European diplomats take part in debate with students

Diplomatic representatives from the European Union took part in a round table discussion with IMPA Tech students on Friday (17) at Maravalley Port. The meeting was organized with the support of the German Consulate General in Rio de Janeiro and by the “Construction of Textual Narratives” teacher, Cilene Rodrigues.

Participating in the debate were the deputy ambassador of the Netherlands, Roderick Wolfs; the consul general of the Netherlands, Job Runhaar; the consul general of Germany, Jan Freigang; the consul general of Belgium and dean of the consular corps, Caroline Mouchart; the honorary consul of Sweden, Jan Lomholdt; the economic attaché of the Consulate General of Italy, Pietrino Cadoni; and the cultural attaché of the Italian Cultural Institute, Giovanni De Leva.

Before the conversation began, the diplomats were welcomed at Porto Maravalley by IMPA’s director-general, Marcelo Viana, and by IMPA Tech’s academic manager, Nara Bobko, and were given a guided tour of the facilities.

At the beginning of the month, the students took part in the 2nd Model United Nations with debates on diplomacy, politics and global issues. The meeting with the diplomats reinforces IMPA Tech’s role as a space for interdisciplinary thinking. “We think about topics that interest this diplomatic corps, linked to Brazil, and at the same time encompass science. [This event] is very cool because it shows the success of the institution. We’re seeing the European Union dialog with a Brazilian educational institution,” said Professor Cilene.

For the conversation with the diplomats, the students brought up issues that are working on the UN Model – modern slavery, data center construction, tariff implementation policies and the internet regulatory framework – but also encompassing sustainability and climate change, in view of the approaching COP 30 in Brazil. Some of the consuls will be at the Climate Change Conference, which will take place from November 10 to 21 in Belém (PA).

Student Davi Pestana emphasized the importance of dialogue between science and humanity. “Each of you brings with you a fragment of the world, a dot on a larger map. Perhaps the role of mathematics, as well as that of diplomacy, is much the same: to discover the invisible equations that connect these dots,” he said.

The German Consul General, Jan Freigang, stressed the importance of international cooperation. “We are representatives of a different country, but we are all representatives of the European Union. Today we have an opportunity to talk. We don’t have all the answers, but we can discuss and look for solutions.”

The advance of technology and its social impacts were also on the agenda. “All over the world, there are disinformation campaigns and the spread of false information. Technology, while having positive points, also has many concerns and unwanted effects. The countries’ responses are linked to different values, such as the protection of fundamental rights, accountability of platforms and freedom of expression,” said Job Runhaar, Consul General of the Netherlands.

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