Academic and Social impact

Even in the face of the difficulties of immediate changes in the realities where the studies are carried out, the results have offered support for the challenges in the area of ​​Health Promotion and have even contributed to regional and national development, as they come from graduate students from different backgrounds in the country (Northeast, Center-West and Southeast). The research is carried out in different settings, whether the participants belong to vulnerable population groups or not. According to the reports of the graduates, around 60% of the subjects reported having noticed some impact of the research in the place where it was carried out. Strengthening the relationship between academia and the local, regional and national community, social inclusion allows for the evaluation of demands, with the possibility of improving the services provided and the quality of life of the population.

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The University of Franca, through the Graduate Program in Health Promotion, has been part of the Brazilian Network (Rebraups) since its creation in 2018 and has also been part of the Ibero-American Network of Health Promoting Universities (RIUPS) since 2008.

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Based on the concept of Health Promotion, Unifran has used activities that involve the use and learning of artistic techniques to generate well-being in the workplace. They involve the entire academic community and allow us to understand ethical issues regarding respect for the personal needs of an individual, mutual values, and issues related to social responsibility.

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Unifran has been dedicated to experiences that lead to the proposal of local, national, and international agendas to respond together to the challenges of a Health Promoting University. The Program has been actively contributing to the construction of this field of political action, whether in the formulation. of subsidies for the formulation of policies, practices and social protection measures, such as the study of social determinants, environments, technologies and sustainability in Health Promotion.

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Among the successful experiences we can highlight:

– Launch of the book “Act local and think global in a Health Promoting University” in 2019. This book was born with an ideal: to demonstrate the set of actions and practices that the University of Franca has carried out within the principles that guide Health Promoting Universities (UPS). The need to share this experience with the public, much more than simply demonstrating them, has the interest and intention of sharing them and, thus, being able to strengthen links and create conditions for other practices, actions and experiences to be replicated, improved, shared; thus creating the conditions for these to expand and reach other knowledge/practices. The path of this book was thought of ‘from the outside in’, that is, from the practices that are experienced on campus and outside of it, to a theoretical framework that explains the movement of Health Promoting Universities and their different purposes, concepts and principles.

– Project “Actions to promote Health in the university”, the REDE project, is aimed at employees of the cleaning, maintenance and gardening sectors of the University of Franca and since 2017 it has taught workshops on fabric painting, ceramic art, biscuit making, computer science, as well as classes in water aerobics and swimming, creating conditions so that they can take advantage of the technological resources available in the work environment, feel valued and have greater self-esteem due to the appreciation of knowledge. Projects such as this value the participation and involvement of the academic community, thus consolidating the insertion of this IES in the scenario of universities committed to the social function, well-being and health of all its members.

– UNIFEIRA: Organic Fruit and Vegetable Fair on the university campus

This project aims to strengthen the link between the University of Franca (UNIFRAN) and the Franca community, promoting access to better quality food, through the marketing of organic food produced by rural producers of Franca and the region. And also to bring producers and consumers together, promoting dialogue, as well as the exchange of knowledge and popular wisdom. In order to contribute to the well-being and food and nutritional security of employees, teachers and students of the Higher Education Institution (IES) and the surrounding community, through the sale of organic food. The fair takes place weekly inside Unifran.