The Dimension of Higher Education in the Strategic Partnership between Brazil and the European Union

the case of the Sciences Without Borders Program (2007-2016)

Abstract

The bilateral relationship between Brazil and the European Union began in 1960. In 2007, it reached a new level with the establishment of a strategic partnership between the two international actors. As a result, bilateral ties were strengthened in several sectors, such as renewable energy and the promotion of human rights. The various documents produced during this partnership indicated higher education and technological and scientific cooperation as important vectors of approximation, in addition to a vast field of convergence of interests and values. Therefore, this article has the general scope of presenting the evolution of the relations between Brazil and the European Union from 2007 to 2016. The specific objectives are: (a) to examine the evolution of the theme of the internationalization of higher education in summit meetings between Brazil and the European Union from the beginning of the Brazilian-European strategic partnership (2007) until the end of the Dilma Rousseff administration (2016); and (b) to carry out a case study on the role of the European Union in the Science Without Borders program, from its creation in 2011 to 2016, that is, from the beginning to its total shutdown. The methodology adopted was historical-descriptive, through the analysis of primary sources, such as Brazilian and European official data and documents, and a survey of specialized bibliographies on the topic. A final analysis shows the success of the bilateral cooperation in the area of internationalization of higher education, driven by this strategic partnership.