Around the world in 16 fellows: Prof. Dr. Márcia Buss-Simão
This year and next, sixteen researchers from thirteen countries will be conducting their research and teaching at TH Köln as International Fellows. One of them is Prof. Dr. Márcia Buss-Simão. In this interview, she talks about what international exchange means to her and how she plans to implement the inspiration she has gained in Germany at home in Brazil.
Names: Prof. Dr. Márcia Buss-Simão
Home universities: Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Brazil
Hosting faculty at TH Köln: Faculty of Applied Social Sciences
Fellowship name: Quality and participation in early childhood education institutions in Germany and Brazil
Duration of stay: 6 January – 6 March 2025, 10 July – 10 August 2025
I was interested in the International Fellowship because...
as an educator, it allows me to examine the Good Daycare Act (KiQuTG) and compare the discourse on quality in Germany and Brazil.
Specifically, during the fellowship I am...
analyzing the legal regulations and monitoring reports on the Good Daycare Act (KiQuTG).
During my time in Germany, I wanted to find out...
what the Good Daycare Act (KiQuTG) entails, what its goals are, and how it has been implemented in the various federal states.
I think international exchange is...
an incredible experience for expanding knowledge and culture as well as professional and personal relationships.
One thing that is different at my home university compared to TH Köln is...
that in Brazil, compulsory attendance in class is required by law. The minimum attendance rate for passing a course is 75% of active class hours and programs. Students who miss more than 25% of class hours automatically fail.
What I take back to my home university is...
the task of giving fewer lectures and developing teaching strategies that encourage students to be autonomous, critical, and creative at the same time.
What I like about TH Köln is that...
the teachers have developed and apply teaching methods that promote student autonomy and critical thinking.
What I really wanted to experience in Cologne is...
the carnival.
About PLan_CV
The International Fellows program is part of the project PLan_CV („Professur-Laufbahn an Hochschulen für angewandte Wissenschaften neu denken: Collaboration und Vernetzung“). Its goal: Finding excellent candidates for professorial careers at TH Köln and achieving greater permeability between the academic world and the business sector. The project’s budget of 12.4 million Euros is funded through the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space program “FH-Personal” (staff for universities of applied sciences).
September 2025
