Unicamp and Croda, the chemical products manufacturing company, signed a cooperation agreement, this Wednesday (16), formalizing a partnership for the development of experiments in the Integrated Laboratory discipline, at the Institute of Chemistry (IQ). The subject is offered in the second year of graduation and involves the formulation of projects, aiming to bring students closer to the practice of chemistry at the beginning of the course. The ceremony took place virtually, with representation from Unicamp and Croda.
The agreement will last for five years and does not foresee costs for any of the institutions. IQ professor and advisor to the Dean of Undergraduate Studies, Edvaldo Sabadini, responsible for articulating the partnership, recalls that the idea for the discipline emerged in 2017, following discussions on curricular reformulation at the Institute. At the time, it was noted that in the second year student dropout rates were higher. In the teacher's opinion, this happened a lot due to the fact that the practical part only took place after half of the course.
“We thought it would be interesting to introduce a discipline that showed the applications of chemistry, how chemistry works and the tools that chemistry has used since the beginning. So we created a subject that is taught in the second year, called Integrated Laboratory,” he explains. The subject, available for the three modalities of the Chemistry degree, will be held at Unicamp and also at Croda facilities. “The idea is to show what the chemist does, what tools are used, how the concepts are used. Because fundamental concepts are not simply concepts, they are present in something that society uses, which has real utility”, says the professor.
Project-based methodology
The discipline's methodology involves the execution of four projects, which may vary as it is offered. Learning is facilitated by the practical way in which students learn the concepts while executing the products. “Classical courses at universities are taught by presenting various concepts and imagining that students then group them together to make a certain application. But if you reverse this logic, if you have a project in which concepts emerge as the projects are developed, perhaps there will be a very good gain”, he assesses.
One of the projects listed involves the development of latex paint, which according to the professor has a complex formulation. In the first semester of 2019 there was the first experience of the discipline, in which around 160 students participated. At Unicamp, students formulated paint components. At Croda, the paint was completed and quality tests were also carried out. As part of the dialogue, Croda chemists also participated in classes at IQ.
At the end of the course, in 2019, the students delivered a gallon of paint to IQ, which will be used to paint the course's athletics. “This is how the cycle came to an end, with the students contributing a product that can be used at the Institute.” Another idea for closing the course, when it is offered in 2021, is for students to enrich the Wikipedia page about the paint formulation, and other products that are developed.
Due to the success of the experience, both Croda and the Chemistry Institute decided to continue with the partnership. “The students really liked it, it was something that you noticed that there was a change in relation to attitude and participation and mainly in relation to motivation with the Chemistry course”, points out Sabadini, who also believes in the gains that will be made if the idea is expanded to other Unicamp courses.
Bringing industry and academia closer together
Croda is a British chemical company that supplies inputs to various sectors, such as pharmaceuticals, cleaning, food and personal care. The company has factories in several countries, including Brazil, where it operates in Campinas. Marco Carmini, managing director of Croda, highlights the importance of bringing industry and academia closer together. “I believe that the role of industry in applied technology together with universities can be greatly strengthened.”
The director also pointed out that Croda is aligned with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN), and in the partnership with Unicamp the SDGs that involve quality education; development of professional skills and techniques to guarantee decent employment and income and education for sustainable development will be especially strengthened in this agreement.
