Secretaria de Relações Internacionais | Office of International Relations

Group who attended the meeting between University of Arizona (USA) and UFSC. Photo: Maria Fernanda Honório/SINTER

On Tuesday, 5 November, the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) welcomed the visit of Prof. Dr. Dean Alain-Philippe Durand, Dean of the College of Humanities at the University of Arizona, in Tucson, USA. The meeting, held by the Office of International Relations (SINTER), aimed at discussing the reestablishment of the bilateral cooperation agreement between the institutions which expired this year.

The meeting was also attended by the Secretary for International Relations at UFSC, Prof. Dr. Luiz Carlos Pinheiro Machado Filho, and Prof. Dr. Ronaldo Lima, from the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures (DLLE/CCE), who is the coordinator of the agreement at UFSC. During the visit, they discussed possibilities for academic collaboration and exchange between students and faculty, strengthening UFSC´s international partnership and promoting new opportunities for research and educational development.

From left to right: Prof. Dr. Luiz Carlos Pinheiro Machado Filho; Prof. Dr. Dean Alain-Philippe Durand. Photo: Maria Fernanda Honório/SINTER

The reestablishment of the agreement is intended to expand exchange of knowledge and experiences between universities, contributing to the field of humanities and strengthening UFSC’s international relations.

This post is available in Brazilian Portuguese only. Please access the website in Portuguese to read it.

This post is available in Brazilian Portuguese only. Please access the website in Portuguese to read it.

On 16 October 2024, the Forum of Rectors of Brazil, Russia and Belarus was held at Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU), the oldest and most prestigious Russian university, founded in 1755. The event was attended by delegations from various universities in the three countries, including UFSC, represented by the Secretary for International Relations, Prof. Luiz Carlos Pinheiro Machado Filho, UDESC, represented by its Rector José Fernando Fragalli and its secretary for international cooperation, Júlia Vieira Rodrigues, and many other federal and state universities from São Paulo.

BRazilian delegation in front of Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU).

The opening ceremony was conducted by Viktor Sadovnichy, rector of MSU and president of the Russian Union of Rectors, which consists of 693 higher education institutions. Konstantin Mogilevsky, deputy minister of Education and Science for the Russian Federation, was present as well as Vadim Bogush, Rector of the Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics, who represented the Belarusian universities. Sandra Regina Goulart Almeida, rector of UFMG, represented the Brazilian institutions.

The highlight of the Forum was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the creation of the League of Universities of Russia, Brazil and Belarus. Prof. José Daniel Diniz Melo, president of ANDIFES, symbolically signed on behalf of the universities. Afterwards, each institution signed the MoU, including UFSC. The MoU defines the League as “a non-profit, informal and voluntary association of academic and scientific institutions from Belarus, Brazil and Russia”.

The League has a rotating presidency with annual meetings, which will be hosted consecutively by an institution from Russia, Brazil and Belarus. In 2025, Brazil will chair the League and host the meeting. Prof. Daniel, president of ANDIFES, invited the institutions for the next meeting to be held in Brazil, in 2025, with public universities (federal, state and municipal). It is important to highlight that the Russian and Belarusian universities are public and free of charge.

The League´s main body for discussion, planning and decision-making is the Forum, which is held annually, either in person or online. The rules for conducting the Forum will be decided on the basis of consensus between all parties. The League will initially operate through 12 thematic cooperation groups (sectorial clusters) detailed in the list below. The number of clusters may be expanded at the discretion of the institutions.

Preliminary list of thematic cooperation groups (sectorial clusters)

1. Exact Sciences;
2. Environment;

III. Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Economy;

1. Future Technologies and Digital Life;
2. Earth Sciences, Energy and Geology;
3. Language, Culture and Literature;

VII. Life and biological sciences;

VIII. Space and aerospace technologies and their applications:

1. Portuguese/ Russian as a Foreign Language;
2. International Relations and International Law;
3. Nuclear Sciences and Technologies and their applications;

XII. Education and Pedagogical Sciences.

Professors and researchers interested in collaborating with institutions in Russia and Belarus should register their interest in the following spreadsheet, indicating name, department, email address, preferred thematic cluster and, if possible, the institution and contact person.

On 15 October 2024, the Brazilian delegation, made up of representatives from several universities and led by Brazilian Ambassador to Russia, Rodrigo Baena Soares, embassy attaché, Marcelo Böhlke and deputy minister of Education, Alexandre Brasil Carvalho da Fonseca, took part in strategic meetings in Moscow in order to strengthen academic partnerships. The mission was organized by the Brazilian Embassy in Moscow and was attended by the following Brazilian universities: UFSC; UDESC; UNESP; UNICAMP; UFRGS; UFRJ; UFMG; UFABC; UFES; UFJF; UFNT; UFOB; UFOP; UFPA; UFRN; FURG; UFSB; UFSB; UNB; UNIFEI, and CNEN (Centro Nacional de Energia Nuclear) [National Center for Nuclear Energy] of the Ministry of Technology and Innovation. The Secretary for International Relations, Prof. Luiz Carlos Pinheiro Machado Filho represented UFSC in the mission.

Secretary for International Relations, Prof. Luiz Carlos Pinheiro and RSUH Vice-rector, Prof. Vera Zabotkina, signing the cooperation agreement UFSC-RSUH.

On the morning of 15 October, the delegation met with the Russian State University for the Humanities (RSUH), which currently has an agreement underway with UFSC. The meeting featured speeches by the Russian authorities such as rector Audrey Loginov and Dr. Ksenia Trinchenko, director of International Cooperation Department at the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Russian Academy of Sciences. They emphasized the importance of cooperation between both countries. Brazilian representatives, in addition to the ambassador and the deputy minister of Education, the president of ANDIFES and rector of UFRN, José Daniel Diniz Melo, also reinforced the opportunities for academic cooperation.

UFSC stood out at the meeting when RSUH vice-rector, Prof. Vera Zabotkina, mentioned the role of the university in the UNESCO Chair, coordinated by Prof. Gilvan Müller. She also praised the student Gustavo Scalabrin Hübner, who was an exchange student at RSUH in 2023. Prof. Lyudmila Baturina, director of the International Russian-Brazilian Center, highlighted the work of UFSC professors Fred Campos and Beatriz Azevedo in the study group PRORUS, strengthening partnerships between the institutions.

Message from the student Gustavo Scalabrin Hübner, who was an exchange student at RSUH in 2023.

During the meeting, the universities discussed possibilities for scientific cooperation, joint research and mobility. RSUH demonstrated interest in co-supervision and funding for undergraduate and graduate students. RSUH is an institution of excellence, among the best in the world and very willing to work together with Brazil. For UFSC, this is a great opportunity. Some of the knowledge areas that RSUH stands out in are anthropology, through the Institute of Social Anthropology, International Relations and Political Science, the Institute of Psychology, with emphasis on L. S. Vygotsky studies, and language studies, including Portuguese. And other areas within the field of Humanities. An interesting observation is that there were RSUH students attending the whole event.

In the afternoon, the delagation visited the Skoltech Institute of Science and Technology, a cutting edge institute focused on innovation and partnerships with companies.

The mission was characterized by productive exchanges and celebrations, including a toast to the renewal of the cooperation agreement with RSUH, signaling a new phase of academic cooperation between Brazil and Russia.

Opening ceremony of the I UFSC International Week in the CCS Auditorium. Photo: Andrey Santiago/Agecom/UFSC

The first edition of UFSC International Week began on Monday, 21 October, with the debate on topics related to the internationalization of higher education and the need to strengthen academic partnerships. It was organized by the Prorectorate for Graduate Studies (PROPG), the Office of International Relations (Sinter) and the Prorectorate for Research and Innovation (Propesq). The event offers a program made up of panels, conferences, round tables and other activities aimed at sharing internationalization experiences.

The planned activities began in the morning, and the opening ceremony was held on Monday night, in the School of Health Sciences (CCS) Auditorium, on the Trindade Campus, in Florianópolis. The ceremony was attended by the Rector of UFSC, Irineu Manoel de Souza; the Prorector for Graduate Studies, Werner Kraus Jr.; the Secretary for International Relations, Luiz Carlos Pinheiro Machado Filho; the Prorector for Research and Innovation, Jacques Mick; the Director of International Relations of the Fundação Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (Capes) [Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel], Rui Vicente Oppermann; and the Prorector for Research and Graduate Studies of the Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina (Udesc), Sérgio Henrique Pezzin.

>Watch the opening ceremony of the Week

Coordinator of the UFSC I International Week, Professor Werner Kraus, highlighted the “intense schedule of activities” of the five-day event. In addition to holding a conference and three main panels, the prorector highlighted the number of works registered for the parallel sessions (about 50 presentations, most of them linked to the Capes-PrInt Program). “It will be a very fruitful week. I am sure that we will all be very pleased with what will be discussed and with the prospects that lie ahead of us, “said Werner.

In turn, Prof. Luiz Carlos Pinheiro Machado Filho stated that the implementation of UFSC’s internationalization policy has been built on basic principles, such as reciprocity, academic excellence, solidarity and diversity. In his speech, he also stressed that this process should involve the entire university community, including professors, students, and technical-administrative staff (TAEs).

Professor Sérgio Pezzin, who represented the Udesc Rectorate at the time, defended a closer action between both universities, with the objective of expanding academic partnerships and strengthening relations between the institutions. “UFSC is a very important partner for Udesc, just as Udesc is for UFSC. We have many complementary areas in which we can, together, be stronger, strengthening our work and working as a network, “he said.

The Rector of UFSC, Irineu Manoel de Souza, reinforced that the internationalization of the University must occur in a comprehensive way, involving undergraduate and graduate programs, research and outreach. “I am sure that the Week will pave the way for important discussions for our University. Despite the financial difficulties, we have the prospect of new moments, dialog, expanding knowledge and making the University really the motivating factor of a new society, nationally and internationally, “said Irineu.

Shortly after the session, Capes’ Director of International Relations, Rui Oppermann, gave a presentation on the activities of the Foundations. He highlighted that “internationalization is in the DNA of CAPES”, since the first activities developed there were faculty development programs in countries such as France, the United States and England. Opperman also presented a panorama of stricto sensu Graduate Studies in Brazil. According to data from 2022, the country today has 4,592 graduate programs, with 7,027 courses, distributed in 425 institutions, 49% of them public and 33% belonging to the federal network.

Capes is the main distributor of scholarships in Brazil, responsible for financing 79% of the total. Currently, the Coordination maintains 47,187 master’s scholarships and 52,895 doctoral scholarships. Next, it is the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), with only 8% of the total: 4,310 master’s scholarships and 6,097 doctoral scholarships.

Afterwards, Professor André Brasil, from the University of Leiden, in the Netherlands, spoke about the evaluation methods in the context of internationalization. Also affiliated with Capes, André is a researcher at the Center for Science and Technology Studies (CSTs) and a member of the UNESCO Chair on Diversity and Inclusion in Global Science. His research focuses on national evaluation systems, scientometrics, academic publishing, open science, responsible research and innovation (RRI), and diversity in science, especially with regard to multilingualism and geographic inclusion.

Throughout the week, the program was full of additional activities — proposed by the UFSC community itself — and lectures on internationalization in Higher Education, with the participation of UFSC authorities and professors, as well as guests from institutions abroad and professionals related to Internationalization.

The UFSC I International Week closes this Friday (25 October).

> Watch the event on UFSC Internacional YouTube channel

For more information access: sinter.ufsc.br/semanainternacional.

Reproduced by the UFSC Communication Agency, with additions by the Office of International Relations (SINTER/UFSC).

This post is available in Brazilian Portuguese only. Please access the website in Portuguese to read it.