Brasil@Rice

Rice University

Administrators’ ForumSeptember 11, 2012

Adria L. Baker, Ed.D.Associate Vice Provost for International Education

abaker@rice.edu

• A concept

• An office

• A specialized service

• An outreach

• A resource

Founding of Brasil@Rice

What is Brasil@Rice?

• Meets the V2C goals. Priority for Office of the President and Office of the Provost

• Brazil’s workforce needs cannot be met by their existing infrastructure, so they are seeking education resources from abroad.

Founding of Brasil@Rice

Why is Brazil a Country of Interest for Rice?

• Universities in Brazil are excellent. Ex. University of Sao Paulo (USP) is rated #1 in all of Latin America (with great disparity to #2 university, which is in Chile).

• Houston is a close/convenient destination for Brazilians, and their needs with energy, engineering and science also match Houston’s needs.

• Collaborative possibilities are rich.

• Brazil has a great culture to interact with Rice’s great and diverse campus culture.

• Rice’s strengths match Brazil’s needs. Brasil@Rice began in April, 2012.

Founding of Brasil@Rice

Why is Brazil a Country of Interest for Rice? (cont.)

• Seeks to send 100,000 students and researchers abroad on scholarships to top universities through 2014. USA is a key destination. Others include: UK, Italy, France and Germany.

• Primarily in fields of science, technology, innovation and competitiveness, but includes others.

• Joint program between Brazilian Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and Technology, through their respective funding agencies: CAPES and CNPq.

Founding of Brasil@Rice

Science Without Borders – Brazilian Federal Program

• Getting known and gaining visibility in Brazil via faculty collaborations.

• Funding source: Rice graduate fellowships vs. CNPq funding.

• Texas is not first on the minds of Brazilians wanting to study abroad.

Status of Brasil@Rice

What are Some Challenges We Face?

• New Visiting Undergraduates: Six Science Without Borders funded; all Engineering majors; fully funded for two semesters

Result? Excellent cultural addition to campus life. They are widely spreading the word about the great things of Rice.

• History Department: First graduate student exchange and first dual degree graduate student (pending final approval for Rice dual degrees) with UNICAMP (2nd top university in Brazil)

Result? Ground-breaking steps for Rice’s graduate programs. Establishing great ties with UNICAMP.

Status of Brasil@Rice

Who are the Rice Brazilians and What do they Bring to Our Campus?

Status of Brasil@Rice

Who are the Rice Brazilians and What do they Bring to Our Campus?

Status of Brasil@Rice

Who are the Rice Brazilians and What do they Bring to Our Campus?

• Several visiting research students. Funding from Brazilian state or federal agency goes directly to researcher. The work is “free” for Rice faculty.

Result? Work paid in scholarship monies, that allows our departments to do more.

• “Regular” degree-seeking students. Graduate fellowships.

Result? Cultural, educational, research diversity. Expanding Latin American priorities.

Status of Brasil@Rice

Who are the Rice Brazilians and What do they Bring to Our Campus (cont.)?

• Contacts in the Brazilian Embassy in Washington D.C

• Contacts with the Brazilian Consulate in Houston.

• Developing partnership with the Science Without Borders liaison in the Brazilian Consulate in Houston.

Status of Brasil@Rice

What are Some Relationships Being Developed Via Brasil@Rice?

• Institute of International Education (IIE-NYC), who administers the undergraduate program.

• LASPAU, who will administer the funding for graduate programs.

• Partnering with IIE-Houston to develop Brazilian cultural curriculum K-12 local school outreach.

Status of Brasil@Rice

What are Some Relationships Being Developed Via Brasil@Rice (cont.)?

• President David Leebron• Provost George McLendon• Dr. Vicki Colvin, Vice Provost; Chemistry• Dean Nick Shumway, Humanities• Dr. Jose Onuchic, Physics & Astronomy• Dr. Pedro Alvarez, Civil & Environmental Engineering• Dr. Alida Metcalf, History• Dr. Randy Hulet, Physics & Astronomy• Dr. Fares El-Dahdah, Humanities Research Ctr, Architecture• Dr. Eugenia Georges, Anthropology

Status of Brasil@Rice

Some Rice Faculty Engaged in Academic Collaborations with Brazil

1) Updated Brasil@Rice website. http://brazil.rice.edu/

2) Created powerpoint presentation (for internal use) about Brazilian funding opportunities to:

a) Go to Brazil b) Bring students, researchers, and faculty to

Rice from Brazil

3) Held 4 Brazil Briefs. Will do another one during International Education Week in November.

Status of Brasil@Rice

Brasil@Rice has:

1) Updated Brasil@Rice website. http://brazil.rice.edu/

2) Created powerpoint presentation (for internal use) about Brazilian funding opportunities to:

a) Go to Brazil b) Bring students, researchers, and faculty to

Rice from Brazil

3) Held 4 Brazil Briefs. Will do another one during International Education Week in November.

Status of Brasil@Rice

Brasil@Rice has:

• September 10-11, 2012 – Baker Institute welcomes Fundacao Getulio Vargas

• September TBD, 2012 – Dr. Vicki Colvin returns to Brazil

• September 21, 2012 - Kevin Foyle invited panelist to address private Brazilian universities about fundraising at National Forum: Higher Education Private Brazilian in Sao Paulo.

• December 7-8, 2012 – Rice-USP Blue Gene collaboration at the University of Sao Paulo. (First steering committee meeting was August 1, 2012). Topics:

•Atomic Physics (R. Hulet, Rice Coordinator)•High Performance Scientific Computing (J. Onuchic, Rice Coordinator)

Status of Brasil@Rice

Upcoming Brazilian Connections

Questions & Discussion

Muito Obrigada!