A scarf made from traditional Kente fabric, a symbol of Ghanaian cultural identity, took on a meaning that went beyond the simple act of giving a gift. Presented to Unesc Acting President Gisele Silveira Coelho Lopes by Ghana’s Ambassador to Brazil, Nii Amasah Namoale, the scarf features blue, green, yellow and red colors framing designs handcrafted by the Ashanti people. The gift marked the meeting between the two countries and symbolized the possibility of building ties between Ghana and the University. It was a first step that could pave the way for new stories, bringing people, knowledge and cultures closer through academic, scientific and technological partnerships.

The presentation of the gift concluded the visit by the delegation from the West African country. Throughout Tuesday’s (Oct. 6) agenda, the delegation learned about initiatives developed by the University, visited the Scientific and Technological Park (Iparque) and the Integrated Health Clinics, and took part in a meeting at the Rectorate to discuss opportunities for cooperation.

During the meeting, Unesc Acting President Gisele Silveira Coelho Lopes presented the institution’s history, founded in 1968, as well as its community university model, characterized by its work with society and the reinvestment of its resources into its own activities.

Gisele also highlighted Unesc's contribution to regional development, with initiatives involving academic training, research, innovation, and service provision. In the health sector, Unesc surpassed, in 2026, the mark of over 300,000 free services provided to the community. In 2025, more than 252,900 services were recorded.

“The University is a connection point between different sectors of society. We bring together the productive sector, public authorities, institutions, and civil society to develop solutions that contribute to local and macro-regional development,” she emphasized.

“An international partnership begins with a meeting, but it gains meaning when there is a willingness to share knowledge, experiences, and also learn from different realities. The approach with Ghana opens an important possibility for Unesc to strengthen ties, create new opportunities for students and researchers, and build projects that can generate benefits for both societies,” Gisele added.

International Cooperation

In addition to Ambassador Nii Amasah Namoale, the delegation included Minister-Counselor Gustav Davlo and Counselor Janet Amoah Mensah. The visit also featured the participation of Jairo Martins, President of the Brazil-Africa Chamber of Commerce, responsible for bringing institutions closer and identifying partnership opportunities between Santa Catarina and African countries.

Namoale expressed interest in the initiatives presented, especially in the areas of health and agriculture. The possibility of establishing partnerships between a Ghanaian institution and Unesc was pointed out as one of the paths to enhance the approach between the two countries.

“I admire the work developed by the Community University, especially for being a non-profit institution that reinvests resources into its own activities and the community. I was impressed by the initiatives presented, especially in the areas of agriculture and health,” stated the ambassador.

The visit is part of efforts to identify areas of common interest and transform institutional contact into collaboration opportunities between Unesc, institutions in Ghana, and representatives from the academic and productive sectors.

For Jairo Martins, the visit is part of a movement to strengthen institutional and economic ties between Santa Catarina and African countries. The Brazil-Africa Chamber of Commerce maintains relations with 54 countries on the continent and seeks to identify the growing interest of diplomatic representatives in the economic and technological characteristics of Santa Catarina.

“The expectation is to bring institutions and companies together to identify opportunities for technological and technical cooperation, as well as commercial possibilities between Ghana and Brazil. Santa Catarina has companies capable of providing technologies, inputs, and products that can meet the demands of the African market,” Martins explained.

Below is the English version:

Below is the English version:

Unesc Welcomes Ghanaian Delegation to Discuss Partnerships

Representatives of the African country visited University facilities and explored opportunities for cooperation in academic, scientific and technological fields

A scarf made from traditional Kente fabric, a symbol of Ghanaian cultural identity, took on a meaning that went beyond the simple act of giving a gift. Presented to Unesc Acting President Gisele Silveira Coelho Lopes by Ghana’s Ambassador to Brazil, Nii Amasah Namoale, the scarf features blue, green, yellow and red colors framing designs handcrafted by the Ashanti people. The gift marked the meeting between the two countries and symbolized the possibility of building ties between Ghana and the University. It was a first step that could pave the way for new stories, bringing people, knowledge and cultures closer through academic, scientific and technological partnerships.

The presentation of the gift concluded the visit by the delegation from the West African country. Throughout Tuesday’s (Oct. 6) agenda, the delegation learned about initiatives developed by the University, visited the Scientific and Technological Park (Iparque) and the Integrated Health Clinics, and took part in a meeting at the Rectorate to discuss opportunities for cooperation.

During the meeting, Unesc Acting President Gisele Silveira Coelho Lopes presented the institution’s history, founded in 1968, as well as its community university model, characterized by its work with society and the reinvestment of its resources into its own activities.

Gisele also highlighted Unesc’s contribution to regional development through initiatives involving academic education, research, innovation, and community services. In the health sector, Unesc surpassed 300,000 free services provided to the community in 2026. In 2025, the University recorded 252,990 services.

“Universities are a point of connection between different sectors of society. We bring together the productive sector, public authorities, institutions, and civil society to develop solutions that contribute to local and macro-regional development,” she emphasized.

“An international partnership begins with a meeting, but it gains meaning when there is a willingness to share knowledge and experiences, while also learning from different realities. Building closer ties with Ghana offers an important opportunity for Unesc to expand its connections, create new opportunities for students and researchers, and develop projects that can benefit both societies,” Gisele added.

International Cooperation

In addition to Ambassador Nii Amasah Namoale, the delegation included Minister-Counsellor Gustav Davlo and Counsellor Janet Amoah Mensah. The visit also included Jairo Martins, president of the Brazil-Africa Chamber of Commerce, who works to bring institutions together and identify partnership opportunities between Santa Catarina and African countries.

Namoale expressed interest in the initiatives presented, particularly in the areas of health and agriculture. The possibility of establishing partnerships between a Ghanaian institution and Unesc was identified as one way to strengthen ties between the two countries.

“I admire the work carried out by this Community University, especially because it is a nonprofit institution that reinvests its resources in its own activities and in the community. I was impressed by the initiatives presented, particularly those in agriculture and health,” the ambassador said.

The visit is part of efforts to identify areas of common interest and turn institutional contact into opportunities for collaboration involving Unesc, Ghanaian institutions, and representatives from the academic and productive sectors.

According to Jairo Martins, the visit is part of a broader movement to strengthen institutional and economic ties between Santa Catarina and African countries. The Brazil-Africa Chamber of Commerce maintains relations with 54 countries on the continent and seeks to identify the growing interest of diplomatic representatives in Santa Catarina’s economic and technological characteristics.

“Our expectation is to bring institutions and companies closer together to identify opportunities for technological and technical cooperation, as well as commercial opportunities between Ghana and Brazil. Santa Catarina has companies capable of supplying technologies, inputs, and products that can meet the demands of the African market,” Martins explained.