On July 30th 2012, Mr. Alexandre F. Barbosa, the director of UNESCO Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society(Cetic) in Brazil, and Ms. Tatiana Jereissati, project researcher, visited the UNESCO INRULED at Beijing Normal University(BNU).
In 2012, Cetic.br became a Category 2 Center of UNESCO, the first center related to the development of information and knowledge societies. Linked to the Communication and Information sector of UNESCO, it contributes to the realization of strategic goals of the institution, combining forces to monitor the construction of information and knowledge societies. Its regional scope of operation includes countries in Latin America and Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa.
In the morning, INRULED held a meeting with the Cetic.br for information and society development. INRULED introduced its basic information, with special attention on the projects of "Skills Development for Rural Transformation", "Quality Teacher for Rural Schools", "Gender Equality and Women Leadership" and "ICT in Education for Development". The Cetic.br presented its history and main projects, as well as an overview of education and the development of the Internet in Brazil.
As UNESCO category 2 centers, the two centers explored potential areas of cooperation and collaboration based on their common interest, particularly projects and activities aimed at African countries and rural areas. Both parties believed that this exchange activity recommended by UNESCO would serve as a starting point for enhancing mutual understanding, building partnerships, and seeking cooperation opportunities.
In the afternoon, INRULED accompanied the guests to visit Beijing Normal University(BNU). They were informed about BNU’s achievements in the field of Information Technology, educational technology, network education and continuing education. The Cetic.br expressed its strong interest in the innovative achievements made by BNU, particularly in digital protection of cultural heritage, distance teacher education, digital learning, intelligent learning environment and electronic teaching materials. The two sides exchanged opinions and ideas on these topics.
