Brazilian higher education, government leaders visit DMACC as part of Iowa tour
Visitors from Mato Grosso, Brazil met with DMACC President Rob Denson Aug. 26, 2024 to learn about the college's programs and discuss possible partnerships. (Photo by Brooklyn Draisey/Iowa Capital Dispatch) Des Moines Area Community College took the first step in expanding its international relations with visitors from Brazil’s state of Mato Grosso, who toured the community college Monday to learn more about its operations and offerings.
Representatives from Brazil’s government and Mato Grosso universities visited DMACC Urban Campus on their first day of a tour of central Iowa, which began with a meeting with Gov. Kim Reynolds. The group will also visit agriculture organizations and businesses, Iowa State University departments and the Farm Progress Show. The group will also attend the Minnesota State Fair before traveling home.
Evandro Soares, director of the Federal University of Mato Grosso, said he was glad to visit DMACC and form a relationship between the state’s universities and explore possible partnerships for teaching, outreach and innovation.
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Sen. Wellington Fagundes said Mato Grosso is the country’s largest producer of cotton, soy, and corn and is a leader in ethanol production as well. Both he and Soares spoke through a translator, Federal University of Mato Grosso Postgraduate Coordinator Vinicius Pereira Carvalho.
“We are very glad to be here,” Fagundes said.
DMACC President Rob Denson gave a presentation to the delegation about DMACC’s programs and reach, noting that 60% of DMACC students go through the community college to complete the first two years of a four-year degree while the rest are involved in vocational or other training programs. Many students in Mato Grosso do something similar, members of the delegation said, saving money by attending a lower-cost institution for two years before transferring.
Agribusiness is another area where Iowa and Mato Grosso have a lot of focus, as the Brazilian state has the largest gross agricultural product in the country, according to a video presented by the delegation. Denson said DMACC has robust agriculture programs, and he’d be happy to connect with the delegation in the future about collaborating on initiatives in that area.
Denson said international relationships are important to the college and its students, with programs available for students in certain areas of study to travel across the globe. Dental hygiene students are sent to Japan every year for educational opportunities, and culinary students traveled to France in May to get restaurant experience in an international setting.
“We’ve got partnerships in France, in England, in Japan, Kosovo — we would love to look to do more with Brazil,” Denson said. “We have students from all over the world coming to this college, and many of our students travel well, so we need to do more.”
While no plans have been decided on, one possible avenue for a partnership could be an exchange program where students visit Mato Grosso for part or all of a semester to experience its culture and education, Denson said. Each of the delegates came up to him to express their interest in continuing conversations started during their visit, he said.
Whether the industry is advanced manufacturing, agriculture, information technology or something else, Denson said everything has a global footprint that DMACC students should be aware of, and international partnerships go a long way in giving students new opportunities for education and widening their perspectives.
“We are absolutely in a global economy, what happens in Iowa impacts the world and vice versa,” Denson said in an interview. “And we want our students to have a world view.”
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