Report: Exchange with students from Brazil
Students from the Teacher Training Program for Ethnic Diversity (PROETNOS/UEMA) took part in an international training experience at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna in Austria.
During the international mobility period, the UEMA delegation carried out a series of activities that fostered meaningful cultural and academic exchange. They toured the Academy of Fine Arts, where they met professors, students, and viewed several artistic works created at the institution. The group also participated in a screen-printing and fabric-printing workshop, producing T-shirts and eco-bags and gaining hands-on experience with local artistic techniques. In addition, they attended guided visits to the Painting Gallery and the Graphic Collection of the academy’s main building, as well as an exhibition in the art gallery.
Beyond academic activities, the delegation had the opportunity to explore various cultural and tourist sites in Vienna. They also went on an excursion around the city, which provided deeper insight into the region’s cultural and historical context. During these activities, Keila and Gerlan presented their experiences in traditional communities such as the quilombo and the indigenous village, sharing images that illustrated the territories,lifestyles, and art forms developed in these communities—demonstrating the connection with the training offered by the PROETNOS/UEMA program.
For student Keila Câmara, “this experience went beyond a simple trip—it was the realization of an incredible dream, my first international experience as a young Black quilombola woman and student of the Quilombola Education Licentiate Program through PROETNOS. I feel deeply fulfilled. At the Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien, I saw students using art to express their lives, memories, stories, emotions, and realities—a powerful way to strengthen who they are.”
This initiative is part of the partnership between UEMA and the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, formalized in March 2025 through the signing of a Protocol of Intent between the two institutions. The partnership between the State University of Maranhão (UEMA) and the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna is expected to expand further in the coming months. In addition to planning a new Erasmus+ project proposal for academic mobility, teams from both institutions are discussing the development of an environmental project, strengthening scientific and pedagogical exchange.
Text (shortened): Leandro Chaves – PROETNOS/UEMA & Lucas Corrêa – SRI/UEMA