McMaster and Fundação Araucária Forge New Paths for International Research Collaboration

McMaster University’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) welcomed Dr. Ramiro Wahrhaftig, President of Fundação Araucária, for a full day of collaboration and discussion on November 13, 2025. The visit marks a new chapter in research partnerships and funding opportunities between McMaster and the state of Paraná, Brazil.  

The day began with Dr. Wahrhaftig meeting with the Office of the Vice-President, Research (Dr. Martin Horn, Associate Vice-President, Research) and the Office of International Affairs (Dr. Amira El Masri, Director, OIA) where they explored alignments between Fundação Araucária and McMaster’s global research priorities and ideas for future collaboration. Over lunch, Dr. Wahrhaftig connected with faculty members from the Latin American Network at McMaster University (LANMU): Dr. Elena Verdú (Medicine), Dr. Alice Walla (Philosophy), and Dr. Rodrigo Narro Pérez (Earth, Environment & Society), all of whom maintain active ties with Brazil, further building academic bridges.

Dr. Wahrhaftig then toured some key research facilities at McMaster’s with stops at the University’s nuclear reactor where he met with Dr. John Preston, Associate Vice-President, Nuclear and Nikki Walton, Manager of Strategic Nuclear Initiatives and the Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy (CCEM) with Dr. Brian Langelier. These visits highlighted McMaster’s leading-edge capabilities in fields like nuclear, material science, and electron microscopy.

A memorable part of the day was the opportunity to meet McMaster researchers and Brazilian PhD students. These conversations allowed Dr. Wahrhaftig to engage with the strong Brazilian academic community at McMaster and learn about outcomes of international partnerships on enriching research and student experiences.

The visit concluded with a commitment to further strengthen the partnership between Fundação Araucária and McMaster University to pave the way to new and expanded collaborations between McMaster and institutions in Paraná.