On December 22nd, the WFP Centre of Excellence Against Hunger Brazil participated in the final presentation of capstone projects prepared by students in the Professional Master’s Degree in International Policy Analysis and Management, a graduate programme at the Institute of International Relations (IRI) at Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio). The students, with the support of the Centre of Excellence, have analysed the different pandemic adaptation strategies developed by four countries in the global South to adapt the implementation and guarantee continuity to their school feeding programmes in the context of school closures.
The students focused on the distinct response strategies, highlighting challenges and learnings in policy adaptation in an emergency manner and in a context of great uncertainty. The project aimed to review the potential impact of the pandemic on the school feeding programmes in a multidimensional way, focusing on the thematic axes of nutrition, school performance and local agriculture.
This initial project is part of a wider partnership established between the WFP Centre of Excellence and the PUC Rio’s Institute of International Relations. Over the coming years, the Centre of Excellence and IRI will work together to produce research and knowledge relevant to the real challenges and opportunities experienced by countries assisted by the Centre. The goal is to engage students and promote the production of graduate research on areas such as the impact on school feeding programmes, food and nutrition security of vulnerable populations, food systems and rural development.
With the technical and institutional support of WFP, the graduate students will have the opportunity to develop professional and academic work that can support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 2, aimed at zero hunger and the promotion of sustainable agriculture; and SDG 17, which focuses on strengthening means of implementation and the revitalization of global partnerships for sustainable development by 2030. The results of this collaboration should provide important subsidies for WFP Centre of Excellence’s assistance to partner countries.
About WFP – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian agency, saving lives in emergencies and contributing to peace, stability, and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters, and climate change impacts through food assistance and food and nutrition security projects. The Centre of Excellence Against Hunger is the result of a partnership between the WFP and the Brazilian government. The mission of the Centre of Excellence is to support developing countries in creating and implementing sustainable solutions against hunger, inspired by successful experiences developed in Brazil. The WFP Centre of Excellence also acts as a global hub for policy dialogue and knowledge about food systems.
About IRI – The Institute of International Relations (IRI) at Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) is a centre of excellence in the area of International Relations in Brazil. During its more than 30 years of existence, the Institute has been a pioneer in research on Brazil’s foreign policy, in Latin America’s political and economic changes, and transformations in the world order. Its Graduate Programme trains researchers who work in several universities in the country and abroad, and its Undergraduate Program has been ranked among the five best in the country and the best in Rio de Janeiro. The Institute is internationally recognized as a reference in teaching and research within the discipline of International Relations and maintains a diversified network of partnerships with important universities abroad. PUC-Rio is one of the best universities in the country, with 24 departments and 11 complementary units dedicated to research, teaching, and extension.