Secretaria de Relações Internacionais | Office of International Relations

The Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) occupies the 10th position in the Times Higher Education (THE) Latin America University Rankings 2024, moving up two positions from last year, when it was in the 12th position. With this new ranking, the institution is now one of the  top 10 universities in Latin America.

The achievement is registered as a milestone in UFSC´s ranking in higher education in Latin America.

The Latin America University Rankings evaluates the universities according to performance indicators that covers five areas:

• teaching  (learning environment); 

• research environment  (volume, income and reputation);  

• research quality  (research strength, research excellence and research influence);  

• international outlook  (staff, students and research); and

• industry  (income and patents).

(more…)

The Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) participated in the IV International Forum on Human Rights, organized by the Association of Montevideo Group Universities (AUGM) Human Rights Chair, between 23 e 25 October 2024, at Universidade Nacional de Quilmes (UNQ), Buenos Aires, Argentina. Professor Juliana Viggiano, from the Department of Economics and International Relations, represents UFSC in the Chair and took part in the event which had as its theme “The university as a human right – building democratic spaces and solidarity resistance”.

Opening panel of IV International Forum on Human Rights, organized by the AUGM Human Rights Chair

The forum´s program includes panels and discussions between academics, civil society representatives and activists, who discussed challenges and strategies for strengthening human rights in higher education. The opening panel featured Nobel Peace Prize winner Adolfo Pérez Esquivel and the keynote speech by Dr. Eugenio Raúl Zaffaroni, who addressed the role of universities in tackling in inequalities and promoting democracy. The closing lecture, led by Professor Dr. Victoria Kandel, from the Universidade Nacional de Lanús, reinforced the need to make human rights education a continuous and integrated practice to fight against hate speech.

Human Rights Chair metting

Juliana Viggiano also took part in the annual meeting of the Human Rights Chair, where the representatives of the member institutions discussed strengthening the exchange of faculty, students and administrative staff in the area of human rights. The review of the Chair’s 2024-2026 Triennial Plan and the proposal for greater coordination between AUGM universities to develop joint projects were also topics discussed in the meeting.

According to the professor, UFSC’s involvement in the event is “an opportunity to promote the internationalization of research and outreach in the area of human rights, as well as to build joint strategies with universities from participating countries to strengthen human rights practices and activities in universities”.

Cultural Activity closing the event

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

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.