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Created from a partnership between the Federal University of Acre (UFAC) and Motorola, the Web Academy project can be considered one of the main training initiatives in software development in the North region. Coordinated by the doctor in Computer Science, Daricélio Moreira Soares, the program combines practical teaching, scientific research and technological innovation, transforming the training of students and professionals in the area of Information Technology.
Daricélio explains that Web Academy is a research, development and innovation project within the scope of the IT Law, financed by Motorola. The main objective is to train human resources in the area of full stack web development, combining theory and practice with agile methodologies and a focus on real challenges.
Web Academy Project combines practice, research and innovation, training professionals and strengthening the technological ecosystem in the North region/Photo: Provided
“The project emerged in the post-pandemic context, when there was a decentralization of resources under the IT Law, leaving the metropolitan region of Manaus. Motorola approached us because we were the only state other than UFAM with an active master’s program in the area”, explained the coordinator.
Practical training and market focus
The training is structured into basic, intermediate and advanced modules, and uses the format hands-on, which places the student at the center of professional practice. Divided into teams, participants simulate the real industry environment, facing problems proposed by real customers, such as Motorola itself, UFAC and public bodies in Acre, such as Sefaz, Civil Police, Secretariat of Agriculture and Secretariat of Indigenous Peoples.
Initiative developed with UFAC has already trained 149 students and brings practical web development teaching to the interior of the state/Photo: Provided
Students develop so much hard skillssuch as programming in Java and the use of frameworks, as well as soft skillssuch as communication, conflict resolution and time management. In the end, they are able to work at all stages of the software development cycle.
Academic and professional impact
In just a short time, the Web Academy has already trained 149 students in six classes, and two more are in progress, scheduled for completion in March 2026.
Pedro Moreira, a graduate in Advertising, says that he found out about the course through recommendations from previous classes and states: Normally, undergraduate courses in the technology area only show the basics of programming languages. Because of this, I personally felt that with just the knowledge acquired at college it would be difficult for me to get a job in the field.”
Web Academy integrates industry and academia with a focus on practical training and insertion of students into the job market/Photo: Provided
For him, WebAcademy manages to combine the conceptual with the practical. “There we were able to get an overview of what it is like to develop a minimally professional application” he explains.
Furthermore, the impact can be seen on several other fronts, such as reducing dropouts in UFAC undergraduate courses, improving academic performance and early insertion of students into the job market.
Initiative reduces dropout rates in UFAC undergraduate courses/Photo: Provided
“We have cases of students who were hired by Motorola itself or by companies outside the state, but who continue to reside in Acre, working remotely. Others created startups and continue to develop local solutions”, highlighted Daricélio. The project has also generated scientific publications and strengthened the state’s technological innovation ecosystem.
Modern structure and expansion
With the positive results, the Web Academy gained its own space within UFAC, equipped with teaching and practice laboratories, a collaborative environment, an audiovisual production studio, modern computers and interactive screens. The location also supports the new front of the project, which seeks to bring training to municipalities in the interior of Acre through distance learning (EAD).
The partnership with Motorola is historic as it is the first private company to finance a research and innovation project within the IT area at UFAC. Not only this project, it also supports the Pavic programs, focused on computational intelligence, and IArtes, specializing in software testing engineering using artificial intelligence.
The partnership with Motorola is historic as it is the first private company to finance a research and innovation project within the IT area at UFAC/Photo: Provided
For the coordinator, the Web Academy represents more than technical training: it is a bridge between the university, the market and innovation. “We are reducing the distance between what academia teaches and what the market really needs. And Acre is now recognized as an emerging technology and software development hub in the country”, he concluded.
