20/04/2023

From the tea room to the sports courts: activities engage students.

Mondays are busy for IMPA students: from packed classrooms where they exercise their minds, to bustling sports courts. Volleyball and soccer, traditionally promoted by IMPA, engage not only nearly 30 students but also some of the institute's staff. This year, the Postgraduate Students Association (APG) began organizing other integration activities, such as film screenings, games, and scientific presentations.

Frederico Rossetto Bianchini, 25, arrived at IMPA in August 2020 and took classes remotely during his master's program. Currently a member of the APG and a doctoral student, he explains that experiencing postgraduate studies during the pandemic was one of the motivations for participating in events like the volleyball tournament, alongside 12 other students.

“I missed interacting with my classmates and having activities outside of class. My master's program class didn't have that close-knit experience. This year we welcomed the new students, with the idea of integrating them into the IMPA community.”

At the start of the academic year, the APG held a welcome barbecue at IMPA, with over 90 students, and a picnic at Parque Lage.

Student Marina Sayuri, 23, started her master's degree this year and met some of her classmates during the picnic. From Curitiba (PR), she considers the activities important for integration with her colleagues.

“It was a relaxing moment where we could get to know our classmates and seniors! The best activity, for me, was the mentoring program, in which each of us was assigned a senior to guide us with tips and introduce us to IMPA and life in Rio de Janeiro in general, since many of us came from outside Rio.”

On Wednesdays, students participate in another leisure activity, Cine Möbius, with a film screening in the auditorium at 6:30 PM. On Thursdays, it's Game Night at 7 PM, held in the Tea Room.

Another regular activity is the Student Colloquium, which takes place every two weeks on Fridays at 3:30 pm.

“The colloquium is a space to learn about colleagues' research, but also to practice presenting scientific papers. It's very important because it's universally known that public speaking is difficult. So, when people start practicing it, with each presentation, it becomes easier,” Frederico concluded.