Secretaria de Relações Internacionais | Office of International Relations

Conselho Universitário aprova por unanimidade política de internacionalização da UFSC

In the center, the Cuban Ambassador, Benigno Pérez Fernández, accompanied by Rector Irineu Manoel de Souza and Vice-Rector Joana Célia dos Passos, other UFSC representatives, and his delegation. Photos: DI-GR/SECOM

The Consul General of Cuba in Brazil, Ambassador Benigno Pérez Fernández, made an official visit to the Rector’s Office at the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) on 7 November. The meeting marked an important step toward strengthening academic and cultural ties between Brazil and Cuba, with an emphasis on the resumption of historical partnerships that had been interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The delegation was welcomed by Rector Irineu Manoel de Souza, Vice-Rector Joana Célia dos Passos, Head of Rector’s Office Bernardo Meyer, and Secretary for International Relations, Fernanda Leal. Professors Marília Gaia (Department of Animal Science and Rural Development) and Carmen Maria Olivera Muller (Department of Food Science and Technology), both from the School of Agricultural Sciences (CCA), also took part in the meeting, reflecting shared interests between Cuba and Brazil in the agrarian and food production areas, which are strategic for the development of both countries.

During his first visit to Santa Catarina and Florianópolis, Ambassador Pérez Fernández highlighted that his agenda had been carefully planned, prioritizing a visit to the state’s leading higher education institution. The diplomat emphasized the importance of academic cooperation between Cuban and Brazilian universities and proposed the strengthening of partnerships that were suspended during the pandemic. He highlighted that universities in both countries have long maintained strong ties of partnership, communication, and collaboration, and that now is the right moment to renew this cooperation—essential for both nations, especially given the high quality of Brazilian higher education institutions.

UFSC currently maintains formal agreements with three Cuban institutions: the Universidad de La Habana, the Universidad de Oriente, and the Universidad de Ciencias Medicas de Santiago de Cuba.

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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.

Friday, 12 September 2025, the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) received representatives from the Catholic University of Temuco (UCT) in Chile. UCT and UFSC currently have an agreement covering all areas of common interest and providing for exchange opportunities, signed in January 2024 and valid until January 2029. The agreement is coordinated at UFSC by Professor María del Carmen Cortizo, from the Department of Social Work, who also welcomed the UCT visitors.

The meeting took place at the Rector’s Office and was attended by UFSC Vice-Rector, Prof. Joana Célia dos Passos; Secretary for International Relations, Prof. Luiz Carlos Pinheiro Machado Filho; Superintendent of Projects at the Prorectorate for Research and Innovation (PROPESQ), Prof. William Gerson Matias; and Dr. Vera Gasparetto, researcher in Gender Studies and member of the Institute of Gender Studies (IEG/UFSC). Representing UCT were Dr. Claudio Inostroza Blancheteau, Vice-Rector for Research and Graduate Studies, and Dr. Natalia Cárdenas Marín, Directir of the Center for Gender Studies.
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This post is available in Brazilian Portuguese only. Please access the website in Portuguese to read it.

Sete docentes brasileiros condecorados com Medalha de Mérito