IMPA Tech holds meetings with pizza to discuss achievements and challenges
Undergraduate management met with students throughout the week
03/05/2024

The undergraduate Mathematics of Technology and Innovation students met with IMPA’s director-general, Marcelo Viana, to discuss the challenges faced and the achievements made during the first month of classes. The meetings took place throughout the week, during lunch breaks. In addition to Viana, Lucas Nissenbaum, IMPA’s project scientist, and Milton Jara, a researcher at the institute, also took part in the meetings throughout the week.
The motivation behind the “pizza chat”, as the informal meeting came to be known, was to strengthen ties between the board and the students, creating a channel for direct dialog. For Nissenbaum, the idea of holding the meeting over pizza was precisely to create a comfortable environment for the students. “When organizing the course, we always think about what is important to the students, but we never know what they have in mind. The idea of the meetings was to be something hyper-informal, so that they would feel at ease to explain what is working and what could be improved,” he said.
In all, seven groups were organized, including the entire graduating class. The division was made so that everyone could have their moment to speak. Bianca Moreno, from Fortaleza (CE), thought the meeting was important to bring her concerns to those responsible and felt calmer after the chat. “I thought the idea was very good. This exchange of perceptions was fundamental for me to feel listened to by the management. Being here is a big challenge, but it’s really worth all the effort. I feel challenged and this motivates me to keep studying and dedicating myself more and more,” said the student.
In addition to the space for dialog, the meetings made it possible for the students to share experiences and forge new bonds of friendship. “I think these meetings could take place on a regular basis, because I found it very important to exchange feedback with management and with colleagues outside the classroom. I came to IMPA Tech sure that I would be supported by IMPA, one of the largest institutions in Brazil, but believing that it would be a great challenge,” said Lucas Barbosa, a student from Palmas (TO).
Read more: IMPA Tech completes one month of classes in Maravalley Port
See also: Visit to Parque Lage marks start of IMPA Tech cultural program