The University of Minho is one of the institutions with the highest number of PhD students awarded Fulbright Commission scholarships this year to carry out research in the United States of America.

Ana Rita Luz, from the Department of Economics, will be conducting research at the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor into the impact of public policies on students’ progression through higher education. Carol Coelho, from the Department of Psychology, is heading to Stanford University to study the prevention of eating disorders and body acceptance.

Meanwhile, José Pedro Fernandes, from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, intends to develop a smart system using digital twins and AI at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, aimed at optimising the treatment of wastewater contaminated by pharmaceuticals and pesticides.

The scholarships are supported by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and last for four months, enabling these scholarship holders to act as ambassadors for both UMinho and the country.

The Fulbright Programme offers Portuguese students and lecturers the opportunity to study, conduct research or teach in the USA, whilst also providing their American counterparts with opportunities in Portugal.

The internationalisation of research is one of the pillars of the Rector’s action plan, and various activities have been developed to strengthen this aspect.