KI’s Unit for Teaching and Learning deepens collaboration with Brazilian partner UFCSPA
Following the visit of the Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA) to Karolinska Institutet earlier this year, a delegation from the Unit for Teaching and Learning (UoL) travelled to Brazil in May 2026 to continue developing the collaboration.
The visit, funded by KI's Collaborative Grants, marks the next step in establishing a long-term, bilateral partnership focused on educational development, research collaboration and capacity building
Strengthening an emerging partnership
During their 10-day visit (25–30 May 2026), educational developers Natalie Jellinek and Jennifer Valcke from UoL met with key leadership at UFCSPA, including Rector Jenifer Safi and Dean of Graduate Studies, Research and Innovation Aline Pagnussat. The visit was hosted and organised by Associate Professor Ana Luiza Pires de Freitas, UFCSPA’s Coordinator for Internationalisation at Home, with whom UoL has an established collaboration through the teacher training course Two2Tango, tandems for teaching in the glocal classroom.
The programme included meetings, workshops, and discussions with faculty and leadership, focusing on shared priorities such as internationalisation of education, cultural competence and humility, diversity, equity and inclusion, and curriculum development. The visit also allowed the KI delegation to gain deeper insight into how education is organised and delivered at UFCSPA.
Insights into Brazilian higher education
A key component of the visit was learning about Brazil’s national system for evaluating and supporting graduate education (both at Master's and doctoral levels), led by the federal agency CAPES. These discussions provided valuable perspectives on quality assurance, research training, and institutional development within a different higher education context.
“The visit gave us a rich understanding of how our partner institution works at multiple levels- from curriculum design to national evaluation systems,” says Jennifer Valcke. “This kind of exchange is essential for developing meaningful and equitable international collaborations.”
As part of the visit, Natalie Jellinek and Jennifer Valcke also facilitated a workshop for UFCSPA faculty on Constructive Alignment: what, how and why?, grounded in the educational principles developed by Biggs and Tang. The workshop explored the alignment of intended learning outcomes, teaching and learning activities, and assessment methods, including the redesign of participants' own learning outcomes. The session brought together 35 participants and was characterised by a high level of engagement and thoughtful discussion, reflecting a strong institutional commitment to pedagogical development and providing a solid foundation for future collaborative work.
“We were impressed by the high level of engagement and the strong motivation to further develop teaching and learning practices,” says Natalie Jellinek. “It made for very open and thoughtful discussions, and we really appreciated the willingness to share experiences and learn from each other.”
Looking ahead
The May visit builds directly on UFCSPA’s visit to KI in March 2026 and reinforces a shared commitment to long-term collaboration. Future plans include joint research initiatives in the field of healthcare education, continued development of teacher training activities, and further exploration of collaborative approaches to inclusive and sustainable education.
The teams also look forward to meeting again soon, as colleagues from UFCSPA have submitted abstracts to participate in KI’s Educational Congress, taking place on 7–8 October 2026. This will provide a valuable opportunity to continue the dialogue, share insights and plan our joint collaboration, as well as hear more about UFCSPA's innovative educational activities.