Building Bridges Through Higher Education
Brazil's higher education sector is taking a significant step forward in international cooperation with the launch of a major new initiative aimed at fostering deeper ties with African nations. The programme positions Brazilian universities as key players in South-South collaboration, offering substantial opportunities for postgraduate students from across the African continent to pursue advanced studies in the country.
The Context of Brazil-Africa Academic Relations
Relations between Brazil and African countries have long been shaped by shared historical experiences, cultural connections, and demographic ties, including a significant Afro-descendant population in Brazil. In recent years, these connections have evolved into more structured partnerships focused on education, research, and development. Brazilian institutions such as the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) and the Federal University of the Recôncavo of Bahia (UFRB) have been active in promoting internationalisation strategies that prioritise engagement with the Global South.
The Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES), operating under the Ministry of Education (MEC), plays a central role in these efforts. CAPES oversees quality assurance and funding for graduate education, making it the natural agency to lead mobility programmes that enhance Brazil's academic landscape.
The Brasília Charter and the First Rectors' Forum
The foundation for the new programme was laid during the inaugural Brazil-Africa Rectors' Forum held in Brasília. Organised by the Ministry of Education, CAPES, the National Association of Directors of Federal Higher Education Institutions (Andifes), and supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the event celebrated Africa Liberation Day and focused on consolidating alliances in research, innovation, and training.
Participants approved the Brasília Charter, which calls for strengthened educational, cultural, academic, scientific, technological, and innovation cooperation. The document emphasises moving beyond historical promises to concrete, transformative practices, including expanded mobility for students, researchers, and staff, collaborative research in areas such as food security and climate change, and the promotion of open science.
Official Launch of the CAPES-Move Africa Programme
Brazil's Minister of Education, Leonardo Barchini, officially launched the CAPES-Move Africa programme during the forum proceedings. The initiative represents the first concrete implementation of the Brasília Charter and signals a renewed commitment to positioning higher education as a pillar of Brazil-Africa relations.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva highlighted the importance of the effort, noting that education serves as the strongest bridge between Brazil and Africa and that strengthening exchange programmes is essential for consolidating strategic partnerships.
Scholarship Details and Funding
The programme allocates US$47.4 million to support 2,600 postgraduate students from African countries. This includes 1,000 master's students and 1,600 doctoral students who will study at Brazilian higher education institutions. Scholarships cover periods of study that facilitate both degree completion and research collaboration.
The funding structure supports not only individual student mobility but also the broader goal of building enduring institutional networks. Brazilian universities across the federal system are expected to host participants, leveraging existing strengths in priority fields.
Strategic Priority Areas for Collaboration
Cooperation under the programme centres on four key domains: agriculture, health, technology, and artificial intelligence. These areas align with pressing challenges facing both Brazil and African nations, such as food security, public health improvements, technological advancement, and the ethical development of AI solutions.
Joint research projects, faculty exchanges, curriculum development, and student mobility are all designed to generate practical outcomes in these fields. The focus encourages universities to co-create knowledge rather than simply transfer it in one direction.
Perspectives from Brazilian and African Leaders
Experts have welcomed the initiative as a milestone. Dr Fernanda Leal, secretary of international relations at UFSC and an internationalisation scholar, emphasised that success should be measured by long-term institutional partnerships and collaborative research agendas rather than student numbers alone. She noted the shift toward viewing South-South cooperation as a strategic pathway alongside traditional Northern partnerships.
Professor Georgina Gonçalves dos Santos, rector of UFRB and vice-president of Andifes, described the Brasília Charter as transforming shared intentions into concrete commitments, with the programme providing practical expression through expanded mobility and research networks.
From the African side, Professor Oyewole Olusola, secretary general of the Association of African Universities, stressed the move toward interconnected educational ecosystems where universities jointly address global challenges. Samir Khalaf Abd-El-Aal of Egypt's National Research Centre highlighted Brazil's role as a collaborative partner in the Global South, building on institutions such as the University for International Integration of the Afro-Brazilian Lusophony (UNILAB).
Implementation Across Brazilian Universities
Federal universities are expected to play a leading role in hosting scholars. Institutions with established international offices and strong programmes in the priority areas are particularly well positioned. The programme complements existing mechanisms such as the PEC-PG graduate student agreement programme, which already supports students from African countries.
Coordination through CAPES ensures quality standards and alignment with national higher education priorities. Andifes has committed to mobilising its member institutions to support the partnership.
Expected Impacts on Brazilian Higher Education
The influx of African postgraduate students is anticipated to enrich campus diversity, foster cross-cultural understanding, and strengthen research outputs in key fields. Brazilian universities stand to benefit from expanded international networks, joint publications, and enhanced global visibility.
Longer-term effects include the development of sustainable academic partnerships that extend beyond individual mobility to institutional agreements, dual-degree possibilities, and collaborative centres. This aligns with broader trends in Brazilian higher education internationalisation, where Global South engagement is gaining strategic importance.
Challenges and Pathways to Success
Realising the full potential of the programme will require careful attention to integration support, language training where needed, and mechanisms to sustain partnerships after students return home. Avoiding an overly narrow focus on individual mobility in favour of network-building is seen as critical by observers.
Resource allocation, visa processes, and alignment with African institutional calendars represent practical considerations that CAPES and partner universities will need to address through coordinated planning.
Photo by Arno Senoner on Unsplash
Future Outlook for South-South Academic Cooperation
The CAPES-Move Africa programme marks the beginning of what stakeholders describe as a new era in Brazil-Africa higher education relations. Building on the Brasília Charter, future phases could expand to undergraduate mobility, joint degree programmes, and larger-scale research consortia.
As Brazilian and African universities continue to position themselves as engines of transformation, this initiative provides a concrete platform for co-creating solutions to shared development challenges. The emphasis on agriculture, health, technology, and artificial intelligence ensures relevance to both regions' priorities.
With strong political backing from the Ministry of Education and engagement from bodies such as Andifes and the Association of African Universities, the programme is poised to deliver lasting benefits for participating institutions and students alike.