Office of International Relations

Fernanda Leal presenting the lecture “Confrontando imaginários globais e habitando a fronteira: desafios para internacionalizar a educação superior a partir do sul global”. (“Confronting global imaginaries and inhabiting the border: challenges for internationalizing higher education from the Global South.”)

UFSC’s Secretary for International Relations, Fernanda Leal, represented Rector Irineu Manoel de Souza at the 89th Session of the Council of Rectors of the Association of Montevideo Group Universities (AUGM), held from 30 June to 2 July in Campinas, São Paulo. In addition to representing the Rector at the Council meetings, Fernanda Leal coordinated a session on internationalization and university cooperation, sharing experiences and discussing strategies to expand collaboration networks among AUGM member institutions.

The event brought together leaders from public universities in Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, and Uruguay to discuss challenges related to academic cooperation, regional integration, and the defense of public higher education. The program also marked the 60th anniversary of the Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp) and the 50th anniversary of the Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp).

The event featured debates and lectures on university cooperation (Photo by Antoninho Perri).

Throughout the event, participants discussed strategies to strengthen collaboration among Latin American institutions, expand research networks, encourage academic mobility, and boost the internationalization of students, faculty, and staff.

Established in 1991, AUGM brings together public universities across South America and promote academic, scientific, technological, and cultural cooperation. Its key initiatives include mobility programs, research networks, and actions aimed at strengthening the internationalization of higher education. UFSC’s participation in the meeting reinforces the university’s efforts to expand academic opportunities.

This post is available in Brazilian Portuguese only. | Esse post está disponível somente em português.

UFSC Director of International Relations, Guilherme da Costa, with other international representatives from AUGM member institutions.

The first 2026 meeting of the Advisory Delegates of the Association of Montevideo Group Universities (AUGM) was held on 27 and 28 April at the Universidad Nacional de Asunción,  Paraguay, bringing together representatives from dozens of public universities in Latin America.

The program featured plenary sessions and discussions held over the two days, focusing on strengthening academic cooperation among member institutions and addressing strategic agendas related to mobility, research, and regional integration.

The Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) was represented by Guilherme da Costa, Director of International Relations. UFSC has been a member of AUGM since the 1990s, reinforcing its role in internationalization efforts and collaboration with Latin American universities. This participation is part of an ongoing trajectory that promotes exchanges, joint projects, and scientific collaboration among the member countries.

This meeting underscores the network’s role as a strategic platform for university collaboration in Latin America, bringing institutions closer together and expanding opportunities for international cooperation.

The Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), through its Office of International Relations (SINTER), will hold the International Community Welcome Day on 6 March for international students who will be studying at the University in the first semester of 2026.

The event will begin at 8 a.m. in the Rectorate Building Auditorium and will feature a program of institutional presentations, specific orientation sessions, and cultural integration activities. Additional activities will take place during the month of March.

The day’s program will start with student registration, followed by a cultural presentation and the official opening ceremony, including a welcome speech by Rector Irineu Manoel de Souza. Next, there will be an institutional presentation of UFSC and SINTER, delivered by the Secretary for International Relations, Fernanda Leal, and the Director of International Relations, Guilherme Carlos da Costa.

In the morning, students will also participate in orientation sessions based on their affiliation with the University. These include undergraduate exchange students from the UFSC Incoming Program and the Escala Grado Program of the Association of Montevideo Group Universities (AUGM), undergraduate degree-seeking students enrolled through the Programa Estudantes-Convênio de Graduação (PEC-G), and undergraduate degree-seeking students admitted to UFSC through different pathways.

In the afternoon, the program will be dedicated to cultural integration activities, which require prior registration.

In addition to the activities scheduled for 6 March, a complementary program will be offered throughout the month, featuring guided tours and cultural visits, a conversation circle, and a sports tournament.

⚠️ To view the full schedule and access the registration links for the welcome ceremony and the cultural activities, click here.

The International Community Welcome Day is a strategic institutional initiative aimed at promoting the academic, social, and cultural integration of UFSC’s international community. In recent years, SINTER has worked to make the event increasingly comprehensive and inclusive, with the support of several university units, including the Office of Culture, Arts and Sports (SeCArtE), the School of Sports (CDS), the Department of Psychology at the School of Philosophy and Human Sciences (CFH), the Undergraduate Program in Performing Arts, as well as of the Association of Angolans in Florianópolis (ASSAF), the Association of Guinean Students in Santa Catarina (AEGUISI) and Cape Verdean students at UFSC.

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.

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