At the end of November, a Brazil Networking event was held at Radcliffe. The event, hosted by Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Professor Tim Jones had three key aims: to encourage colleagues to share expertise on collaborating in Brazil, to briefly update colleagues on Warwick’s activities in Brazil, and to formally welcome to Warwick the seven visiting undergraduates sponsored by the Brazilian Government’s 'Science without Borders' scheme.

Around 20 academics attended, from departments across the University, including several recipients of the University’s Brazil Partnership Fund, which launched in 2011. The event provided the opportunity for colleagues at different stages of engagement with Brazil to meet and share their experiences.

Juliana Bertazzo, Education Cooperation Officer on the Science without Borders programme from the Academic Section of the Brazilian Embassy, was invited as a special guest and updated the group on the scheme. She said:

It is great to see Science without Borders scholars from different universities in Brazil settling in so well to life on the Warwick campus…We would also like to encourage UK-based researchers to engage with Science without Borders through the Young Talent Programme and the Special Visiting Researcher scheme, and we look forward to working with colleagues at Warwick to support these activities.

Brazil has grown in importance as a country for Warwick to engage with at an institutional level, and the University has set two key objectives; to develop relationships with stakeholders, and to develop a deeper understanding of the Brazilian context in order to identify opportunities for research collaboration and working with industry. Since 2011, over £50,000 of funding has been made available to pump-prime collaborations with universities in Brazil, through the Santander-funded Brazil Partnership Fund.

As the UK Government develops its policies on Brazil, Warwick has been represented at the highest level, with the inclusion of the Vice-Chancellor in a delegation to Brazil led by the Deputy Prime Minister in June 2011, and the membership of Tim Jones on the UK HE International Unit’s Brazil Experts Advisory group.

In September this year, Warwick, represented by Professor Phil Mawby as head of the Warwick Energy GRP, was one of 10 UK universities selected to participate in a ‘low carbon energy’ mission to Brazil. The mission, supported by the British Embassy, UKTI and Brazil’s Ministry of Science & Technology, ran in parallel with a visit by David Willetts, Minister for Universities and Science.

In June 2013 Tim Jones will return to Brazil to build on the connections emerging both within key universities and companies in Brazil. He said:

Events such as this provide a great opportunity to share expertise from across the University on engaging with Brazil, and highlight the progress that has already been made.

Find out more

Colleagues interested in finding out more about Warwick’s activities in Brazil, or who would like more information about the Brazil Partnership Fund 2013/14, should contact Sarah Patrick in the International Office via email or on ext 22647.

For more information about Science without Borders please visit the website for students or the website for staff or contact Annie Brunt in the International Office via email or on ext 50466.

Pictured:

Photo 1 – Winners of the Brazil Partnership Fund 2011-12
Photo 2- Juliana Bertazzo, Science Without Borders Programme Officer, Brazil Embassy
Photo 3 – Science without Borders Scholars pictured with Juliana Bertazzo