Brazil - Introduction

The key importance of the University’s relationship with Brazil was affirmed by the trip to Brazil made in August 2012 by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Andrew Hamilton, to meet with alumni, institutional partners and others. The Vice Chancellor had fruitful meetings at the University of São Paulo, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Sport and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. These included discussion of how Oxford could grow its partnerships in Brazil and of details of upcoming collaborations, such as an exploratory workshop on Energy being held in Oxford in early 2013.

Professor Hamilton also met with the President of CNPq, Professor Glaucius Oliva, to declare their commitment to a CNPq-funded scholarship programme for Brazilians coming to Oxford. He also had the opportunity to tell a broad audience, including students and academics, about Oxford University and what makes it unique at an event organized by the Fundação Estudar as part of their Great Universities Cycle. Professor Gordon Clark, incoming Director of the Smith School at Oxford University, also gave a presentation on Enterprise and the Environment in the Global Economy.  

The University’s commitment to further developing its expertise on Brazil and to strengthening its links with Brazilian partners is illustrated by the establishment of a Rio Branco Visiting Chair in International Relations in 2012, which will bring a leading Brazilian academic with special interests in International Relations to Oxford for three months each year.

As a reflection of the central role that Oxford’s vibrant Brazilian community plays in university life, the University holds an annual Brazil Week offering students, academics and local residents a wide range of cultural activities to raise awareness of the richness and diversity of Brazilian culture. Highlights of the 2012 Brazil Week included a seminar on the Brazilian belle époque, another on organising cultural projects in favelas, talks by Robin Lustig (BBC Radio 4) and Timothy Power, and a two-day conference on Latin American Third Cinema featuring Brazilian filmmaker Luciano Vidigal.

Just as Brazilian culture has a strong place in Oxford, Oxford also has a notable presence in Brazil itself. Oxford University Press (OUP) has a branch office in Brazil, based in São Paulo, and English Language Teaching (ELT) offices in other parts of the country (e.g., Rio de Janeiro, Curitiba). OUP’s publishing in this region is primarily focused on language teaching materials. OUP’s growth in South America has been exceptional, and OUP Brazil has made particularly strong contributions to secondary education.  It has recently extended its publishing activities to include support services tailored to the private school sector.