Secretaria de Relações Internacionais | Office of International Relations

On 18 November, the Office of International Relations Office (SINTER) held meetings with representatives from Italy and Ireland to strengthen UFSC’s international cooperation.

The Secretary Pro Tempore for International Relations, Dr. Fernanda Leal, welcomed a representative from the University of Padua (UNIPD), Italy. UFSC and UNIPD already maintain an active agreement, with ongoing joint research projects and a history of both incoming and outgoing mobility. Professor Dr. Andréia Guerini, from the UFSC School of Communication and Arts (CCE) – formerly a visiting professor at UNIPD and currently engaged in collaborative work with researchers at the institution – also took part in the meeting. Strategies to deepen existing cooperation, including the potential expansion into other fields of knowledge and the development of double degree programs, were discussed.

On the same day, the Secretary Pro Tempore met with the representative of Education in Ireland in Brazil, an organization of the Irish Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science dedicated to promoting Irish higher education institutions abroad. Education in Ireland will lead a mission of Irish universities in Florianópolis in April 2026, on the occasion of the FAUBAI annual conference to be held in the city, and plans to include a visit to UFSC in the mission’s program.

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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Representatives  from the University of Lille, agreement coordinator Professor Arno Dal Ri Jr., and representatives from SINTER/UFSC.

On 30 October, a delegation from the University of Lille, including the International Relations Advisor, Professor Marcel Moritz, visited SINTER, accompanied by Professor Arno Dal Ri Júnior, from the School of Law (CCJ/UFSC). The Secretary Pro Tempore for International Relations, Dr. Fernanda Leal, and the International Agreements Coordinator, Amanda Drehmer, welcomed the delegation.

The University of Lille recently signed a cooperation agreement with UFSC, specifically with the Faculty of Law, coordinated by Professor Dal Ri Júnior. Although the partnership has only recently been formalized, UFSC has already sent two exchange students who are currently at the French university. During the meeting, the representatives discussed opportunities to further strengthen the collaboration, including expanding the agreement to other areas of study and submitting joint applications for Erasmus+ projects.

On 25 and 26 September 2025, the Universidad Católica del Norte (UCN), Chile, conducted an institutional visit to the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) with the aim of strengthening institutional ties and developing research and graduate education partnerships between the two universities.

The Chilean delegation was composed of the Director of Technology Transfer, María Eugenia Olivares, and researchers Mohammad Malaki and Vasthi Lopez. During the two-day visit, the UCN representatives were hosted by several UFSC laboratories, focusing on identifying potential areas for scientific and technological collaboration. UCN’s priority areas include Water Security, Biotechnology, and Ocean Governance, which are also strategic themes at UFSC.

On the first day of the visit, 25 September, the group toured leading scientific research laboratories, including the Molecular Biology, Microbiology, and Serology Laboratory (LBMMS), headed by Professor Maria Luiza Bazzo, in the School of Health Sciences (CCS), and the Plant Morphogenesis and Biochemistry Laboratory (LMVB) and Plant Developmental Physiology and Genetics Laboratory (LFDGV), located at the School of Agricultural Sciences (CCA), where they were welcomed by Professors Valdir Stefanon and Marcelo Maraschin, respectively.

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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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On 1 July 2025, the Office of International Relations (SINTER) at UFSC welcomed Prof. Luciano Rodrigues Marcelino, founder and Executive Secretary General of the Global Rectoral Board Community. He was received by the Director of International Relations, Dr. Fernanda Leal.

The institutional visit provided a valuable space for dialogue on strategic opportunities for international cooperation, academic innovation, and the institutional strengthening of UFSC through engagement with the Rectoral Board community. This global community brings together rectors, chief academic officers, and educational leaders in general, as well as representatives from university networks in 33 countries, committed to transforming higher education.

The meeting included a presentation of the strategic programs developed by Luces Latam Academy – The Corporate University of Higher Education, the executive education branch of the Global Rectoral Board Community. This program aims to support and strengthen the work of Latin American and Caribbean higher education institutions, particularly community and purpose-driven universities.

The visit also provided an opportunity to discuss best practices in university administration in Latin America and the Caribbean, in dialogue with UFSC’s management team.