With this New Year’s message, I greet the entire B-MRS community in Brazil and abroad.
2017 was especially difficult for the areas of science, technology and innovation in Brazil, and B-MRS has aligned itself with other scientific societies by echoing voices calling for more responsible policies by governments in our sector. It has been a difficult battle to convince leaders regarding the growing importance of research investment, given that society increasingly relies on knowledge to achieve sustainable development. For a country with so much social inequality, such as Brazil, there is no alternative means to create and incorporate technologies to improve the lives of the population. We all need to join in and repeat the slogan advocated by many of our colleagues: “Science is not an expense. It’s an investment!”
Despite the difficulties, the Brazilian scientific community has shown remarkable resilience. For B-MRS, for example, 2017 was marked by an excellent Meeting in Gramado, whose scientific level was equivalent to the best international meetings in materials science and engineering. The Meeting was also an exceptional opportunity to bring together researchers from Latin America, as well as from other continents, as part of B-MRS’s effort to position itself on the international landscape. In this regard, perhaps the greatest highlight of the year was the participation of Brazilian postdoctoral researchers at the Forum for Young Researchers in Strasbourg, France, organized by the European Society for Materials Research (E-MRS) and by the International Union of Materials Research Societies (IUMRS). These postdoctoral fellows were selected in a competitive national contest.
It is always gratifying to follow over the year, in the B-MRS Newsletter, some of the achievements and contributions of Brazilian researchers in various materials areas. In 2017, much was done in Brazil, a demonstration of the strength of our community.
I end by thanking the B-MRS community, with heartfelt wishes for health and success in 2018, hoping to meet many of you in Natal (state of Rio Grande do Norte), from September 16 to 20, in our next Meeting.
Professor Osvaldo Novais de Oliveira Junior
President of B-MRS