Brazil plans to make US principal destination of scholarship students

Brazil wants to increase scientific cooperation with the United States. And one step forward in that effort will be to send some 20,000 scholarship students, professionals and researchers to study in American universities and corporations. The plan is part of a new program, Science Without Borders that will send 100,000 young people abroad over the next four years. The government will sponsor 75,000 and expects the private sector to pick up the bill for the other 25,000.

The scholarships will run the gamut from graduate to postgraduate studies, with opportunities for sandwich degrees (when a student begins a study program in his home country, travels abroad for part of the program and then returns home to finish it). They will cover 18 areas of technology and engineering, including biomedicine and biodiversity.

“The United States will be the main destination of Ciência sem Fronteiras scholars. Between now and 2014, we will send 20,000 students there,” explained Marco Antonio Raupp, minister of Science, Technolgy and Innovation. “Among other reasons for this trip to the US, we want a new agreement between MIT and our ITA (“Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica – ITA”) that will bring more Americans to Brazil so we can double ITA’s capacity in graduating professionals.”

Along with ITA, the Space Research Institute (“IPEA”) has been the main center for scientists and engineers in Brazil and according to Raupp there is an agreement with NASA creating more room for both institutions to work together and grow. While in the US, minister Raupp will meet with the White House scientific advisor, John P. Holdren.

The president of Brazil’s Scientific and Technological Development Council (“Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico – CNPq”), Glaucius Oliva, will sign cooperation agreements with ten American universities. And the president of Project Financing (“Financiadora de Projetos – Finep”), Glauco Arbix, will participate in discussions on research, innovation and labor market cooperation agreements with American counterparts.