On 20 September 2011, Dr. Dorothea Rüland, Secretary General of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), signed two new cooperation agreements with her Brazilian counterparts, Prof. Dr. Jorge Guimarães, President of the Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (CAPES), and Glaucius Oliva, President of the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq).

The partners reached an agreement which will allow 10 000 Brazilian students and young researchers to pursue short-term (one year) or full-cycle study programmes at the graduate, doctoral or post-doctoral levels in Germany. This agreement is based on the latest initiative of the Brazilian government, “Science without Borders”, under which a total of 75 000 scholarships will be allocated to Brazilian students through 2014 in order to support their studies abroad (see ACA Newsletter – Education in Europe, August 2011). It is also based on previous discussions between Brazilian President Dilma Roussef and German President Christian Wulff that took place during the Brazil-Germany 2011 Economic Meeting in Rio de Janeiro in May 2011.

DAAD will support CAPES and CNPq with the selection of students as well as their placement and tuition during their studies at German universities. In addition, DAAD will create a special Internet platform, which will help to match the interests of Brazilian students and young researchers with existing study programmes in Germany. Finally, DAAD will assist the host universities in Germany, for example by supporting language courses to help Brazilian students improve their knowledge of German.

DAAD (in German)

CAPES (in Portuguese)