Dear Computing Institute Community,
The Board of Directors of the Computing Institute has been constantly committed to keeping the community informed, publishing periodic reports with all relevant updates. Therefore, we cannot condone the spread of unfounded claims, false information and harmful accusations recently made on social media. This behavior not only harms the Institute's reputation, but also undermines community trust, which can, in turn, undermine important programs that benefit so many people at our Institute.
We consider it extremely important to foster an environment of discussion based on truth, respect for contradictions and the search for constructive solutions. The dissemination of correct information and the search for constructive dialogue are fundamental pillars of this environment and essential elements for the success of any academic community and its programs. In this sense, for the benefit of the Institute, we once again present the records of actions carried out by IC administrations in the last six years or more, as well as clarifications regarding administrative processes.
Firstly, it is important to highlight that IC has always valued free and quality research, maintaining an unwavering commitment to transparency in all processes.
With regard to our institute, it is essential to highlight that all donations for buildings and research grants, from companies or individuals, are strictly regulated by current regulations, especially Resolution GR-007/2019, CONSU-A Deliberation- 016/2022 and Deliberation CONSU-A-037/2019 of Unicamp. The buildings constructed are owned by Unicamp and are used in our activities, for which there are regulations that prevent the continuous presence of partner representatives in the spaces.
Research carried out by fellows is the exclusive responsibility of the advisor and the student, and the resulting technologies and knowledge are widely disseminated.
Research partnerships are regulated by agreements that pass through various bodies of the University, including the IC Congregation, where representatives of faculty, staff and students have access to all terms of the partnerships, with the right to voice and vote. Furthermore, both Unicamp's Innovation Agency – INOVA, and the Attorney General's Office – PG, evaluate the conditions to be established in partnerships. INOVA issues an opinion on intellectual property, protecting the university's production, while PG expresses its opinion on the other legal conditions of the partnership, aiming for legal security for the university.
Regarding changes to IC's visual identity, during the pandemic, we carried out renovations in common spaces to better meet the needs of the community. The renovation of the infrastructure and the inclusion of graffiti aimed to promote diversity and innovation, fundamental pillars of the Institute. In addition to the aesthetic renovation, the forest, kitchens and gardens were renovated and expanded. We are constantly investing to provide the best possible environment for our students, teachers and staff and the results of this effort are clearly noticeable to anyone who visited our facilities 4 years ago and sees them today.
Regarding the construction of CSHub, the former IC 4, it is important to highlight that the construction of the building has been ongoing for more than two decades and has gone through several phases and legal disputes under the responsibility of the PG. The donations received, in the amount of 3 million reais, were made under the terms of the “Unicamp Partners” program, regulated by Resolution GR-007/2019, and were approved by the IC Congregation (which, remember, always has student representatives with voice and vote). CSHub is intended for the exclusive use of the IC community, with space allocation guidelines defined by the Institute itself. In addition to the research laboratories, CSHub must have an events space and a large common area. The completion of CSHub will enable the reallocation of spaces for demands related to teaching, extension and administration activities.
In addition to the donations mentioned, IC has received donations from individuals and legal entities through the CompSocial and Alumni programs (https://amigos.ic.unicamp.br/). These donations have allowed the IC to help students in conditions of social vulnerability to start and maintain their studies at the university and have promoted extension activities, such as the IC Marathonists, among other activities. In the last 5 years, around 112 students have been helped by the program, which provides essential support in the first months of study. We understand that the transition to university life can present challenges, especially from a financial perspective. Therefore, the program offers temporary assistance to cover housing, food and transportation expenses. Furthermore, through the program, it has been possible to help our indigenous students with airline tickets and laptops. This action reflects our commitment to ensuring that all students have an equitable and successful start to their academic journey.
We reiterate our commitment to transparency. All information related to IC agreements, budgets and expenses is submitted for approval by the Congregation, ensuring accountability in a transparent and detailed manner.
We highlight the significant contribution of the research Hubs established at the Computing Institute: the Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Architectures Hub (H.IAAC), the Artificial Intelligence Hub for Health and Wellbeing (Viva-Bem) and the Innovation Hub in collaboration with Santander. Over the last three years, these Hubs have received significant public and private investment, and the resources have primarily been allocated to financing scholarships for postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and undergraduate students. Part of these resources is also allocated to works that aim to improve the physical space and modernize the Institute's computing infrastructure. In the same period, more than 100 scholarship students benefited from and contributed to innovative research in these Hubs. We currently have the participation of fourteen postdoctoral fellows, more than 40 doctoral fellows, more than 40 master's fellows and more than 40 undergraduate fellows. These initiatives reaffirm our commitment to academic excellence, the training of high-quality professionals and the continuous modernization of our facilities and resources. In the context of the research conducted in these Hubs, we highlight that the results have been published in renowned international events and magazines. Additionally, we are pleased to inform you that some of these works received outstanding recognition through awards for best article, honorable mention and best dissertation.
The IC's fundamental mission, through partnerships with institutions of the most diverse nature, whether public or private, is to train people and generate knowledge, benefiting society and boosting its development, without compromising the quality and independence of our research.
We wish to highlight the fundamental importance of the positive, conscious and active participation of our students, both undergraduate and postgraduate, in the decisions and directions of the Institute of Computing through existing official channels and an open dialogue but faithful to the facts and the truth . Only in this way will we continue to build a stronger, more cohesive and representative institute of its academic community.
Best Regards,
Management of the Computing Institute – Unicamp