Work

I am really very happy with the work that I am developing here since it fits perfectly into my professional profile. I am carrying out my professional practices, I need to carry them out in order to obtain a graduate degree in Chemical Engineering in Argentina. I am working in various research areas at the Institute of Exact and Biological Sciences of the Federal University of Ouro Preto. The main tasks I perform are analysis and analytical determinations, for example determination of heavy metal concentration by atomic absorption spectroscopy, also by infrared spectrometer. I am also helping to carry out tests to obtain filter material from industrial waste from the characteristic industries of the city. In addition, I perform various adsorption studies, chemical kinetics and chemical equilibrium studies, with subsequent data processing. This is having a positive impact on my professional life since I am implementing analysis techniques that I had not experienced before and learning about the ways of treating industrial effluents in this city.

Experience

Ouro Preto is a city called a World Heritage Site for its historical, cultural and natural value. It is a city that has many churches and old buildings, oratories and museums that show the past of the Afro-Brazilian culture, it is a very touristic city with a great religious and cultural diversity. The people of this city are very hospitable and empathetic, they always helped me from day one. The university received me very well and were with me at all times. At the University there is a group of students who are in charge of accompanying foreign students and make visits to different museums, parks and cities so that we can get to know the city a little more. Thanks to this I met many Spanish-speaking exchange students and made very good friends here! This city was built on mountains so it is very difficult to walk from one place to another since the streets are very steep and rocky, you must have a very good physical condition to take a walk! The views of all parts of the city are beautiful, it's amazing how the houses are mounted on hills. The weather here is very humid and it rains daily but it is also very hot! About meals, the typical food here is rice with beans and chicken. I eat at the university restaurant and every day there is rice with beans and some other accompaniments such as chicken, beef, fish, fruits and vegetables. Here are some very delicious exotic fruits, my favorites are Guava and Papaya! Here they also have a meal that is consumed at any time of the day for breakfast, lunch, snack or dinner, these are called "Salgados" which are small yucca bombs stuffed with chicken, vegetables or mushrooms and "Pão de Queijo" which is a bread made with cheese and cassava.

Discover

During my internships I got to know a culture very different from mine, it seems incredible to me how cultures in neighboring countries change so much. I was able to observe that the city has countless problems of industrial effluents that generate environmental contaminants, as well as how each researcher who works in the university laboratories does so with conviction, wanting to improve the conditions of the place where they live. This taught me that in different parts of the world there are people contributing their knowledge and their time to leave a better planet Earth for future generations, I am proud to be able to share research spaces with people from cultures different from mine but who pursue the same goal "Fight to reduce environmental pollution." This exchange made me reaffirm my choice of life, now I am more sure that I want to dedicate the rest of my life to research and to try to reduce the environmental chaos that man has generated for years. With this exchange I managed to focus my goals, I am really happy with this!