The Symposium of Academic Exchange (SAE) is aimed at non-Anglophone high-school, undergraduate and graduate students from all areas of knowledge. Young researchers are challenged to present their works (conducted within research projects at UFSM) in English in up to five minutes, in an engaging way, so that it can be understood by a non-specialist academic audience. Inspired by the international Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, the event aims to 1) boost academic literacies in English; and 2) develop young scientists’ ability to present their research to multidisciplinary audiences, highlighting the potential impact on the community. The best presentations receive certificates of academic distinction in categories such as Time Management, Social Impact, Best Slide, Popularization of Science, Linguistic Accuracy and Fluency, and the three best presentations receive awards. The SAE is orgnized by Laboratório de Pesquisa e Ensino de Leitura e Redação (LabLeR – DLEM) and Projeto Línguas no Campus, in partnership with the International Affairs Office (SAI) and the Provost Office for Graduate Studies and Research (PRPGP) of the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria.

The IV SAE is articulated by by the Simpósio de Intercâmbio Acadêmico 2024 (SIA). SIA 2024 is a satellite event of the 39th Jornada Acadêmica Integrada (JAI) which aims to 1) stimulate the development of academic literacies in English and Portuguese as foreign/additional languages in response to the Internationalization Challenge of UFSM’s Institutional Development Plan 2016-2026 and 2) provide a multidisciplinary space for the dissemination and exchange of research, giving visibility to the science being produced in UFSM research laboratories, groups and centers in all areas of knowledge.