Brazil’s University of São Paulo (USP) is considered to be one of the most prestigious higher education and research institutions worldwide. It placed first in Latin American rankings and ninth in the BRICS rankings in 2015. 
 
BCCIE is proud to have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of São Paulo that will serve as a platform for BC universities, colleges and institutes as they develop their international profiles and initiatives in Brazil and throughout Latin America. The MoU outlines several areas targeted for USP/BC collaboration including:

•    Exchange of teaching staff and researchers, students and members of their technical and administrative staffs;
•    Joint development of research projects;
•    Joint organization of scientific and cultural events and seminars;
•    Interchange of information and academic publications; and
•    Development and organization of shared courses.

“The Government of Canada has identified Brazil as a key education partner, as have key education sectors in BC, and it is increasingly important for our educational institutions to work together. This MoU, in part the result of a Team BC Mission to Brazil in September 2015, will help to strengthen and advance the two-way flow of people and knowledge between BC and Brazil,” said Dr. Randall Martin, BCCIE’s Executive Director.

Remarks from Deputy Consul of Brazil in Vancouver and Head of the Education Sector, Gustavo Barbosa:

The MoU signed between the University of São Paulo and BCCIE goes right to the point. At the Consulate General of Brazil, we understand that the internationalization of the education should frame education as a strategic investment, producing results also in the medium and long term, in addition to working in both directions, with fluxes of students and faculty both from Canada to Brazil and vice-versa. Envisaging the exchange of faculty, researchers and students to/from Canada and Brazil and the joint development of research projects, the MoU gets it completely right. With this MoU in place between the best university in Latin America and the dynamic BCCIE, we are confident that soon we will soon be listening to Brazilian Portuguese and Canadian English more often in the classrooms and laboratories both in Brazil and BC.

For further information about opportunities between BC institutions and University of São Paulo, please contact Colin Doerr at cdoerr@bccie.bc.ca.