Notre Dame Global strengthens ties in Brazil with recent visit and MOU signing
Last month, Michael Pippenger, Notre Dame’s vice president & associate provost for internationalization, traveled to São Paulo to deepen the University of Notre Dame’s long-standing academic and research partnerships with Brazilian institutions. He joined the Notre Dame São Paulo team in meeting several university leaders to discuss future collaborations and solidified a partnership with São Paulo State University (UNESP) by signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU).
The MOU with UNESP marked another stride forward in Notre Dame’s global strategy to strengthen international partnerships and increase global research opportunities.
Notre Dame has an existing MOU with the University of São Paulo (USP), the top-ranked university in Latin America; an undergraduate exchange agreement with Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV); and an MOU and undergraduate exchange agreement with Pontifical Catholica University São Paulo. Still, there are more relationships to foster.
During his time in Brazil, Pippenger and ND São Paulo Director Thaïs Burmeister de Campos Pires met with representatives from the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), and INSPER. In a meeting with the Executive Board of International Relations from UNICAMP, the group discussed establishing joint research projects and publications, exchanges of professors and students, and academic collaborations between undergraduate students. Discussions at each of these institutions determined that more MOUs and agreements are forthcoming.
“This is a new era for Brazil and Notre Dame,” shares Burmeister de Campos Pires. “Brazil has a lot of resources, a lot of potential — Notre Dame is realizing that.”
Burmeister de Campos Pires has been working to expand Notre Dame’s collaborations with universities, corporations, foundations, and government organizations in Brazil. These efforts are crucial to promoting the University’s visibility in São Paulo and throughout Brazil. As conversations continue, it is clear that the year ahead will include more visits, more discussions, and more partnerships between Notre Dame and Brazil.
Originally published by at saopaulo.nd.edu on March 07, 2025.
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