Secretaria de Relações Internacionais | Office of International Relations

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

Luiz Carlos Pinheiro Machado Filho, Secretary for International Relations at UFSC, and Yasuhiro Mitsui, Consul General of Japan in Curitiba.

On 12 December 2024, Luiz Carlos Pinheiro Machado Filho, Secretary for International Relations at UFSC, represented the university’s Rector at the Santa Catarina State’s Brazil-Japan Friendship Week, held at the historic Santana Fort in Florianópolis. The ceremony was attended by Yasuhiro Mitsui, Consul General of Japan in Curitiba, along with his wife, Paulo Baltazar, president of the Wakamiya-Maru Association, and other distinguished local authorities.

The event celebrated the historical and cultural ties between Brazil and Japan, marking the anniversary of the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to Brazil on 22 December 1803. As part of the commemoration, a plaque was unveiled at Santana Fort in honor of the five Japanese who disembarked there, recognizing the journey of the Russian ship that brought them to Brazil.

In addition, an exhibition was inaugurated, showcasing the epic voyage that began in 1793. The exhibition, featuring documents and historical records, will remain open to the public at the Santana Fort until the end of the week.

Joana Célia dos Passos, Vice-Rector of UFSC, at the opening conference of the XVI Afroindoamérica Colloquium.

From 26 November to 6 December 2025, Joana Célia dos Passos, professor and Vice-Rector at Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), embarked on a mission to Mexico City. The mission, linked to the UNESCO Chair on Education towards Racial Equality project, was supported by the Abdias Nascimento Academic Development Program, funded by the Brazilian Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Capes). The mission’s primary objective, according to Professor dos Passos, was to “strengthen and internationalize research and graduate programs through student and faculty mobility, fostering an academic exchange that builds inclusive and diverse knowledge.”

The Abdias Nascimento Academic Development Program, as outlined in Capes Call no. 16, “is intended to educate and train students who self-identify as black, mixed race, and indigenous, as well as students with disabilities, global developmental delay, and high abilities, in universities, professional and technological education institutions, and research centers of excellence in Brazil and abroad.”
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This post is available in Brazilian Portuguese only. Please access the website in Portuguese to read it.

The Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) has been ranked 5th among the most sustainable universities in Brazil in the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2025. The ranking evaluates higher education institutions worldwide based on three key categories: environmental impact, social impact, and governance.

UFSC excelled particularly in the Environmental Education and Environmental Research lenses, highlighting its dedication to sustainability and the preparation of professionals committed to environmental preservation. Additionally, the University performed notably in the Equality and Health and Wellbeing lenses, underscoring its commitment to fostering social values ​​through academic and institutional practices.

The 2025 rankings evaluated 1,744 universities, marking a 25% increase from the previous year’s 1,397 universities. Among Brazilian universities, participation grew by 23.5%, rising from 34 institutions in the previous year to 42 in 2025.

While the methodology underwent minor adjustments in specific indicators, the performance lenses, indicators, and weightings remained consistent with the previous year.

The QS Sustainability Rankings are globally recognized for highlighting institutions that integrate sustainable practices into their activities and curricula. UFSC’s achievement reinforces its international relevance in higher education and its leadership in promoting a sustainable future.

To view the full ranking, visit the official QS page.

Representatives of UGent and UFSC.

On 4 December 2024, the Brazilian Embassy in Brussels hosted the “University Cooperation between Belgium and Brazil” event, aimed at strengthening academic ties between the two nations.

Event was held at the Brazilian Embassy in Brussels, Belgium.

The initiative was organized by Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) in partnership with Ghent University (UGent) and drew representatives from both institutions.

UFSC was represented by Professors Arno Dal Ri Jr. and Cristiane Derani, along with doctoral students Kristal Moreira Gouveia, Melissa Mendes de Novais, and Ana Paula Zappellini Sassi, as well as undergraduate student João Hoffmann.

The event focused on fostering university cooperation between Brazil and Belgium, with a particular emphasis on the exchange of academic and scientific knowledge between the institutions involed. Key discussions led to the creation of new opportunities for UFSC students to participate in exchange programs at Belgian universities, including UGent.

Professors Cristiane Derani and Arno Dal Ri Júnior.

To learn more about the Belgian institutions with existing cooperation agreements with UFSC, click here.

For details on the process of signing international cooperation agreements and general guidelines for International Agreements, visit: https://sinter.ufsc.br/orientacoes-gerais/.

Rectors of universities from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay meet in Mendoza, Argentina (Photos: Universidad Nacional de Cuyo)

The Rector of the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Professor Irineu Manoel de Souza, participated in the Council of Rectors meeting of the Association of Montevideo Group Universities (AUGM), which was held at the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (UNCuyo), in Mendoza, Argentina. A key topic on the agenda was the network’s institutional growth, with the incorporation of new member universities.

At the session’s opening, the host Rector, Esther Sánchez, welcomed the representatives from universities across Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay, participating both in person and remotely. After her remarks, the Rector of the Universidad de la República and President of AUGM, Rodrigo Arim, together with the network’s Executive Secretary, Alvaro Rico, took the floor to address the attendees.

The rectors present welcomed the newest members of the network: Universidade Federal da Integração Latinoamericana (UNILA); Universidade Federal de Pelotas (UFPel); Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN); Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA), from Brazil; and Universidad Nacional de Pilar (UNP), from Paraguay.
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