Dr Thomas Otieno Juma was competitively selected and awarded an open call scholarship worth $ 6,000 at the School of Advanced Science, Brazil, to learn the impact of Brazil independence in the bigger world.
The Don was among 85 scholars (50 from the rest of the globe and 35 from Brazilian States) from around the world who participated in the Bicentennial of Brazilian Independence or 200 years of Brazilian Independence that ran between 6th to 15th February 2023. The scholarship is a collaboration between Museu do Iparanga (Sao Paulo National Museum) and the Institute of Science and Diplomacy (InnSciD,) Sao Paulo University.
Prof Dr. Amancio Jorge de Oliveira of University of Sao Paulo (USP) and Vice Director of Museu do Iparanga/USP welcomed all the candidates including 9 from Africa (1 – Kenya, 1 – Senegal, 2 – Nigeria, 2 – Angola, and 2 – Mozambique) to the Advanced School of Science. This was the first time that Kenya was included in the many partnerships that Brazil has worldwide.
Delegates from Africa got a special and rare opportunity to meet with the FAPESP President for International Cooperation, Prof Dr. Sergio Persival Baroncini Proenca, who expressed their joy to have expanded their horizons to specifically target mutual academic research related partnerships with Africa as opposed to the current FAPESP (Fundacao de Amparo a Presquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo) Europe relations. He expressed his desire for University of Kabianga opening a partnership with FAPESP as a way of representing the vast East, Central, and Horn of Africa which has no – existing formal exchange with FAPESP-USP.
Dr Thomas Otieno Juma who is also the Head of Department of Humanities and Social Sciences and an International Relations Scholar has already initiated discussions with University of Sao Paulo and the FAPESP International Cooperation President which the relevant University Management will build on. When partnership arrangements are complete, the Department will stand to gain from; hosting MA and PhD courses in International Relations and History respectively of InnSciD/University of Sao Paulo as it progresses with current accreditation of its own similar programmes, Co – Supervision of Post Graduate students in the said areas both in UOK and USP, Visiting Lecturer exchange as agreed from the two universities, possibility of student exchange, Online Lecture Exchanges, and tapping Museu do Iparanga Cultural Relations with UOK in rich Portuguese language for international relations and Centre for Local Cultural Preservation (CLCP).
