This week, the Graduate Program in Agricultural Microbiology begins another cycle of lectures promoted by its continuing education program. In this first semester of 2025, the guests will be alumni of the PPG, who will share with students and other interested parties their experiences in building their careers after completing their master’s and doctoral degrees.

“This is a demand that came from the students themselves, who were interested in learning more about the trajectory of the graduates and hearing tips on how to build careers with different profiles,” says the PPGMBA coordinator, Professor Wendel Silveira. The continuing education program was created to meet these demands and guarantee students the development of diverse skills that are fundamental to the job market and go beyond knowledge of microbiology.

The first to talk to the students will be researcher Vinícius Duarte, who currently works at Oslo University Hospital – Rikshospitalet, in Norway. “It’s very gratifying for me to be able to return to the program and give this talk. I think it’s a natural cycle, graduates should come back, show what they’re doing and stimulate the next generation.” In his talk, Vinicius will tell us why he opted for the sandwich doctorate and how he decided to return abroad after completing his doctorate in Viçosa. “I want to talk about the ways in which we can look for these paths, universities, research centers and scholarships in Europe. And also make clear the role of the program in facilitating this process, in terms of the knowledge and training it provides.”

Returning to the PPGMBA the following week is João Batista Ribeiro, now a researcher at Embrapa. With a master’s and doctorate in Microbiology, he will highlight how the paths he took within the program itself were fundamental for the following years. “Not only did the program give me the training to apply the knowledge I acquired, but also to follow the evolution of knowledge, learn new things, and even overcome the challenges that inevitably arise.”

Finally, on Wednesday, April 16, the students will meet researcher Gilberto Mendes, a professor at the Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (Federal University of Uberlândia). He will talk about the transition from student to professor, the challenges of working on a campus under construction, international experiences and other aspects of his work in teaching, research and extension. “It’s nice when we take the time to remember and systematize our trajectory. This look at the past makes us realize what the major milestones and challenges of our career were. I hope that by sharing these stories with the Program’s students, I can inspire and motivate them in some way to remain steadfast in the pursuit of their goals and projects.”

The lectures will take place on Wednesdays at 4pm, via Google Meet.