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LAUNCH OF NEW BRAZILIAN
INTERNATIONALISATION PROGRAMME:
‘MORE SCIENCE, MORE DEVELOPMENT’
MARCH 2017Contact:
Safia Mizon Thioune Policy Officer, Latin America
Action:For awareness of opportunities and information
Audience:Pro-Vice-Chancellors, Directors International and International
Office staff with responsibility for Latin America
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Information Note – Launch of new Brazilian internationalisation programme: ‘More Science, More Development’
‘More Science, More Development’ is the successor programme to ‘Ciência sem Fronteiras’ (CsF), the Brazilian Government-funded initiative which saw 101,000 Brazilian students study at overseas universities (11,000 of these at UK institutions). Due to launch in August 2017, the new programme will have substantially different characteristics to CsF and will centre around the internationalisation of Brazilian universities through strategic partnerships with overseas institutions. Moreover, this scheme will operate through a system of block grants (to be awarded directly to Brazilian universities) rather than directly funding scholarships for Brazilian students.
UK institutions should take note that, for international universities to be involved in the new programme, they will need to be named as a proposed strategic partner in project plans put forward by Brazilian institutions. These proposals will be designed by Brazilian universities during the coming weeks, and submitted to the principal Brazilian funding agency CAPES in April (exact date TBC).
UK universities are advised to refer to details below for further information around the new programme and to note recommended actions. N.B. At the time of writing, the design of the new programme remains ongoing. This information note may therefore be updated and amended at a future date to reflect any resulting changes.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
BACKGROUND‘Ciência sem Fronteiras’ (CsF)
1. Funded by the Brazilian Government, the international mobility programme ‘CsF’ was launched in July 2011. The programme objective was to send 101,000 Brazilian students on undergraduate sandwich courses, PhD sandwich courses and full PhDs to study in STEM subjects at universities around the world.
2. The UK’s experience of participation in the first phase of the CsF programme was enormously positive, transforming the UK-Brazil relationship in higher education, research and innovation and catalysing a diverse range of new partnerships between UK and Brazilian HEIs, research institutes, academics, researchers, and students.
3. Universities UK International (UUKi), the body which administered the UK arm of the programme, maps the transformative effect of CsF on UK-Brazil relations in its impact report:
� 11,352 - CsF students studied in the UK (2012-15)
� 6,579 - UK-Brazil co-authored academic articles between 2008-2012
� 131 - Brazilian universities which sent CsF students to the UK
� 87 - UK universities which welcomed CsF students
� 93% - Brazilian students who reported that their UK studies had ‘improved their intellectual skills’
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Information Note – Launch of new Brazilian internationalisation programme: ‘More Science, More Development’
Programme objectives4. Whilst outward mobility of Brazilian students dominated the CsF agenda, CAPES (the
Brazilian funding agency charged with delivery of the new programme) has stressed that its successor will have substantially different characteristics to CsF and will centre around the internationalisation of Brazilian universities through strategic partnerships with overseas institutions.
5. The core objectives behind the new programme can be summarised as follow:
� Strengthening the internationalisation of Brazilian universities, by awarding institutions block grant funding to develop strategic internationalisation plans, with a focus on guiding Brazilian HEIs with more limited international experience (these are typically located in what CAPES has deemed ‘priority’ areas e.g. outside of Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo).
� Increasing the number of international students and staff hosted by Brazilian universities, and strengthening quality of teaching and research.
� Ensuring greater social inclusion for Brazilian students, including a focus on language improvement for low-income high school students.
� Providing funding for international collaborative research projects in emerging research areas.
� Encouraging outbound and inbound student and staff mobility via a range of mediums e.g. seminars, summer schools and short courses.
� Learning from instances of best practice in overseas higher education systems via mobility, exchange, and international partnerships and applying this knowledge to support the development of Brazilian higher education.
Programme design & delivery6. The new programme will see CAPES fund Brazilian universities (rather than students)
directly and on a competitive basis, using a system of block grant allocations. Brazilian institutions will take a far more directive role in the programme design and delivery – a departure from CsF which operated under a centralised administration by Brazilian funders coupled with administrative delivery by partner agencies in-country.
7. As a first step, Brazilian institutions are expected to submit an internationalisation proposal to CAPES in April 2017 (exact date TBC). In order to be eligible for funding, institutions must clearly demonstrate how their internationalisation proposal meets the programme’s core objectives. Successful universities will subsequently be awarded funding to implement their proposal with international partner(s) of choice, with project implementation due to commence in August 2017.
SUCCESSOR PROGRAMME: ‘More Science, More Development’ (Mais Ciência, Mais Desenvolvimento)
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Information Note – Launch of new Brazilian internationalisation programme: ‘More Science, More Development’
8. In light of the above, it is important for UK institutions to note that their involvement will be entirely contingent on proposals and recommendations put forward by Brazilian institutions during the call for proposals in April.
Recommended actionsAhead of the call for proposals that CAPES will close in April 2017, UUKi advises you to:
9. Ensure that your university’s senior leadership team and International Office staff understand the characteristics of the new programme and how it differs from CsF.
10. Ensure that any staff due to travel in the region for meetings with partner Brazilian universities are briefed on the new programme (this is particularly key for staff due to travel ahead of the April proposal deadline).
11. Refresh links with Brazilian partners across all levels i.e. operational, researcher and senior leadership.
Further development of the programme12. At the time of writing, the design of the new programme remains ongoing and some
of the above information may be subject to amendment. UK universities are therefore advised that this information note may be updated at a future date to reflect any resulting changes.
