Georgetown University and in Philosophy from the New York School for Social Research. He also holds a doctorate in Political Science from the University of São Paulo.

News

• Sérgio Rouanet addresses modernity at the opening of the Olavo Setubal Chair
• Sérgio Rouanet inaugurates the Olavo Setubal Chair of Arts, Culture and Science
• The perspectives of culture according to Ricardo Ohtake
• Eliana Sousa Silva, director of the Tide Networks, takes on the Olavo Setubal Chair of Art, Culture and Science
• Paulo Herkenhoff and Helena Nader are the new holders of the Olavo Setubal Chair
• Writer Conceição Evaristo takes office at the Olavo Setubal Chair of Art, Culture, and Science
• Mariko Murata addresses the issues and possibilities of decolonising museums in Japan
• Indigenous women take office as holders of the Olavo Setubal Chair on March 1

Photo on top: Erika Yamamoto

A project of the IEA in partnership with Itaú Cultural Institute, the Olavo Setubal Chair is a space to discuss and promote activities related to the world of arts, with special focus on cultural management. Its goal is to foster interdisciplinary reflections on academic, artistic, cultural, and social issues of regional and global scope.

To give due weight and importance to this initiative, the first person to hold the Chair has been diplomat and essayist Sérgio Paulo Rouanet, former National Secretary of Culture and author of the cultural incentive law that bears his name.

The official launch took place on February 17, 2016, at a meeting in the President's Office building, with the participation of Rouanet, the director of the Itaú Cultural Institute, Eduardo Saron Nunes, the President of USP, Marco Antonio Zago, Vice-President Vahan Agopyan, the Director of the IEA, Martin Grossmann, and other representatives of the University and the cultural institution.

President Marco Antonio Zago (left) hosting diplomat Sérgio Paulo Rouanet for the official launch of the Chair

"We are honored to have Sérgio Paulo Rouanet inaugurating the Olavo Setubal Chair. The support of Itaú represents the strengthening of the University's relations with the productive sector, which is very important by allowing the USP to benefit from the presence of personalities as the ambassador," said Zago.

After the meeting, part of the group visited the Itaú Cultural Institute. According to Marcos Cuzziol, manager of the Innovation Center / Observatory of the institution, the partnership recognizes the special attention of Itaú Cultural towards management and formation of a cultural policy, integrating the 10 years of the Itaú Cultural Observatory, to be celebrated this year.

The Itaú Cultural Observatory was created in 2006 with a focus on management, economics and cultural policies. Since then, it promotes studies and discussion of these issues, stimulating reflection on culture in its various aspects and analyzing national indicators. Its performance and range are extended with seminars, meetings and lectures; an editorial line of books and the journal Revista Observatório, available for free on the web; and the promotion of research on the cultural field. In addition, since 2009, it holds a free course on cultural management in partnership with the UNESCO Chair on Cultural Policies, with the cooperation of the University of Girona and the support of the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI). The course has one year of duration and takes place in classrooms and through virtual classes.

The Chair

With a minimum duration of five years, the chair comprises two programs: Global Networks of Young Researchers, and Leaders in Art, Culture, and Science, with a forecast joint endowment of R$ 1,500,000.00, sponsored by the Itaú Cultural Institute. Each program (described below) is granted R$ 150,000.00 annually.

Even before the official inauguration of the Chair, part of its activities had already begun. The Intercontinental Academia, the São Paulo stage of which was launched in April 2015, is part of the Global Network of Young Researchers Program, aimed at developing new leaders. The programs seek to encourage and promote the interdisciplinary research of young (under 40) scholars.

The Leaders in Art, Culture, and Science Program follows the template adopted by USP’s José Bonifácio Chair, inaugurated in 2013.

Each year, the Chair is held by an exponent from the world of art, culture, politics, society, economics or academia, Rouanet being the first among them. In addition to the chairperson, professors, researchers, and national and international personalities participate in the activities, with special attention given to public policies for culture and the arts.

"I hope to follow the example of Nélida Piñon, my colleague at the Brazilian Academy of Letters and holder of the José Bonifacio Chair [in 2015], and to help developing this new chair by placing a stone in this new building," said Rouanet.

The Olavo Setubal Chair extends the central role of the IEA in creating and managing professorships within the University. Over the course of its almost 30 years, the Institute lays claim to 11 chairs (eight elapsed and two active).

In 2020, with the choice of Nestor García Canclini as chair holder, the renewal for another five years of the agreement between the IEA and Itaú Cultural was also celebrated.

 

Olavo Setubal

Olavo Setubal, a culture supportive

A renowned businessman, mayor of São Paulo (1975-1979) and foreign minister (1985-1986), Olavo Setubal left his mark on Brazilian culture by creating an important collection of more than 3,600 works of art. He conceived and founded the Itaú Cultural Institute in 1987. Among his many contributions to culture are the conception and construction of the São Paulo Cultural Center and of the Itaú Cultural Encyclopedia of Visual Arts, a computerized database of Brazilian art, with scanned reproductions of works dating from the 19^th century French mission during the Empire.

 

Holders

2020/21 - Néstor García Canclini

Born in 1939, Néstor Garcia Canclini is a cultural anthropologist and the first international name to hold the Chair. His research project is entitled "The Institutionality of Culture in the Current Context of Sociocultural Changes, and it approaches the "de-institutionalization" of culture." Canclini is a professor at the Autonomous Metropolitan University of Mexico City and holds a doctorate in Philosophy from the University of La Plata, and the University of Paris Nanterre. He has taught at USP and at universities in the United States, Spain, and Argentina. In 2014, he received Mexico's National Prize for Sciences and Arts. Among his major works is Culturas Híbridas: Estrategias para Entrar y Salir de la Modernidad (1990), which has been awarded honors in the Iberoamerican Book Award from the Latin American Studies Association in 1992. Currently, his research projects are dedicated to the relationships between aesthetics, art, anthropology, creative strategies, and cultural networks of young people. The focus of his work is globalization and cultural changes in Latin America, with a view to the mixtures between cultures, ethnicities, and references of media and of what is popular and traditional. His studies also include themes that are of interest to both cultural policies and the relationship between technology and culture.

2019 - Paulo Herkenhoff and Helena Nader

Paulo Herkenhoff is currently an independent curator. Former cultural director of the Rio de Janeiro Art Museum (MAR). He was also the director of the Rio de Janeiro Museum of Fine Arts (2003-2006), adjunct curator at the Department of Painting and Sculpture at New York's MoMA (1999-2002), curator general of the 24th São Paulo Art Biennial in 1998, curator of the Eva Klabin Rapaport Foundation, and chief curator of Rio de Janeiro's Museum of Modern Art (MAM) (1985-1999). Consultant of the Cisneros Collection (Caracas, Venezuela), and of the 9th Documenta in Kassel, Germany (1991). Helena B. Nader holds a BS in Biological Sciences (medical modality) from the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP) (1970), a degree in Biology from the University of São Paulo (1971), a PhD in Molecular Biology from UNIFESP (1974) and a post doctorate from the University of Southern California (1977). She is a full professor at UNIFESP since 1989, the president of the Brazilian Society for the Progress of Science (SBPC), a full member of the São Paulo Academy of Sciences since 1989 and of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences since 1999. Nader was given the Commander Class of the National Order of Scientific Merit in 2002 and the Grand Cross Class in 2008. In 2005 she was nominated Professor Honoris Causa from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN). Nader has been Provost of Graduation (1999-2003) and Post-Graduate Studies and Research (2007-2008) of UNIFESP. Her experience in biochemistry emphasizes glycobiology, and cellular and molecular biology of proteoglycans, especially heparin and heparan sulfate. Her works are related to the involvement of these compounds in hemostasis in the control of cell division and transformation.

2018 - Eliana Sousa Silva

Silva holds a bachelor's degree in Letters from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ - 1987). She obtained a master's degree (1995) in Education and a PhD (2009) in Social Work, both from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-RJ). In 2007, she founded the Tide Development Network, an NGO that aims to develop the largest set of favelas in Rio de Janeiro: Maré. She is the author of a book that brings together testimonials of residents of the neighborhood. "Testemunhos da Maré" was published in 2012. With experience in the elaboration of social projects, Silva works mainly with social movements, favelas, community education, community work, social diagnosis and public safety. Silva was one of ten people and institutions that won the Itaú Cultural 30 Years Award in 2017, when she and archaeologist Niède Guidon were considered in the Inspiring category. She was also awarded the 2005 Women of the Year Award (Social Area) from Rio de Janeiro's Rotary Club, the 2004 Cláudia Award in the Social Work category, conferred by Editora Abril, and the Ashoka Social Entrepreneurs in 2000.

2017 - Ricardo Ohtake

Ricardo Ohtake graduated from the USP's Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism in 1968 and runs a graphic design office since then. He has been the director of the São Paulo Cultural Center, of the Museum of Image and Sound and of the Brazilian Cinematheque. He has been the Secretary of Green and Environment of the city of São Paulo, and Secretary of Culture of the State of São Paulo. He has participated in books and exhibitions by architects such as Oscar Niemeyer and Vilanova Artigas. Currently he heads the Tomie Ohtake Institute in São Paulo.

2016 - Sérgio Paulo Rouanet

A national secretary of culture (1991-1992) and career diplomat, Rouanet was Brazil’s ambassador to Denmark and to the Czech Republic. He is the eighth holder of Chair 13 of the Brazilian Academy of Letters, elected on April 23, 1992. He was a visiting professor in the Graduate School of Sociology at the University of Brasilia (UnB), professor of the Rio Branco Institute and visiting professor at the University of Oxford, UK. He graduated in Social and Legal Sciences from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, earning postgraduate degrees in Economics from George Washington University, in Political Sciences from Georgetown University and in Philosophy from the New York School for Social Research. He also holds a doctorate in Political Science from the University of São Paulo.

With information from USP's press office

Photo on top: Erika Yamamoto

The 2012-2016 Direction of the IEA strove to lead the University of São Paulo to a new and deeper involvement with culture and the arts. The main result of this endeavor has been the Olavo Setubal Chair of Arts, Culture and Science, offered in 2015 but officially launched in 2016.

To give due weight and importance to this initiative, the first person to hold the chair is diplomat and essayist Sérgio Paulo Rouanet, former National Secretary of Culture and author of the cultural incentive law that bears his name.

A project of the IEA in partnership with Itaú Cultural Institute, the Olavo Setubal Chair will be a space to discuss and promote activities related to the world of arts, with special focus on cultural management. Its goal is to foster interdisciplinary reflections on academic, artistic, cultural and social issues of regional and global scope.

The official launch took place on February 17 at a meeting in the President's Office building, with the participation of the first holder of the Chair, Sérgio Paulo Rouanet, the director of the Itaú Cultural Institute, Eduardo Saron Nunes, the President of USP, Marco Antonio Zago, Vice-President Vahan Agopyan, the Director of the IEA, Martin Grossmann, and other representatives of the University and the cultural institution.

President Marco Antonio Zago (left) hosting diplomat Sérgio Paulo Rouanet for the official launch of the Chair

"We are honored to have Sérgio Paulo Rouanet inaugurating the Olavo Setubal Chair. The support of Itaú represents the strengthening of the University's relations with the productive sector, which is very important by allowing the USP to benefit from the presence of personalities as the ambassador," said Zago.

After the meeting, part of the group visited the Itaú Cultural. According to Marcos Cuzziol, manager of the Innovation Center / Observatory of the institution, the partnership recognizes the special attention of Itaú Cultural towards management and formation of a cultural policy, integrating the 10 years of the Itaú Cultural Observatory, to be celebrated this year.

The Itaú Cultural Observatory was created in 2006 with a focus on management, economics and cultural policies. Since then, it promotes studies and discussion of these issues, stimulating reflection on culture in its various aspects and analyzing national indicators. Its performance and range are extended with seminars, meetings and lectures; an editorial line of books and the journal Revista Observatório, available for free on the web; and the promotion of research on the cultural field. In addition, since 2009, it holds a free course on cultural management in partnership with the UNESCO Chair on Cultural Policies, with the cooperation of the University of Girona and the support of the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI). The course has one year of duration and takes place in classrooms and through virtual classes.

The chair

With a minimum duration of five years, the chair comprises two programs: Global Networks of Young Researchers, and Leaders in Art, Culture and Science, with a forecast joint endowment of R$ 1.5 million, sponsored by the Itaú Cultural Institute. Each program (described below) will be allocated R$ 150,000 annually.

Even before the official inauguration of the Chair, part of its activities had already begun. The Intercontinental Academia, the São Paulo stage of which was launched in April 2015, is part of the Global Network of Young Researchers program, aimed at developing new leaders. The programs seek to encourage and promote the interdisciplinary research of young (under 40) scholars.

The Leaders in Art, Culture and Science program follows the template adopted by USP’s José Bonifácio Chair, inaugurated in 2013. Each year, the chair is held by an exponent from the world of art, culture, politics, society, economics or academia – Rouanet being the first among them. In addition to the chairperson, professors, researchers and national and international personalities participate in the activities, with special attention given to public policies for culture and the arts.

"I hope to follow the example of Nélida Piñon, my colleague at the Brazilian Academy of Letters and holder of the José Bonifacio Chair [in 2015], and to help developing this new chair by placing a stone in this new building," said Rouanet.

The Olavo Setubal Chair extends the central role of the IEA in creating and managing professorships within the University. Over the course of its almost 30 years, the Institute lays claim to 11 chairs (eight elapsed and two active).

Olavo Setubal, a culture supportive

Olavo Setúbal

A renowned businessman, mayor of São Paulo (1975-1979) and foreign minister (1985-1986), Olavo Setubal left his mark on Brazilian culture by creating an important collection of more than 3,600 works of art. He conceived and founded the Itaú Cultural Institute in 1987. Among his many contributions to culture are the conception and construction of the São Paulo Cultural Center and of the Itaú Cultural Encyclopedia of Visual Arts, a computerized database of Brazilian art, with scanned reproductions of works dating from the 19^th century French mission during the Empire.

Sérgio Paulo Rouanet

A national secretary of culture (1991-1992) and career diplomat, Rouanet was Brazil’s ambassador to Denmark and to the Czech Republic. He is the eighth holder of Chair 13 of the Brazilian Academy of Letters, elected on April 23, 1992. He was a visiting professor in the Graduate School of Sociology at the University of Brasilia (UnB), professor of the Rio Branco Institute and visiting professor at the University of Oxford, UK.

He graduated in Social and Legal Sciences from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, earning postgraduate degrees in Economics from George Washington University, in Political Sciences from Georgetown University and in Philosophy from the New York School for Social Research. He also holds a doctorate in Political Science from the University of São Paulo.

With information from the USP's press office

Photo: Erika Yamamoto

At the meeting, to be held in the IEA Events Room, the candidates will answer questions of researchers of the Institute and the academic community regarding the general challenges of USP and the role of the IEA in the upcoming years. The presentation will be open to the public and broadcast live on the internet. Questions to the candidates may be sent via e-mail (iearesponde@usp.br).

The election will be held on February 18 (read more about it). The mandate of the current director, Martin Grossmann, ends on February 28.

The electoral college is made up of current and former members of the IEA's Board, the president of the Institute's Research Committee, former directors and deputy directors of the IEA, directors of faculties and research units at USP, and representatives of their congregations in the University Council.

The electoral process for the choice of the new leaders ended the registration period on January 29. The slate of Saldiva and Plonski has been approved by the Electoral Commission, formed by four professors from USP and an external representative.

The change of the process, which is valid for the other specialized institutes and museums as well, has been inserted into the General Regulations of the USP through Resolution No. 7155 by President Marco Antonio Zago, who formalized the measure approval at the University Council meeting on December 8, 2015. The adoption of a dispute between slates for all directive instances of the University is now complete.

The management project (in Portuguese) for 2016-2020 presented by Saldiva and Plonski mentions the creation of an Advanced School of Leadership Formation, proposong that the IEA should shelter people who wish for an "immersion in the full range of variables related to managing complex and important issues for the development of pubic policies, taking advantage of the wealth of knowledge available at USP in all its units."

As for urbanity and quality of life, the professors present the proposal to create a space for dialogue and convergence of all stakeholders in proposing scientific studies and research aimed at improving the living of the inhabitants of metropolitan areas.

The transformation of the University into a transformative University is also at stake. Two actions are being considered: to make the IEA a reference center that consolidates initiatives aimed at the deep understanding of the processes and prospects for transformation of the University that thrive in the Institute itself or elsewhere at USP; and to turn the IEA into the link between USP and the legislative branch (Congress, Legislative Assembly of the State of São Paulo and city councils of the municipalities where there is a USP campus), in order to contribute to the improvement of legislation on capital issues such as health, education, generation of employment and income, sanitation, environment, energy, transport, public safety and food security.

In the proposal, the professors consider that the increase of the number of researchers (such as those on sabbatical and the ones joining the new postdocs) requires the adequacy of the physical area of the Institute: "We believe that the quality of the projects to be developed will be the best way to attract institutional and external resources so that the IEA can follow its path of enganging talents and providing them with adequate physical structure of work."

The electoral college is made up of current and former members of the IEA's Board, the president of the Institute's Research Committee, former directors and deputy directors of the IEA, directors of faculties and research units at USP, and representatives of their congregations in the University Council.

The management project (in Portuguese) for the term of four years presented by Saldiva and Plonski mentions that "one of the great challenges of any new direction is to find an appropriate balance between continuity and innovation."

They highlight the involvement of the IEA in the UBIAS (University-Based Institutes for Advanced Study) network as an indicator of the "concern of the Institute to promote the discussion of global issues and to collaborate with the process of USP's internationalization" and point out the successful dedication of the Institute to debate on topics of interest to Brazilian society.

New themes

Alongside the continuity of the successfully developed activities, the candidates propose three new guidelines:

1. the creation of an Advanced School of Leadership Formation;
2. studies on urbanity and quality of life;
3. the transformation of the University into a transformative University.

Regarding the first item, Saldiva and Plonski propose that the IEA should shelter people who wish for an "immersion in the full range of variables related to managing complex and important issues for the development of pubic policies, taking advantage of the wealth of knowledge available at USP in all its units."

As for urbanity and quality of life, the professors present the proposal to create a space for dialogue and convergence of all stakeholders in proposing scientific studies and research aimed at improving the living of the inhabitants of metropolitan areas.

With regard to the third item, they propose two actions:

1. to make the IEA a reference center that consolidates initiatives aimed at the deep understanding of the processes and prospects for transformation of the University that thrive in the Institute itself or elsewhere at USP;
2. to turn the IEA into the link between USP and the legislative branch (Congress, Legislative Assembly of the State of São Paulo and city councils of the municipalities where there is a USP campus), in order to contribute to the improvement of legislation on capital issues such as health, education, generation of employment and income, sanitation, environment, energy, transport, public safety and food security.

Installations

In the proposal, the professors consider that the increase of the number of researchers (such as those on sabbatical and the ones joining the new postdocs) requires the adequacy of the physical area of the Institute: "We believe that the quality of the projects to be developed will be the best way to attract institutional and external resources so that the IEA can follow its path of enganging talents and providing them with adequate physical structure of work."

The regulation of the electoral process, signed by the Director of the IEA, Martin Grossmann, has been published in the "Official Gazette of the State of São Paulo".

Changes

This election is a milestone in the history of the Institute, since it will be the first one under the new criteria approved by the University Council. The new rules have introduced profound changes in the electoral process (read more about it), valuing the development of management programmes, the harmony between the Director and the Deputy Director in their execution, and making the process of choosing the IEA leaders more democratic by creating a broad electoral college which will decide who will be elected directly.

The electoral college is made up of the following categories:

• current and former members of the IEA's Board;
• the president of the Institute's Research Committee;
• former directors and deputy directors of the IEA;
• directors of faculties and research units at USP, and representatives of their congregations in the University Council.

Before, the Director and Deputy Director were chosen at different times by the University's President from a triple list voted by the Institute's Board.

An electoral commission has been established to coordinate the entire process, not only taking care of the administrative aspects of the election (registration, election and counting), but also acting in its disclosure, in identifying potential candidates and encouraging them to apply.

The five members of the commission are:

• João Steiner, astrophysicist, professor at the USP's Institute of Astronomy, Geophysics and Atmospheric Sciences (IAG) and former director of the IEA;
• Luiz Bevilacqua, engineer, emeritus professor from the COPPE-UFRJ, former president of the UFABC and former president of the Brazilian Space Agency;
• Mayana Zatz, geneticist and professor at the USP's Institute of Biosciences (IB), where she coordinates the Centre for Research on the Human Genome and Stem Cells (CEGH-CEL);
• Regina P. Markus, pharmacologist, professor at the USP's Institute of Biosciences (IB) and member of the IEA's Board;
• Sérgio Adorno, sociologist, director of the USP's Faculty of Philosophy, Languages and Literature, and Human Sciences (FFLCH), and coordinator of the Center for the Study on Violence (NEV).

Directors of the IEA and board members host the professors on sabbatical

At the first meeting of researchers on sabbatical, held on January 7, the professors presented a brief summary of their projects and talked about their expectations for the program.

Mathematics, music, art history, archeology, sociology, oceanography and the interfaces of these with many other disciplines are some of the research areas of the sabbatical period in 2016. The studies will result in the publication of works such as books, public policy proposals or artistic works.

The initiative is unprecedented at USP and the Brazilian academic environment. By having the institutional and financial support of the University's Dean of Research, which will allocate a specific amount of aid for each selected proposal, the program will allow the selected professors to leave their original educational units in order to develop their individual projects.

In addition to the researchers, the meeting has been attended by the director and deputy director of the IEA, professors Martin Grossmann and Paulo Saldiva; USP's provost for research, Professor José Eduardo Krieger; journalist Eugenio Bucci, member of the Institute's board and a professor of USP's School of Communications and Arts (ECA); and Hamilton Brandão Varela de Albuquerque, vice-coordinator of IEA's São Carlos Center, technical adviser to the office of USP's Dean of Research and a professor at the Institute of Chemistry in São Carlos.

On their first meeting, the researchers talked about their projects and expectations for the sabbatical year

The researchers and their projects

Professor Flávio Ulhoa Coelho, from USP's Institute of Mathematics and Statistics, was the first to present his topic of study: "History of Algebraic Thinking and its Didactic Splits." "There is a moment of rupture between the concrete and the abstract in the history of algebraic thinking, with philosophical developments that impact our societies. Until today, this has not been very well studied and with this program it will be possible to deepen this subject," he said.

Dária Gorete Jaremtchuk, a professor at the School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities (EACH-USP), spoke about her work "Artistic Exile: Movement of Brazilian Artists to New York during the 1960s and 1970s" via videoconference. "I started wanting to understand that movement of our artists to the United States and I was led by the findings. The work has grown to unexpected directions. I needed to study the Cold War, cultural diplomacy, diplomatic relations and other subjects. This sabbatical will be a good opportunity to consolidate these studies," Jaremtchuk said.

Lúcia Maciel Barbosa de Oliveira, a professor at USP's School of Communications and Arts (ECA), believes that there is a mismatch between academy theories about the current artistic scene and the dynamics of cultural movements involving especially youngsters and new technologies. To understand the subject, she proposes to study the "Contemporary Cultural Dynamics: Overlapping of Singularities, Collectives, Technologies and Cultural Institutions in the Common Perspective". "The time for research demands a dreamy thought, which then shapes into something more concrete. But this is a little bit on the side of everyday life and I believe that it will be possible to exercise this dream during this sabbatical period. Interaction with people from different areas will be very important and I believe the program consolidates the IEA as an interdisciplinary interaction platform," she says.

To consolidate data from several surveys conducted throughout the career is also the goal of Maria de los Angeles Gasalla, from USP's Institute of Oceanography (IO), during her sabbatical leave. She will develop the study "The Future of marine-dependent societies: climate change, innequalities and cooperation in complex socio-ecological systems". According to Gasalla, there are many data generated from previous studies; diverse issues between natural, social and physical sciences; models for natural populations and the researcher's own experience with people who depend on the sea for their livelihoods. "I have drawn incredible knowledge of the fishermen's experience of the sea and learned a great deal about the social and cultural aspects of these communities. I will be able to develop a deeper reflection on the future of ocean-dependent societies in view of the scenarios of climate change impacts," she said. For the professor, it is feasible to establish relations on the context of inequalities in Latin America and the cooperation that emerges as social technology for the benefit of the planet. "The goals of the research are ambitious, but I believe that it will be possible to achieve them due to the time this program gives us."

A former professor of the School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities (EACH-USP), and current professor of the Museum of Archeology and Ethnology (MAE), Astolfo Gomes de Mello Araújo proposes archeology as a case study to understand interdisciplinarity. "We see that interdisciplinarity in the University does not really exist. I saw it happen at EACH, but overall it is still very much shallow. Archeology is the most interdisciplinary field I know and my idea is to scrutinize the process vision and how this discipline operates in time and space," said Araújo. "Ontology and epistemology of an (inter)discipline: Archaeology as a Paradigm of Interdisciplinarity and its Theoretical and Practical Implications" is the title of Araújo's work, who sees in the experience of the sabbatical year program the opportunity "to think new things." For him, acting in an interdisciplinary way "is the possibility of returning to a context similar to what I had at EACH," he said.

Professor Rodolfo Nogueira Coelho de Souza, a civil engineer from USP's Polytechnic School (POLI), ended up directing his career to music. He is a professor at the Music Department of the Faculty of Philosophy of Literature at the USP campus in Ribeirão Preto. He will develop the project "Invention of an Opera: Pascal's machine in Pernaguá". Coelho de Souza says that his invention is still a work of research. He will work on set theory looking for an algorithmic composition that is not motivated by human desire. However, human desire is projected into music through something abstract, which is the algorithm. The way to do this is to operate in the cinematographic dimension, making sound clippings, he said. "Few operas have been composed in a year and I know the project is ambitious. But it is the chance to develop more creative and technological, and essentially interdisciplinary work. It is like a dream to have a place where interdisciplinarity is well seen, unlike what happens in our departments," he said.

“Out of the box”

For IEA's director Martin Grossmann, the experience of the sabbatical program represents the discovery of a "missing link with the Dean of Research". The institutional relationship of these units comes to exist concretely with the support given by the provost to the program. In addition, the presence of Professor Hamilton Varela, who is an adviser to the Dean of Research and chair of IEA's Research Committee, is helping to structure that relationship, he said.

José Eduardo Krieger, Paulo Saldiva and Hamilton Varela

The provost for research, José Eduardo Krieger, recalled the importance of "inductive mechanisms to make think outside the box, or outside the comfort environment." Providing support and contributing with resources even in times of crisis is something managers need to see to enable even more important advancements than routine allows, Krieger said.

The institutes of advanced studies founded in various universities around the world in recent years represent an experimental tip; a transdisciplinary attempt and an outpost by definition, which runs "very interesting risks" precisely because of their methods and approaches, said journalist Eugênio Bucci, who is a member of the IEA's Board and responsible for the Superintendence of Social Communication (SCS) of USP.

"The necessary innovation and experimentation need to be considered at a time when the university in Brazil and in the world rethinks its role. We have to think about the next decades, what relationship the university will have with society and in what perspectives it will contribute to the future. The IEA is a fringe of contact with the future. You need to get out of disciplinary rigor and try different paths," said Bucci.

IEA's deputy director recalled the variety of topics covered at the IEA. "Particle physics, water, philosophy, urbanity, the Amazon, well, everything happens here. I come from a very dense, relatively monothematic area. In contrast, the IEA is very free and independent. And freedom is fascinating, but it is frightening. You who now start the sabbatical year will have the chance to give the program a keynote. Complex systems are now dominating the real world. Maybe the IEA could become a point where a real-world exercise is possible," said Saldiva.

Regina Pekelmann Markus, a member of the Institute's Board and of the Scientific Committee which has coordinated the work of the Intercontinental Academia, said the sabbatical "rest" is "loaded of clouds; a way to carry dreams forward." For the scientist, "it is good to have a provost who believes we have to work outside the box."

Faced with the difficulties of instrumentalizing and practicing transdisciplinarity, perhaps the IEA can be a platform capable of adapting to this approach, because it is an "institute of free thinking, without frontiers or departments," said Varela.

Photos: Mauro Bellesa/IEA

Participantes

José Eduardo Krieger (Pró-Reitor de Pesquisa)
Martin Grossmann (Diretor)
Paulo Saldiva (Vice-Diretor)
Regina P. Markus (Conselheira)
Eugênio Bucci (Conselheiro)
Hamilton Varela (Presidente da Comissão de Pesquisa)
Astolfo Gomes de Mello Araujo (Pesquisador Ano Sabático)
Dária Gorete Jaremtchuk (Pesquisador Ano Sabático)
Flavio Ulhoa Coelho (Pesquisador Ano Sabático)
Lucia Maciel Barbosa de Oliveira (Pesquisador Ano Sabático)
Maria de los Angeles Gasalla (Pesquisador Ano Sabático)
Rodolfo Nogueira Coelho de Souza (Pesquisador Ano Sabático)

The successor to the current director of the IEA, Martin Grossmann, whose term ends on February 28, 2016, will be chosen through a new electoral system: slates with candidates for director and deputy director will run, and the winner will be the most voted by the substantially expanded electoral college considering the history of the IEA and the representation of all units of the USP.

The whole process will be coordinated by an Election Commission which will include a member external to the USP and may encourage the registration of candidates (USP professors) it deems appropriate for the direction of the Institute.

The change of the process, which is valid for the other specialized institutes and museums as well, has been inserted into the General Regulations of the USP through Resolution No. 7155 by President Marco Antonio Zago, who formalized the measure approval at the University Council meeting on December 8. The adoption of a dispute between slates for all directive instances of the University is now complete.

When the initial period for the registration of the slates opens, they should consist of full professors and / or associate professors accordingly to the resolution. If at least two slates do not register, the period shall be extended and also associate professors in general may participate in the process.

In the case of the IEA, the resolution provides a composition of the electoral college that is even more specific and comprehensive, allowing the participation of people associated with the history of the Institute, thus expanding links to all units of the USP. It will be composed of current and former members of the Board, former directors and deputy directors, directors of other units of the University and representatives of their congregations in the University Council.

The Election Commission will have five members. Three of them will be chosen by the IEA's Board, as follows: two professors from USP, one of them being a member of the Board, and one member external to the University but of recognized merit. The other two members shall be professors of any unit of the USP, both appointed by the president.

It will be up to the Commission to disclose the electoral process, encouraging the registration of suitable candidates to the demands of the positions and promoting public debates, working in the stages of slates registration, voting and counting.

The IEA has committed to defend the proposition that the choice of leaders would be made by specific criteria, as demonstrated by the article Um novo modelo para identificar dirigentes na Universidade (or "A new model for identifying leaders at the University"), published by Grossmann in the University Journal on November 9, 2015.

Photo: IPTV USP

The president of the Universidad de Costa Rica (URC), Henning Jensen Pennington, has appointed IEA's board member Guilherme Ary Plonski to the Academic Council of the Espacio de Estudios Avanzados (UCREA). The institution is the first IAS created in Central America.

The UCREA was established in August 2014 after more than two years of study with the participation of Costa Rican and foreign researchers.

The second preparatory meeting for the creation of the UCREA was a workshop in February 2014, in which the features of the University of Bielefeld's ZiF were presented as a reference for the formulation of the Costa Rican institution's project.

At the workshop, in addition to the presentation of the ZiF's Executive Secretary, Britta Padberg, the IEA's director Martin Grossmann presented the Institutional Project 2012-2017. Representatives of other IASs of several countries have also attended.

José Gracia Bondía, an honorary professor at the UCR, was the one to invite Grossmann to the workshop at that time and also to present the invitation for Plonski to join the UCREA's Academic Council on a meeting at the University of Bielefeld.

Guilherme Ary Plonski

To think the not thought

According to the president of the UCR, the UCREA intends to be a multi and interdisciplinary, innovative and international space to streamline the organization and activities of the university to "think things that have not been previously thought."

The UCREA should be a critical awareness and enhancement tool for UCR to encourage creativity, and multi and interdisciplinary work. Another purpose is to build international networks of cooperation and learn from the successes and mistakes of similar institutions, making it a meeting place for academics from Costa Rica, Central America and the rest of the world.

The UCREA steering structure consists of an Academic Council, a Coordination and a Board. The Academic Council is in charge of setting the general direction of the institute, charging up the calls for research projects, workshops, and related activities and approval stages.

The Academic Council is composed of nine members: four representatives of the UCR areas (arts and letters, agri-food sciences, basic sciences and regional headquarters) and five members external to the UCR.

Photos (from the top): Universidad de Costa Rica; Leonor Calazans/IEA-USP