The Patronos Heritage Fund held last Saturday, May 28th, the 1st Together at Unicamp. The event brought together, at Educorp, Fund donors and members of the executive board and board of directors of Patronos, with the presence of the rector Antonio José de Almeida Meirelles. The objective was to strengthen the relationship between those involved and provide even more transparency to the impact of Patronos' actions on Unicamp and society. “The perception of the Fund’s potential retribution for Unicamp, the joy in reconnecting with the university and the expectation regarding the future of the shares were present the entire time and were, in my opinion, the highlight of the event”, said Gabriel Simões, Director of Attraction at Patronos.
The meeting began with a welcome from the Fund's president, Tulio Prado, who presented an overview of its main advances and goals. Tulio showed that R$1,6 million has already been raised from almost 220 donors and that the goal is to reach R$4 million by the end of 2023. This will allow R$110 thousand per year to be invested in projects and initiatives at Unicamp. He also highlighted the impact on around 1800 people generated by the first Patronos notices in its 4 pillars of action (Science, Innovation, People and Community).
The rector congratulated the Patrons Fund for organizing the event and for its work at Unicamp. In conversation with donors, he presented a brief historical overview of his career and the university. He also highlighted the recent challenges that Unicamp has faced and overcome and emphasized the need for an even greater connection between the university and society. Patronos donors were able to interact with the rector, discussing topics such as talent retention, reducing bureaucracy and the university's budgetary challenges.
In the impact panel led by Patronos' Director of Public Notices and Projects, Mathias Strauss, participants were able to learn firsthand the effect of some of the Fund's initiatives. Unicamp students who participated in the Career Track, Innovation Journey and Covid Hackathon announcements shared the impact of such initiatives on their lives in the academic, professional and personal spheres, highlighting the development opportunities offered by the Fund. Those responsible for the Meninas SuperCientistas projects and the Cursinho Popular Zilda Arns, which receive financial support and training from Patronos through the Decola Extras notice, explained the main benefits of the program in their performance.
The associated donor of Patronos and co-founder of Prestus, Alexandre Borin, from the Electrical Engineering class of 1996, closed the day's dialogues by commenting on the role of financial resources in building a fairer society and the role that alumni from Unicamp have to extend their hands to those who need opportunities. “Patronos wants no opportunity to be wasted. Reinforcing this mission to donors and showing that we are walking together made the event a success”, highlighted Victor Liu, who was at the head of the organizing team for the event. 1st Together at Unicamp.
The participants also paid a visit to the Unicamp Baja SAE Team workshop, at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, to learn about the advances of the Jupiter Project. This will be the first Baja SAE car powered by hydrogen fuel cells in the world. The team receives financial resources, training and support from Patronos mentors to develop the project.
About the Patrons Fund
The Associação Fundo Patrimonial Patronos is an independent, non-profit institution, organized by Unicamp students and alumni who believe in the transformative power of education, driven by the desire to integrate people whose stories have been marked by the contributions of the University. The Patronos Heritage Fund currently has almost 220 donors and accumulates assets of around R$1,65 million. The entity is made up of more than 60 volunteers, responsible for the management and operation of projects and the association. More information about Patronos can be found at patronos.org.
