End of Year Message IC Director

Dear IC Community

Every year end, we make countless plans both in the personal and professional fields: habits, travel, studies, graduations and others. In 2020, however, everything changed! The change was so sudden that at first we were unable to measure the different implications of so many challenging situations. Fear became constant as lives were lost. It was difficult to understand and adapt, as far as possible, to the new rules of conviviality and distance. 

Many had to combine their domestic and professional lives and were sometimes confined in small spaces. It was also necessary to establish priorities and how difficult it was to do so. In the midst of so many challenges, Unicamp was the first university in Brazil to suspend its classroom activities in an exemplary manner and the IC was the first institute to adapt to a new reality of teaching and work. I still remember our discussion at Bosque about how we could do this in the best possible way. 

With the contribution and compression of our entire community, we were able to make a plan and resume activities remotely, even knowing its enormous difficulties and challenges. Since then, we have lived from one virtual meeting to another, from one class to another and the challenges continue.

 We suffer from social detachment! I really miss being able to talk in the halls, coffee, exchange ideas face-to-face and not screen-by-screen. In the wake of the disease, the chains of the economy have broken down and unemployment has increased in our country.

But, faced with all the challenges, we also saw several colleagues showing their best in examples of solidarity, compassion, service, and movement towards others. I saw several colleagues participate in our support networks, help us in the preparation of machines, websites, emergency services, tutorials, classes, teaching materials that needed to be adapted, shared materials, set up donation networks for basic food baskets; many actions worthy of mention and thanks. I saw colleagues rush to the IC to help us in frightening moments like the day the datacenter had leaks. An example among many of teamwork that everyone was willing to help in order to make us very proud! 

And as if all the challenges mentioned were not enough, we are still united to fight against situations that have put (and put) in threat university autonomy and Science itself in our country. What year!

Given all this, it does not seem like a year has passed, but several in the same period. I couldn't end this year without thanking you all for your support and trust. You were instrumental in enabling us to adapt and be able to pass through the challenges. I thank the teachers, employees, and students IC for its determination and commitment to making the Institute a national and international reference. I thank you all for your incomparable resilience.

At the end of this year, I have the hope that Science will triumph and will be able to point us in ways of improvement to face the different problems. It is with this feeling of hope that we will meet again soon that I leave you with my best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a happier 2021 for all!