Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul international exchange
The Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul or UFRGS is the third largest research university in Brazil. During March and April of 2013 I was based in the PGDR department while I conducted field research in the Porto Alegre. PGDR is linked to the Rural Sociology Department of Wageningen University in the Netherlands. For this period I was able to study in depth native plant species, agroecology, food systems, and local agricultural systems. I also linked to the architecture and urbanism department. I was able to initiate a dialogue with students there about landscape architecture, and I gave a lecture on the Dutch perspective and my experience in the Netherlands. This exchange has proved invaluable as I continue my research and build a network for initiating projects in Brazil.