This session aims to share the experience built through international partnerships between an Irish Higher Education Institution, namely Mary Immaculate College (MIC), and two Brazilian government educational organisations, i.e. the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) and the Secretaria Municipal de Educação de Fortaleza (SME-Fortaleza), across diverse educational cultural contexts within higher education and beyond.
These international partnerships have to date promoted opportunities for many discussions, knowledge exchange and pluricultural awareness between professionals within the education sector as well as between primary students on both sides of the Atlantic.
As part of the CAPES' Programa de Desenvolvimento de Profissionais da Educação Básica na Irlanda, MIC has developed the Graduate Diploma in Mentoring & Leadership in Schools programme and, to date, the College has delivered it to three cohorts of Brazilian teachers coming from all over the country. These Brazilian educators spend a full academic year on the MIC campus in Limerick, Ireland, honing their communicative skills in the English language and also building and developing their knowledge and skills in mentoring and leadership in educational settings. However, the scope of the programme goes beyond a unidirectional transmission of ideas from an Irish perspective. In fact, it comprehends a bilateral, continuous exchange of knowledge, experience and practices in education between experienced Brazilian educators and their mentors, lecturers and a range of professionals within the Irish education system with whom they engage throughout the course of their programme.  In addition, it also allows for constant in-group learning and awareness building due to the participants' cultural plurality and multi-diverse educational settings. 
Contrastively, the group of participants in the SME-Fortaleza's Professoress em Fronteiras programme is more homogeneous. This is because the group is comprised solely of teachers from public schools in the city of Fortaleza, Ceará. Another difference is that the programme developed and delivered by MIC  is a short-term, condensed, two-week programme focused on current themes such as technology and wellbeing in education. Still, the cultural and professional exchange – as well as the promotion of understanding across diverse cultural contexts – is as significant. In addition to professional discussions among teachers from Fortaleza and in Ireland, one notable outcome born out of this international collaboration is the Pen Pal Project in which primary students from a school in Fortaleza exchanged postal letters with fellow students from an Irish school in Limerick.  
These Brazilian educators, coming from all corners of the country, significantly and positively enrich and contribute to the College's community by raising awareness of and sharing their experience on the Brazilian education system. As importantly, upon their return to Brazil, these educators apply their learnings and experiences to their own education settings and school communities. 
It is against this background that this session will discuss on the challenges and opportunities born out of these international partnerships, while also sharing observations made by programme coordinators, some collaborators, as well as by the Brazilian educators themselves.  

In March 2024, the Australian Government organised a mission of 13 leaders and researchers from the Australian Regional University Network (RUN) to Curitiba, Parana. The purpose of the mission was to create stronger connections between Australian and Brazilian researchers and universities. The case study will look at the outcomes of the mission including research partnerships and collaboration with the Araucaria Foundation's Doctoral School and Sustainable Territorial Development. The case study will serve to highlight the benefits of in person missions to create connections and trust, build common understanding of the systems and operating environments. 
RUN represents seven Australian universities located in regional cities around Australia, with particular academic and research strengths. The mission to Parana was designed to look at key areas of mutual interest, with a focus on energy transitions.  The mission was supported by SENAI Parana and FIEP, as well as the Araucaria Foundation. In addition to site visits, a two day symposium was held with Brazilian attendees from across Parana state, as well as from Sao Paulo and Santa Catarina.  

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A mobilidade acadêmica destaca-se como uma importante ferramenta no processo de internacionalização da educação superior, promovendo transformações sociais e culturais significativas, o desenvolvimento de redes de conhecimento e a integração das comunidades acadêmicas. Em 2019, com o intuito de fortalecer a internacionalização, a Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul (UEMS) criou regulamentos estratégicos que fundamentaram o Programa Institucional de Suporte Financeiro para Mobilidade Nacional e Internacional (PIAFmob). Este programa visa ampliar as oportunidades de mobilidade para alunos e servidores, incentivando a pesquisa e a colaboração internacional. Em 2021, foram lançados os primeiros editais de fomento à mobilidade internacional com recursos próprios da UEMS, sendo eles: Programa Institucional de Bolsas de Extensão Internacional (PIBEXIn); Programa Institucional de Bolsas de Iniciação Científica Internacional (PIBICIn) e Auxílio Mobilidade Internacional destinado a servidores (docentes e profissionais técnicos) e alunos de pós-graduação. Os editais de PIBEXIn e PIBICIn foram destinados a alunos de cursos de graduação presenciais para desenvolver projetos de iniciação científica ou extensão com inserções de até 90 (noventa) dias no exterior, podendo realizar a mobilidade acadêmica em universidades públicas ou privadas, institutos de pesquisa estrangeiros. Os alunos selecionados receberam bolsa mensal equivalente à parcela para o PIBIC e PIBEX pagas pelo CNPq, além de um auxílio à mobilidade internacional destinado a cobrir os custos e despesas de mobilidade e estada no país de destino. O edital de Auxílio Mobilidade Internacional para servidores e alunos de pós-graduação, contemplou docentes, profissionais técnicos e alunos regularmente matriculados em programas de pós-graduação em nível de mestrado e doutorado. Para os servidores o projeto de mobilidade poderia se enquadrar nas seguintes modalidades: intercâmbio de pesquisa, extensão ou ensino com inserção internacional de até 90 (noventa) dias; intercâmbio resumido, que pode ser classificado como visita técnica (20 dias), visita laboral (60 dias) ou capacitação em cursos de curta duração (90 dias). Para os alunos de pós-graduação os projetos de mobilidade internacional deverão estar relacionados às suas dissertações ou teses. Os selecionados receberam um auxílio mobilidade internacional para o desenvolvimento de seus projetos de mobilidade. Os resultados do PIAFMOB têm sido promissores: houve aumento no número de vagas nas últimas duas edições do programa; aumento no valor do auxílio mobilidade pago; além da inclusão de duas novas modalidades de programas – Programa Institucional de Bolsas de Iniciação Científica Internacional com Ações Afirmativas (PIBICIN-AAF) para cotistas (negros, pardos e pessoas com deficiência) e Programa Institucional de Iniciação a Docência Internacional (PIBIDIN). Além das oportunidades de aprendizado, o PIAFMOB gerou parcerias de cooperação internacional com universidades estrangeiras, incrementando o número de convênios firmados; fortaleceu a parceria entre pesquisadores, resultando em novos projetos e publicações conjuntas. O investimento na internacionalização não apenas enriquece a experiência educacional, mas também contribui para o avanço da pesquisa, inovação e desenvolvimento regional, consolidando a inserção da UEMS no eixo de internacionalização Sul-Sul.

The historical, cultural, and linguistic connections between Brazil and Portugal create a strong foundation for Higher Educational (HE) cooperation, particularly for students mobility but also facilitating shared research, curriculum development, and collaborative projects, generating an ideal backdrop for a more profound academic relationship.


Students mobility is crucial for fostering academic exchange and broadening the global perspective of students. In this context, Brazilian and Portuguese Higher Education Institutions (HEI) benefit from exchanging students, as it promotes intellectual diversity and enriches academic discussions. Students who participate in exchange programs gain international experience, which is increasingly valued in the global job market.


For Brazilian students, mobility programs with Portugal offer also a gateway to European education standards and access to international research networks. Similarly, Portuguese students studying in Brazil are exposed to emerging markets and innovative solutions tailored to the unique social, environmental, and economic challenges of Latin America. This mutual exposure fosters greater understanding and cross-border cooperation on key global issues, such as sustainability, public health, and technology.


Based on an extensive experience in HE international relationships, the main goal of this presentation lies on mobilizing the audience, particularly HE leaders and international staff, to reflect and discuss the achievements, instruments and main obstacles related to students mobility, particularly between Brazil and Portugal.


A double perspective, based on study programs (mainly double degrees) and bilateral/multilateral international projects, will be adopted. 
The particular situation of two Portuguese HEI (Coimbra and Setúbal Polytechnics, partners of European Universities Alliances, UNIgreen and E3UDRES2, respectively), with their multiple partnerships in Brazil, will be presented as case studies. Mainly focusing on the possibilities of enlarging the international experience, particularly for students, updating the achievements but, mostly, highlighting how to overcome the main obstacles and to take advantage of the opportunities. Actual data will illustrate the presentation, not only from the two Portuguese HEI but having a global perspective regarding the relationship between Brazilian and Portuguese HEI.


Financial issues and the importance of institutional support to mobility will be properly addressed, having in mind and illustrating the importance of programs like the newly CAPES Global in Brazil and the Erasmus+ initiatives in Europe and the compromise with the UN SDGs for 2030. 


Looking ahead, further development of mobility programs will depend on deepening the partnerships (sustainable partnerships) and expanding the opportunities for more students to participate. Strengthening ties between Brazilian and Portuguese HEI can also open doors for collaborations with other international institutions, creating a global network of academic exchange. By building on the successes and addressing the challenges, student mobility programs and support can continue to play a pivotal role in the internationalization of higher education in both countries. This will not only strengthen academic ties but also contribute to global knowledge production and innovation.