Laura Marcela Ribeiro Rueda is part of the Global Faculty UNAB 2026 program, strengthening academic cooperation between Brazil and Colombia in the areas of visual arts and creation

Professor Laura Marcela Ribeiro Rueda, a professor in the Visual Arts course at Feevale University, has been awarded the Global Faculty UNAB 2026, an award granted by the Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga (UNAB), Colombia, to outstanding international researchers in their fields. The initiative fosters the development of inter-institutional research projects over the course of a year, strengthening academic cooperation and internationalization between partner institutions.

The project began in February, will last for one year, and will involve Feevale and UNAB. In the area of Creation and Visual Arts, the professor will coordinate the project Transits and Territories: Collaborative Artistic Practices, carried out jointly between the two universities. According to Laura, the proposal seeks to create and strengthen spaces for access to art and culture in different communities, through collaborative artistic strategies that promote social inclusion, reflection on territories, and the fostering of cultural expressions. The project stems from the understanding of art as a tool for expression and social transformation, especially in contexts where, due to systemic structures, access to cultural spaces and artistic experiences is limited.

The planned actions deepen the relationship between research and university outreach, bringing the university closer to the communities it serves. According to the professor, in both Brazil and Colombia, art is still experienced in an elitist way, and the initiative aims to contribute to expanding cultural exchange between the two countries, as well as creating methodologies and artistic practices that can be replicated in different territories.

At Feevale University, the project will enable the participation of faculty and students in collective creative activities, expanding the reach of the actions developed by the Visual Arts courses and the Postgraduate Program in Cultural Processes and Manifestations. In addition to the academic and social impact, the proposal also engages with the creative economy of the region, promoting new ways of relating to art and culture.

Participation in the UNAB Global Faculty is the result of the recent partnership established between Feevale University and UNAB Bucaramanga, combined with the academic contact between Professor Laura and researcher Laura Lucia Serrano, from the Colombian university. For the Feevale professor, this recognition represents a milestone in her career. "Being invited as a leading researcher in the field of art and creation is very significant for my personal and professional journey," she emphasizes.