Brazil–Angola partnership strengthens nursing education and results in two Master’s thesis defenses

The academic cooperation between the José Eduardo dos Santos University (UJES), in Huambo – Angola, and the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), in Florianópolis – Brazil, has reached another important milestone. The data collection carried out in Angola involved 303 participants and enabled the development of two Master’s theses defended at the end of January 2026, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. José Luís Guedes dos Santos (UFSC).

The study was developed within the scope of the international project Global Nursing & Midwifery Perspectives of Working During the COVID-19 Pandemic, linked to the Global Consortium of Nursing & Midwifery Studies (GCNMS) — an initiative that brings together researchers from different countries to analyze the impacts of the pandemic on the working conditions and health of nursing and midwifery professionals from a global perspective.

Both studies adopted a mixed methods approach, integrating quantitative and qualitative data from a single research instrument, which allowed for a comprehensive understanding of the experiences of professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Master’s student Bela Chonela Ngoma Chivando Simba defended the thesis entitled: “Experiences of stress and mental health symptoms among nursing and midwifery professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic in Angola: a mixed methods study.” Master’s student Herculano Calandula Kamalanga presented the thesis entitled: “Working conditions and coping with the COVID-19 pandemic among nursing and midwifery professionals in Angola: a mixed methods study.”

Both students played a key role in the local data collection in Angola, highlighting their leadership in the research process and their contribution to the production of knowledge aligned with the country’s health system needs.

The data analysis phase included international collaboration with UFSC researchers, with the participation of PhD students Sandra Aponte and Bruno Gobato, as well as undergraduate student Kaiane Neves, reinforcing the formative, collaborative, and multicenter nature of the initiative.

Beyond the academic outcomes, this experience represents a significant step forward in the internationalization of graduate education, promoting capacity building, networked scientific production, and the development of research connected to a global consortium.