Event is featured on the website of the Alexander Von Humboldt Foundation.
A meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, talks with other researchers around the world, and the presentation of the project to members of the German government and representatives of the Brazilian government. This was the participation of the architect Carolina Nunes, at a German Chancellor Fellowship event held in Berlin last week.
The event is part of the official schedule of the German Chancellor Fellowship program, which included a visit to Chancellor, the patron of the program. After the meeting, the activities continue in the city of Munich.
On the first day (17), Carolina participated in a panel discussion with other members of the program, who were divided in groups. The architect was in the group “Green Areas and Sustainability: from Protection to Promotion”, in which the moderator asked about the projects.
The meeting with Merkel was on the second day (18) and took place on a protocol basis. The architect says that the chancellor was very receptive and friendly with the researchers, trying to talk with each country. “It was sensational to be faced with the most powerful woman on the planet and she was much nicer than we could imagine”, she said.
Before that, in the chancellery auditorium, participants debated contemporary issues with the presence of Dr. Christoph Heusgen, Ministerial Director of Foreign Affairs, Security and Development Policy of the German Government, and Professor Dr. Helmut Schwarz, President of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.
Still on the second day, the researchers visited the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Another round of discussions on projects was made, with the participation of Ms. Heidrun Tempel, Commissioner for Scientific Relations, Communication and Intercultural Dialogues. Carolina spoke about her project, which will aim to engage 500 young people in Brazil in the cause of rivers and cities, and to promote an exchange with Germany.
Ms. Tempel asked about experiences in Germany that the participants would like to share. “So I talked about my experience with rivers and cities, how German cities are integrated with the environment and public spaces are places of meeting and belong to everyone. Mrs. Tempel asked if I did not already know that. I answered that in part, yes, but the German cities are not known in Brazil as a reference in urban planning, although they are much better, with more quality of life, and details designed for human use and conviviality than other cities that I could Know and which carry this fame. Then she asked me what I was going to do to solve this and I told her about my new project. I am developing together with the Indian Pooja Gianchandani, we intend to engage young Brazilians and then bring them to Germany, in a continuous program”, explains the architect.
The last day of the trip to Berlin included a visit to the Brazilian Embassy, when the researcher was received by Minister Counselor Roberto Avelar and the the work on cities and rivers returned to the debate. “It was a very pleasant afternoon, in which we discussed Brazilian problems and future scenarios with great depth. Besides the minister, the secretaries were also present. Mr. Bernardo Macke also attended the dinner hosted by the Foundation last night, where we talked a lot about the relationship between rivers and cities in Germany. It is very gratifying to realize that there are people thinking of Brazil as a country, independent of governments.”, said Carolina.