New Agreement Brings Brazil's Best Students to CIC Universities

UMN's Molly Portz and Michael Anderson; CIC Executive Director Barbara McFadden Allen; Brazilian Minister of Education, Leonardo Barchini; William Brustein of OSU; Wolfgang Schlor of UI, and Karen Partlow of the CIC

CIC universities soon will be welcoming more students from Brazil to their campuses thanks to a recent agreement signed between the CIC and the Brazilian Federal Agency for the Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (CAPES).  The agreement is part of Brazil's Scientific Mobility Program (SMP), a scholarship program created by the Brazilian Federal government that offers scholarship grants on a large-scale basis for study abroad with the objective of enhancing and expanding involvement in science, technology, innovation and competitiveness through the international mobility of students and researchers. In addition, the program seeks to encourage young, highly qualified researches and senior lecturers/professors to visit institutions in Brazil.

William Brustein, Vice Provost for Global Strategies and International Affairs at The Ohio State University and Chair of the CIC's Senior International Officers said, "The CIC-CAPES agreement will establish deeper and broader academic partnerships between CIC universities and Brazilian universities in the pursuit of addressing critical global challenges. We believe that enhancing our connections in Brazil will lead to innovative collaborations in teaching and learning for all engaged in this ground-breaking partnership." 

CIC universities are amongst the leading American Scientific Mobility Program host universities, with University of Nebraska-Lincoln and University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign being in the top five host institutions.  Currently there are 600 students from Brazil already attending CIC universities, with 157 of those being participants in the SMP.  

A delegation from the CIC (pictured above with Brazilian Minister of Education, Leonardo Barchini) recently traveled to Brazil to further develop the long-term relationship between CIC universities and their research peers and colleagues in the largest South American country. The agreement signed focused on four main objectives:

• CIC universities will seek to accept more Brazil SMP undergraduate and graduate students.     
• CIC development of  a web portal to serve as an information gateway for Brazil SMP students interested in attending CIC universities. 
• English language program for Brazilian Teachers of English. Brazil needs English Language proficiency courses for students as well as proficiency and methodology courses for their high school teachers of English. The CIC agreed to deliver intensive courses for Brazilian teachers of English both in Brazil and at participating CIC member universities, with details to be worked out to the mutual agreement of both parties. This program will be piloted for two years with the following CIC universities: University of Iowa, University of Minnesota, the Ohio State University, the Pennsylvania State University, and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with the possibility of including additional CIC universities. The universities across the CIC already have student ESL programs and the CIC will direct interested SMP students to them.

• Exploring the organization of joint conferences or symposia, and other joint activities, including the exchange of scientists and technical staff members.

"This agreement serves to reinforce and complement the existing agreements our universities have with CAPES, and will strengthen the profile of our universities considerably," said CIC Executive Director, Barbara McFadden Allen.