Internationalization

One of the strongest points of PPGLit is its vocation to internationalization since the beginning of its functioning. This aspect is the result of the professors’formation and their international insertion through the contact with foreign universities due to the presentation of work at conferences, the closer academic dialogue with researchers and specific centers and the development of foreign post-doctoral programs. To give a sense of how noticeable it is, three out of our twelve permanent professors did postdoctoral studies abroad in 2013 and/or 2014: Professor Doctor Jorge Valentim (University of Porto), Professor Doctor Tânia Pellegrini (University of Oxford) and Professor Doctor Carla Ferreira (University of Iowa). The internationalization actions of PPGLit can be understood from five dimensions: (i) Activities with foreign students, (ii) Our graduate students abroad; (iii) Research development by PPGLit professors abroad, (iv) Special projects coordinated by PPGLit professors; (iv) Cooperation pacts and agreements.

1 - Activities with foreign students – Mobility In for foreign students
Since 2014, PPGLit has participed in the international public notice PAEC of Organização dos Estados Americanos (OEA) and in Grupo de Coimbra, by offering one vacancy to Latin American students. Through this public notice, PPGLit gets applications and classifies the registered candidates and OEA defines the contemplated one. In 2015, we received the student Sonia Chacaliaza from Peru and her advisor is Professor Doctor Rejane Rocha. In 2016, we received Estefania Sepúlveda from Chile and her advisor is Professor Doctor Wilson Bezerra. It is important to mention that the number of Latin American students who have chosen UFCar as their first option has increased significantly. In 2014, there were two candidates who chose our program as a second option (since the program was not very known), but in 2016 we got twelve applications and 60% of the registered students chose PPGLit as their first option. This considerable leap is the result of the policy of approximation to the Latin American countries developed by the pro-rectory of post- graduate studies, in special Professor Doctor Guilhermo Lobos; PPGLit professors’ excellent work, and the reformulation of our website.

2 - Our students abroad
Since PPGLit is a master degree program we are still not able to send our students abroad to research, but our policy is to motivate them to participate in foreign scientific events. In April, 2015, under the supervision of Professor Doctor Rejane Rocha, the students Sonia Chacaliaza, Renan Bolognin, Carlos Plácido and Nayara Meneguetti participated in the Seminar Cuestiones Críticas, in Rosário, Argentina. In May, 2016, the student Renan Bolognin presentend his work in an event at the University of Peruggia. And in August, 2016, the students Amanda Ghetti e Maíra Benedito presentend their communications in LLASA, Bolivia. 

3 - Research development by PPGLit professors abroad – Mobility out for PPGLit professors and Mobility in for Foreign professor
PPGLIT PROFESSORS ABROAD:
Another important aspect for the internationalization of PPGLit is the development of research internationally. Our professors have developed their research stages abroad sometimes with their own investments, and sometimes as visiting scholars due to the funding agencies. The international engagement of our permanent professors includes: Carla Ferreira (Univ. Iowa, 2014); Jorge Valentim (Univ. Porto, 2013); Joyce Infante [2010 (Univ. Santiago; 2015 (presentation of work at Univ. Salamanca, Espanha)]; Luís Nascimento (2013, Univ. Coimbra, Portugal), Jorge Valentim (2013, Univ. Porto, Portugal); Rejane Rocha [2011 (Alcalá de Henares, Espanha); 2012 (University of Faro, Portugal, University of Vienna, Austria and University of Buenos Aires, Argentina); 2013 (Univ. Tucumán, Argentina); 2014 (Univ. Aveiro; Portugal, UNAM, México, Argentina) 2015 (Univ. Rosário, Argentina)]; Tânia Pellegrini [2013 (Univ. Oxford, Inglaterra), 2014 (Kings College, London), 2015 (Univ. Leiden, Holand)]; Wilton Marques [(2010 (Univ. Coimbra, Portugal); 2014 (BRASA/Londres)]; Wilson Bezerra (Univ. Misiones, Argentina, (2012); University of Holguín, Cuba, 2013). Professor Diana Junkes [University of Yale (2012) and Illinois (2010), (Univ. Lusíada, de Angola, Univ. Bari, Italy, presenting work in 2010) and in 2014 (Univ. Nova de Lisboa and Univ. Aveiro (board), Portugal)]. Nine out of twelve permanent professors were mentioned, in other words, 75% of our professors had at least one action abroad since 2011, the majority had two or more. In 2016, the following professors have already confirmed presence in international conferences: Prof. Carla Ferreira (USA); Prof. Rejane Rocha (Italy); Prof. Tania (USA); Prof. Wilson (Canada); Prof. Diana (Chile). From 2011 to 2016, PPGLit professor have kept dialogue with academic centers in eleven diferente countries, such as Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Cuba, USA, Canada, Portugal, Spain, Italy, England and Holand. FOREIGN PROFESSORS IN PPGLIT: On the other hand, we have also received foreign professors in our campus and since 2011 we have received foreign professors of IES. In May, 2015 PPGLit received Prof. Sara Brandellero, from University of Leiden, in partnership with UNESP of Araraquara. She presented a lecture and developed some activities with the research group Literatura e Tempo Presente/CNPq and the project Fórum de Debates, both coordinated by Prof. Rejane Rocha. In June, 2015, we had Prof. Marilia Scaff Rocha Ribeiro (Assistant Professor at Department of Romance and Classical Studies da Michigan State University) who presented a lecture on contemporary auto-fiction. In September, 2015, we got Prof. Andrés Cáceres, from University of Playa Ancha who did some academic activities due to the agreement signed in 2015. Besides, PPGLit received Portguese writer Almeida Faria for the seminar about studies on literature, II Selit. In 2014, we received Prof. Regina Aída Crespo (Universidade Nacional Autônoma do México) and Prof. Fabio Seimandi (Universidade Nacional de Córdoba in Argentina). In 2013, we got the visiting researcher Prof.Laura Lorena Utrera from Universidade Nacional de Rosário, Argentina, who gave a lesson on Horácio Quiroga and cinema. In 2012, the program received Prof. María Mercedes Borkosky, to give the lesson “Autodiscurso y Autoficción en La Escritura Francesa E Hispánica Contemporáneas”.

4 - Special projects coordinated by PPGLit professors
As special programs we have: - PLI (since 2013) in which Professor Rejane Rocha is the coordinator and Professors Carla Ferreira and Joyce Infante participate as members. - Projeto de Parceria Universitária de Graduação em Língua Espanhola e Portuguesa between Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar/Brazil) and Universidad Nacional de Misiones (UNAM/Argentina), from 2011 to 2013), in which Professors Wilson Bezerra and Joyce Infante took place. - Erasmus Mundi-Europhilosofie at UFSCar (between 2013-2015) in which Prof. Luís Nascimento was the coordinator. - Idioma sem Fronteiras (ISF), coordinated by Professor Carla Ferreira, it is a governmental initiative to develop the internationalization of the public Brazilian universities through the offer of free language courses and the application of proficiency examinations, such as TOEFL.

5 - Cooperation pacts and agreements
From what was exposed it is clear PPGLit has an important role that meets to the demands of the area and to the changes in the destiny of researching in the country in favor of international dialogues. Thus, that is the reason the professors have decided to elaborate the APCN of doctoral degree program, sharing tasks and working on behalf of the social responsibility of the public university in Brazil, giving it, the deserved place literary studies should occupy in the world.