Promoting the internationalization of POPNeuro, a successful neurophysiology outreach program

Here we report a successful initiative between Brazil and Germany to stimulate neuroscience outreach: the POPNeuro Program. The POPNeuro Program is a neuroscience outreach project created in Brazil that has been active for >10 years. It was initiated in Uruguaiana, RS, Brazil and linked to the Physiology Research Group from the Federal University of Pampa. The neuroscience dissemination was developed mainly in school environments by a team that includes neuroscientists and university undergraduate and graduate students. One of the key focuses of POPNeuro is to identify and avoid the dissemination of neuromyths (misconceptions generated by a misunderstanding, a misreading, or a misquoting of scientific facts). After an initial research cooperation, the Brazilian and German teams decided to replicate some of the POPNeuro activities in Germany. The POPNeuro spin-off developed the first activities in Germany, including neuroscience disclosure activities during the Chemnitz University of Technology (TUC) Open Campus Day and a Neuroscience of Learning course for sports and physical education teachers. During the activities, participants took a quiz to identify the prevalence of neuromyths and knowledge of neuroscience facts. The results demonstrate a high prevalence of neuromyths between the different participants. Despite the sociocultural differences, these results are in line with previous results from POPNeuro in Brazil. Considering our experience and the participants' evaluations, we are confident that promoting the internationalization of this successful neurophysiology outreach program and expanding the Brazilian POPNeuro program in Germany will have a positive impact. This initiative represents a model of international cooperation that should be stimulated.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The internationalization of scientific work is recognized as an essential resource for quality research in different areas and countries. However, international cooperation is less common in teaching and outreach than in research. We shared the experience of a successful international neurophysiology outreach cooperation between Brazil and Germany: the POPNeuro Program. The success of POPNeuro's spin-off in Germany reveals that promoting internationalization and expanding successful outreach projects have positive impacts.