McGill strengthens academic ties with Brazil

McGill University is building on longstanding research collaborations with Brazil by announcing four partnership agreements with Brazilian universities. These agreements are being signed this week by Heather Munroe-Blum, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of McGill University. Principal Munroe-Blum is among the 30 Canadian university presidents who are visiting some of their Brazilian counterparts as part of a higher education mission organized by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC). The mission is being led by Canada’s Governor General, His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston.

McGill researchers have already established over 50 collaborations with Brazilian colleagues in areas as diverse as biofuels, engineering, dentistry and information technology. The new agreements signed this week are designed to enhance training and research opportunities for students at all levels of study and to promote further collaborations between faculty members from the two countries. These include agreements with the Universidade de São Paulo, the Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, and the Universidade Estadual Paulista "Julio de Mesquita Filho".

"I’d like to thank the AUCC and our hosts here in Brazil for this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to collaborative research and student exchanges," said Munroe-Blum. "As one of Canada’s most international research-intensive universities, McGill is committed to providing our researchers and our students with opportunities that allow for an optimal flow of ideas and knowledge. Whether our researchers are working on creating sustainable energy sources or fighting debilitating disease, international collaborations are key to providing them with a true global perspective."

As part of this Brazilian tour, Principal Munroe-Blum, among other engagements, attended the opening of the Conference of the Americas on International Education, participated in a roundtable with her Brazilian counterparts, as well as in the Canada-Brazil Innovation Forum, the objective of which is to explore successful models of university-industry linkages to advance research and innovation in key sectors of mutual interest. She will also attend a reception in honour of Science without Borders scholarship recipients. Through this program, the Brazilian government will award a total of 2 billion dollars over four years, including scholarships to allow students to study abroad.

This initiative aligns with McGill’s international recruitment strategy. McGill’s international students come from over 150 countries and make up 20 per cent of its student body. McGill’s international activities have an economic impact in Quebec of more than 320 million dollars, according to a study published in March 2010 by SECOR. In total, McGill has an economic impact in Quebec of 5.2 billion dollars.

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