Alberto Augusto Eichman Jakob and Maisa Faleiros da Cunha took office this Wednesday (24) as coordinator and associate coordinator from the Population Studies Center “Elza Berquó” (Nepo) from Unicamp, for management from 2017 to 2019. The ceremony was attended by Dr. Elza Berquó, one of the founders of the Center and who lends it its name. The rector Marcelo Knobel, the coordinator of Cocen (Coordination of Interdisciplinary Centers and Nuclei), Ana Carolina de Moura Delfim Maciel, and Marta Maria do Amaral Azevedo, who ended her term at the head of the Center on that occasion. The event, held in the Nepo auditorium, also marked the opening of the cycle commemorating the Center's 35th anniversary.
The new coordinator affirmed his commitment to maintaining the excellence of the research carried out by the Center. “In this administration I intend to continue supporting this program, both in terms of allowing researchers to also be teachers, and in the area of basic infrastructure”, said Jakob. “Nepo must continue carrying out research with scientific rigor and disseminating the results beyond academia, aiming to provide support for new public policies,” he stated.
Elza Berquó called on Nepo to pay attention to the issue of suicide among young people. According to her, recent data from the UN indicate that every 40 seconds a young person, between 15 and 19 years old, kills himself in the world and among the main causes is depression. “Depression is an evil in this society and affects young people more,” said Berquó. The professor recalled that many human organs, including the brain, are not fully formed until the age of 15 and that damage caused at a young age can be irreparable. “The brain is not ready, it requires special care. It is our obligation to put this issue on our agendas.” She also highlighted the situation of refugees and the helplessness experienced by young people in these conditions.
The rector affirmed the unique role that must be played by the University in the topics addressed by Berquó. He recalled the important role played in the daily life of the University by Know, body linked to the Dean of Undergraduate Studies (PRG), which aims to provide psychological and/or psychiatric assistance to University students. On a global level, Knobel stated that Unicamp intends to act more directly on the issue of refugees through the creation of the Refugee Chair, which will be coordinated by Rosana Baeninger. “It is an issue that we are concerned about and taking action on now. A university like ours cannot simply close its eyes to this situation”, pointed out the dean. Knobel also highlighted the importance of strengthening the system of Cocen Centers and Nuclei and the role of multidisciplinarity in the construction of knowledge.
35 years of Nepo
The program for the celebrations of Nepo's 35th anniversary will extend throughout the year and can be followed by website. Next Monday (29), at 19 pm, in auditorium II of the Institute of Philosophy and Human Sciences (IFCH) there will be a debate on the book "Capitalism and Environmental Collapse", by professor Luiz Marques, with the participation of Álvaro de Oliveira D'Antona, from the Faculty of Applied Sciences (FCA) at Unicamp.
