Visiting UNIVALI

As an academic, you are never really out of your work, and my journey to Brazil was no exception. After my holidays in Rio and Bahia, I flew south to Balneário Camboriu (Santa Catarina State) to be an external examiner for an MPhil at UNIVALI. Balneariu Camboriu is one of the main resorts in South Brazil, similar to Benidorm (located around a bay and featuring high rise buildings - see photo below). The thesis was undertaken by Laira Stock and supervised by Dr. Sara Anjos. The thesis examined the logistics of the Joinville Dance Festival (Santa Catarina State). That same day, I did a guest lecture to around 150 tourism, hospitality, gastronomy and business studies students on "Gastronomy and tourism: motivation and satisfaction of European tourists in Portugal".

With the other members of the examining panel: Dr. Sara Anjos, Laira Stock (student), Dr. Josildete Oliveira and Dr. Ovidio da Silva Junior

Balneario Camboriu

The next day, I was greeted by Dr. Valdir Cechinel Filho, Pro-Vice-Chancelor (Research and Post-Graduate Studies) of UNIVALI, after which I had a brief tour around Itajai (where the main UNIVALI campus is located). Itajai is a thriving port town, which has grown significantly over the past years.

View of Itajai

Cabeçudas Beach

"Parrot Beak" Rock, near Cabeçudas Beach

Later that day, Dr. Sara Anjos (my host) took me to Parque Vila Germânica (German Town Park) in Blumenau (around 50km from Balneario Camboriu), a city that I had previously visited more than 10 years ago during my first journey to Brazil (1998). Parque Germânico is a multi-purpose venue which hosts a range of events, the main one of which is Oktoberfest, the largest of its type outside Germany (around 700.000 visitors over two weeks). Mrs Cristina, the marketing manager of the festival, showed me the modern premises and talked about the festival. I was impressed by the quality of the park, the size of the event and effort put in to its organisation, notably the concern about improving the experience of event goers every year.

German Park, with the Mrs Cristina, Oktoberfest marketing manager

German Park, with Dr. Sara Anjos and Mrs Cristina, the Oktoberfest marketing manager

With Dr. Sara Anjos at the Pattisserie Dona Hilda (Blumenau), enjoying a tea and a delicious cake