Biotechnological Hub of the NIB (BTH-NIB)

The purpose of the investment project BTH-NIB is the assurance of the appropriate infrastructural conditions for the use of research and developmental opportunities in the fields of operation of the NIB.

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07 Jul
National Institute of Biology has signed international academic cooperation agreement with the Institute of Chemistry - Instituto de Quimica at the University of São Paulo, Brazil

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The international academic cooperation agreement between the National Institute of Biology (NIB) and the Institute of Chemistry (Instituto de Quimica) at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil was signed on 8 June 2015 in São Paulo, at the residence of the honorary consul of the Republic of Slovenia Mr Octávio Tavares de Oliva Filho and his wife Rosana. The agreement was concluded in order to strengthen the academic and scientific cooperation in the form of work on joint research projects in the field of biochemistry and molecular biology, cell biology and biomedicine.

The purpose of this agreement is to foster the exchange of professors and researchers at all levels between the two institutions. The agreement was signed by Director of the National Institute of Biology Prof. Dr. Tamara Lah Turnšek, Dean of the Institute of Chemistry (Instituto de Quimica) at the University of São Paulo Prof. Dr. Luiz Henrique Catalani, Head of the Department of Biochemistry at this Institute Prof. Dr. Henning Ulrich, and Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia in Brazil HE Ms Milena Šmit as an honorary witness. University of São Paulo is the best university in South America and ranks  as 39th on the Shanghai rankings of world universities, therefore this event was of great value for NIB and is considered an  important step in strengthening cooperation between the two countries, both on institutional and national level. Minister Plenipotentiary of the Economic Section of the Embassy in São Paulo Ms Kristina Radej and other distinguished guests, including the President of the Association of Expat Slovenians Mr Martin Črnugelj, were also present at the ceremonial event.

National Institute of Biology has been actively cooperating with various scientific institutions in Brazil in all areas of its activity, including environmental studies of the impact of insecticides on the introduction of new plant species, the impact of global warming on biodiversity, ecotoxicology, and biomedicine. All these topics have a strong impact on all relevant economic activities where Brazil is the strongest Latin American economic power. It is certainly the most important scientific research partner since it has recently also boosted global cooperation with the program Science without Borders - Ciência sem fronteiras. Within this program also Prof. Dr. Tamara Lah Turnšek is currently working as a visiting professor at USP.

Cooperation  between NIB and many Brazilian scientific institutions dates back to the year 2004 - Prof. Dr. Alenka Malej established cooperation with the University of São Paulo in the field of marine biology and Prof. Dr. Andrej Čokl started to cooperate with Embrapo, the largest agricultural institute. In 2009, the first resident Ambassador of Brazil in Slovenia HE Ms Débora Vainer Barenboim and her husband dr. Štefan Bogdan Šalej, president of the Center for Latin America in Ljubljana, visited the National Institute of Biology and prompted us to enhance broader cooperation. In June 2010, at the initiative of the Director of NIB and under the auspices of the Brazilian Embassy, a four-day "Slovenian-Brazilian Scientific Workshop: Health and the Environment" was held at the Marine Biological Station in Piran, organized by Prof. Dr. Bojan Sedmak. The workshop was attended by a delegation of Brazilian scientists and was intended for the exchange of knowledge on health and the environment between Brazilian and Slovenian scientists from various institutions. They also prepared a doctoral program, but it unfortunately did not receive sufficient financial support.

Upon the initiative of the Brazilian Embassy and the Ministry of education, Science and Sport, a strong link was established through projects of Slovenian Research Agency and the Brazilian agency CNPQ, which enabled the implementation of several projects. In addition to that, further cooperation of Prof. Dr. Bojan Sedmak with the Carlos Chagas Filho Institute of Biophysics at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), and the cooperation of prof. Anthon Brancelj with one of the biggest environmental institutes INPA - Brazilian National Institute for Research in the Amazon. In 2012, this cooperation was further strengthened with the signing of the Agreement on the exchange of academic and scientific cooperation between NIB and INPA and the Memorandum for the exchange of students based on academic exchange at the Embassy of the Federative Republic of Brazil in Ljubljana. Honorary witnesses at the signing of two documents were HE Mr Gilberto Fonseca Guimarães de Moura, Ambassador to the Embassy of the Federative Republic of Brazil in Slovenia and Mr Vladimir Kolmanič as a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs responsible for cooperation with America. 

Besides lecturing at USP, Prof. Dr. Tamara Lah Turnšek has been cooperating with the Carlos Chagas Filho Institute of Biophysics at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and the Federal State University in São Paulo, all in the field of cancer and stem cells research. In addition to scientific cooperation, there is also good cooperation in the field of education: currently a PhD student Mona de Oliveira Neves is studying at NIB, while a young researcher from the Department of Genetic Toxicology and Cancer Biology at NIB Mateja Delač is studying at the University of São Paulo.

Political support from the highest officials and representatives of both countries is of course essential in the field both research and education. Unfortunately, it has faded with the end of these projects and we have been waiting for new tenders and calls for proposals for over three years. In Slovenia, legislative measures and financial commitments should follow the example of the Brazilian government, which supports the important forms of activities like scholarships and funds for research and educational projects. Such investments have undoubtedly long-term economic and social benefits in all areas of development - from technology to tourism and culture.

Cooperation between NIB and Brazilian research institutions



Prof. Dr. Tamara Lah Turnšek


Prof. Dr. Henning Ulrich (left) in Prof. Dr. Luiz Henrique Catalani (right)


From left: Prof. Dr. Henning Ulrich, Prof. Dr. Luiz Henrique Catalani, H. E. Ms Milena Šmit, Prof. Dr. Tamara Lah Turnšek in Mr. Octávia Tavarsa de Oliva Filha with wife Rosana 


Honorary guests