In the middle of summer, cariocUniversity students from different regions of the country traded their vacation routine for laboratory benches in a scientific immersion program promoted by the Oswaldo Cruz Institute (IOC/Fiocruz).
The experience was part of the 34th edition of Vacation Courses, which brought together more than 80 young people at the F headquartersiocThe event took place in Rio de Janeiro between January 26 and February 6. For many participants, it was two weeks that represented their first deep dive into the day-to-day workings of science.
Behind the scenes of the classes, master's and doctoral students of Postgraduate Program of the Institute They took on the roles of teachers and monitors. Some experienced the challenge of teaching for the first time.
According to the coordinator of the Vacation Courses, Luciana Ordunha Araripe, this dual formative function is precisely one of the pillars of the initiative. On the one hand, it strengthens the pedagogical training of postgraduate students; on the other, it introduces external students to the routine of research.
"Those who teach learn by teaching, and those who learn teach by learning," Luciana reflected, quoting Paulo Freire.
"For graduate students, teaching practice ranges from preparing classes and course materials to organizing time and interacting with students," he added.
The coordinator highlighted the impact of contact with laboratories and practical classes in the discovery of new professional possibilities for undergraduate students.
“Many begin to envision a future in academia. Contact with the routine and the dissertation and thesis topics of graduate students sparks an interest in scientific careers among undergraduate students,” he explained.
Gabrielly Ribeiro, 20, enrolled in the 'Physiology of Vector Insects' course after learning about the initiative on social media. A Biomedicine student at the State University of Pará (UEPA), Marabá campus, she said that the practical experience was one of the highlights of the course.
“For those who come from the countryside, the Vacation Courses are even more special, because we have access to techniques that we might not have on our campuses. I did a PCR practice, for example, which I never imagined I would be able to perform,” she reported.
To make the trip possible, Gabrielly saved part of the Scientific Initiation grant she receives from UEPA to buy the tickets and relied on her parents' help to cover the remaining costs.
Despite the anxiety that preceded the trip, according to the student, the experience exceeded expectations.
“I knew it was going to be good, but not as good as it was. It was a lot of fun, I met some really cool people and I was exposed to other areas of knowledge,” she said.
In the course 'Diagnostic Techniques for Parasitic Diseases', Ester Brandão, a 21-year-old Nursing student at the Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), also highlighted the immersion in the laboratory routine and admitted that the experience 'revolutionized her way of thinking about her master's degree'.
“I didn’t expect to learn so much in such a short time. In undergraduate studies, we often only shadow master’s and doctoral students and don’t have the freedom to put our knowledge into practice in the lab. Here, we really practice and learn together,” she pointed out.
Amid the high demand for the Summer Courses, Márcio dos Santos, a 23-year-old Pharmacy student at the Macaé campus of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, revealed that he had tried to participate in other editions before being selected this summer.
He also chose the course 'Diagnostic techniques for parasitic diseases' because it directly relates to his undergraduate research, which focuses on toxoplasmosis.
“I’ve wanted to do this for a long time. I managed to connect the course content with my research, so I was very happy,” said Márcio, who stayed at a relative’s house in Rio de Janeiro.
In the synchronous remote format, the course 'Inclusion, health and teaching practices: education for diversity' contributed to expanding the reach of the Holiday Courses.
Catarine Ornelas, a 31-year-old undergraduate student in Biological Sciences at the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), highlighted the quality of the classes and the exchanges that took place in the virtual environment.
“I learned about inclusive education, social determinants, the use of adapted games, and I had a lot of interaction with teachers and classmates. Even from home, I was able to participate actively,” she revealed.
For those who teach, the experience has also proven transformative. Doctoral student at Parasite Biology ProgramCinthia Magalhães Rodolphi taught the 'Diagnostic Techniques' course in this edition, but a few years earlier she was on the other side of the bench.
“I was a student in the course in 2020. Now, I'm a professor. It's very rewarding to pass on the knowledge we acquired throughout the postgraduate program and see the sparkle in their faces,” she reflected.
For Cinthia, the initiative plays an important complementary role in academic training.
According to her, vacation courses allow students to broaden their contact with procedures that are not always part of their undergraduate studies.
"What I hear most from students is that they didn't see certain techniques in college and they're seeing them here. So, the Vacation Courses become an important part of their training," he stated.
Living her first teaching experience in the Summer Courses, the doctoral student in Cellular and Molecular BiologyVictória de Moraes Silva, one of those responsible for the course 'Cloning and expression of recombinant proteins in prokaryotic systems', highlighted the development of the teaching methodology.
“This contact with students is fundamental to our training. By presenting important day-to-day laboratory techniques to undergraduates, we learn how to teach,” he pointed out.
By bringing together students from different regions and promoting exchange between undergraduate and graduate studies, the Summer Courses of IOC They reinforce their role as a space for scientific, pedagogical, and human development.
Since its creation in 2007, the initiative has trained over 3 students and offered more than 175 courses. The next edition is scheduled for the winter of 2026, maintaining the Institute's commitment to stimulating vocations and training new generations of scientists.
In the middle of summer, cariocUniversity students from different regions of the country traded their vacation routine for laboratory benches in a scientific immersion program promoted by the Oswaldo Cruz Institute (IOC/Fiocruz).
The experience was part of the 34th edition of Vacation Courses, which brought together more than 80 young people at the F headquartersiocThe event took place in Rio de Janeiro between January 26 and February 6. For many participants, it was two weeks that represented their first deep dive into the day-to-day workings of science.
Behind the scenes of the classes, master's and doctoral students of Postgraduate Program of the Institute They took on the roles of teachers and monitors. Some experienced the challenge of teaching for the first time.
According to the coordinator of the Vacation Courses, Luciana Ordunha Araripe, this dual formative function is precisely one of the pillars of the initiative. On the one hand, it strengthens the pedagogical training of postgraduate students; on the other, it introduces external students to the routine of research.
"Those who teach learn by teaching, and those who learn teach by learning," Luciana reflected, quoting Paulo Freire.
"For graduate students, teaching practice ranges from preparing classes and course materials to organizing time and interacting with students," he added.
The coordinator highlighted the impact of contact with laboratories and practical classes in the discovery of new professional possibilities for undergraduate students.
“Many begin to envision a future in academia. Contact with the routine and the dissertation and thesis topics of graduate students sparks an interest in scientific careers among undergraduate students,” he explained.
Gabrielly Ribeiro, 20, enrolled in the 'Physiology of Vector Insects' course after learning about the initiative on social media. A Biomedicine student at the State University of Pará (UEPA), Marabá campus, she said that the practical experience was one of the highlights of the course.
“For those who come from the countryside, the Vacation Courses are even more special, because we have access to techniques that we might not have on our campuses. I did a PCR practice, for example, which I never imagined I would be able to perform,” she reported.
To make the trip possible, Gabrielly saved part of the Scientific Initiation grant she receives from UEPA to buy the tickets and relied on her parents' help to cover the remaining costs.
Despite the anxiety that preceded the trip, according to the student, the experience exceeded expectations.
“I knew it was going to be good, but not as good as it was. It was a lot of fun, I met some really cool people and I was exposed to other areas of knowledge,” she said.
In the course 'Diagnostic Techniques for Parasitic Diseases', Ester Brandão, a 21-year-old Nursing student at the Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), also highlighted the immersion in the laboratory routine and admitted that the experience 'revolutionized her way of thinking about her master's degree'.
“I didn’t expect to learn so much in such a short time. In undergraduate studies, we often only shadow master’s and doctoral students and don’t have the freedom to put our knowledge into practice in the lab. Here, we really practice and learn together,” she pointed out.
Amid the high demand for the Summer Courses, Márcio dos Santos, a 23-year-old Pharmacy student at the Macaé campus of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, revealed that he had tried to participate in other editions before being selected this summer.
He also chose the course 'Diagnostic techniques for parasitic diseases' because it directly relates to his undergraduate research, which focuses on toxoplasmosis.
“I’ve wanted to do this for a long time. I managed to connect the course content with my research, so I was very happy,” said Márcio, who stayed at a relative’s house in Rio de Janeiro.
In the synchronous remote format, the course 'Inclusion, health and teaching practices: education for diversity' contributed to expanding the reach of the Holiday Courses.
Catarine Ornelas, a 31-year-old undergraduate student in Biological Sciences at the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), highlighted the quality of the classes and the exchanges that took place in the virtual environment.
“I learned about inclusive education, social determinants, the use of adapted games, and I had a lot of interaction with teachers and classmates. Even from home, I was able to participate actively,” she revealed.
For those who teach, the experience has also proven transformative. Doctoral student at Parasite Biology ProgramCinthia Magalhães Rodolphi taught the 'Diagnostic Techniques' course in this edition, but a few years earlier she was on the other side of the bench.
“I was a student in the course in 2020. Now, I'm a professor. It's very rewarding to pass on the knowledge we acquired throughout the postgraduate program and see the sparkle in their faces,” she reflected.
For Cinthia, the initiative plays an important complementary role in academic training.
According to her, vacation courses allow students to broaden their contact with procedures that are not always part of their undergraduate studies.
"What I hear most from students is that they didn't see certain techniques in college and they're seeing them here. So, the Vacation Courses become an important part of their training," he stated.
Living her first teaching experience in the Summer Courses, the doctoral student in Cellular and Molecular BiologyVictória de Moraes Silva, one of those responsible for the course 'Cloning and expression of recombinant proteins in prokaryotic systems', highlighted the development of the teaching methodology.
“This contact with students is fundamental to our training. By presenting important day-to-day laboratory techniques to undergraduates, we learn how to teach,” he pointed out.By bringing together students from different regions and promoting exchange between undergraduate and graduate studies, the Summer Courses of IOC They reinforce their role as a space for scientific, pedagogical, and human development.
Since its creation in 2007, the initiative has trained over 3 students and offered more than 175 courses. The next edition is scheduled for the winter of 2026, maintaining the Institute's commitment to stimulating vocations and training new generations of scientists.
The non-profit reproduction of the text is allowed as long as the source is cited (Comunicação / Instituto Oswaldo Cruz)
 |
 |
