babel newsletter 2015-07 en

8/18/2019 BABEL Newsletter 2015-07 En

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THE EUROPEAN UNION AND

LATIN AMERICA

From difficult relations, veryoften based on a certain South-

American countries’ need for

self-affirmation, there emergeda new atmosphere of cooperation

and companionship, now basedon the certainty of the multiple

implications and the unarguable

advantages of mutual knowledge.

Nowadays, it is clear to all that,if the European Union considers

this geographic area a priority,Portugal discovered its importance

long ago, and Brazil stands outas its unquestionable partner.

However, while the cooperationwith that country is already widely

established, supported by the mutual

trust and the recognition of the cleardifferences permeated by not less

visible similarities, cooperation withSpanish-speaking countries is more

recent and still requires some impulse.

We know that the attraction for cultures andpractices, more or less stereotyped, compels

young Europeans (and Portuguese) towardsthe learning of dances, songs, gastronomicoffers or ways of life coming from over the

Atlantic. We also know that, by its turn, thefascination of those peoples with the old Europe,the more or less legendary places, the elegance

of Paris, London, Rome, or Porto are inescapabletouchstones.

If we ally the abovementioned interests with the onestraditionally regarded as academic, we understand the

feasibility of a relation meant to work well. Thus it is strangethat only recently have we awaked to a more systematic

cooperation beyond the elementary linguistic axis (Portugal-

Brazil / Spain-Spanish-speaking countries in LA), which, despiteits inevitability, cannot lead to any kind of mandatory limitation.

The University of Porto is keen to benefit from those existingsynergies, making them work as forces of added value able to lead

towards an effective cooperation between the universities, creatingknowledge networks that promote the capacity of sharing as well as an

extended learning.

The true internationalization will be the one able to emphasize what is

structurally different without neglecting what is obliquely similar, that is, allthat the historic memory does not let us forget.

As Margaret Mascarenhas, a writer from Goa, asserts in a work suggestivelyentitled Skin: «Tell us a story, they said (…). And I told them their favorite, the

one about the girl who for many years could not feel her mother under her skin.» (Broadway Publishing House 2010: 262).

Porto, December 2014

Fátima Marinho BABEL PROJECT COORDINATORVice-Rector for Cooperation and Culture of the University of Porto

CONEXPO LATIN AMERICA 2015

CONEXPO Latin America 2015 will be held October 21-24, 2015 in Santiago, Chile (Espacio Riesco).

CONEXPO Latin America 2015 attendees can take advantage of comprehensive industry-focusededucation while at the show, with a wide variety of CONEXPO-quality training sessions, seminars,professional conferences, and educational workshops. International and regional industry experts willshare their experience and insights on the latest trends and technologies to help attendees improvetheir businesses.

We invite you to take a look at the program on the Conference website:

http://www.conexpolatinamerica.com/eng/blog/2014/10/01/conexpo-latin-america-2015-will-feature-comprehensive-industry-education-2/

3RD CALL FOR APPLICATIONS OF THE BABEL PROJECT

The 3rd cohort of the BABEL project took place at the end of 2014, and in total more than300 students, researchers and teachers submitted their applications.

We now have the definitive list of selected candidates in the 3rd cohort. In totalthere were 18 selected students and post-doctorate researchers, academic andadministrative staff who will undertake a period of study, research or workin Europe. The new scholarship holders are from Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador,Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay, and are already preparing their mobilityprocesses and soon will begin their journeys to the European continent.

Good luck to all!

Project funded with support from the European Commission. This communication reflectsthe views of the author only, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any usewhich may be made of the information contained therein.


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UFVJM AND UFSJ

UFVJM and UFSJ, welcome to BABEL!

From September 8th to 10th, the two new associate partnersof BABEL, the Federal University of Vales do Jequitinhonhae Mucuri (UFVJM) and the Federal University of São João

del-Rei (UFSJ) received the co-coordinator for a series ofmeetings with their administration, staff, and students.Both universities are in the state of Minas Gerais, issoutheast Brazil. It is the second most populous statein the country and has eleven federal universities, thelargest number in a single state in Brazil.

At UFVJM and UFSJ the atmosphere was of enthusiasmfor being part of Erasmus Mundus for the first time, andexpectations about the challenges and possibilities thatit will bring. By inviting the co-coordinator to travel to

their institutions in order to give information sessionsand explain to their administrative and academic staffsthe relevance of Erasmus Mundus for the cooperationbetween Europe and Latin America, UFVJM and UFSJhave proven to be already truly integrated into theconsortium. Our special thanks to Orlanda Mabel Cordini

de Rosa (UFVJM) and Liliane Assis Sade Resende (UFSJ),who, together with their exceptional team, did their utmost

towards the success of this mission.


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BRICS

Higher Education of the BRICS Countries in Focus

The II Meeting of BRICS Ministers of Education tookplace in Brasília, Brazil, on March 2nd. They discussedacademic mobility between Higher Education Institutionsin Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, as well asother issues related to internationalization.

The meeting aimed at furthering the dialogue about HigherEducation initiated in the first meeting, in Paris (2013). Itis worthy to mention that the Fortaleza Declaration, theoutcome of the 6th BRICS Summit (2014), states that“We recognize the strategic importance of education forsustainable development and inclusive economic growth

[...and] encourage the initiative to establish the BRICSNetwork University”.

One of the results of the II Meeting of BRICS Ministersof Education was the issuance of the Brasília Declaration,

where we read that the five BRICS countries support the creation of aBRICS League of Universities and encourage Higher Education Experts to

continue to discuss the subject during the next FAUBAI Conference in Braziland other meetings.

2015 FAUBAI CONFERENCE

The 2015 Conference of the Brazilian Association for International Education – FAUBAI tookplace on April 25th-29th, in the city of Cuiabá, Mato Grosso. The Federal University of Mato

Grosso –UFMT, a BABEL associate, was the hosting university.

FAUBAI (www.faubai.org.br) started in 1988 -- coincidentally the same year as EAIE -- as a forumfor international managers of Brazilian Higher Education Institutions. Renamed and remodelled,FAUBAI is now the Brazilian Association for International Education, bringing together morethan 180 managers and other responsible parties for international affairs in Brazil with the aimof promoting the integration and training of area managers through seminars, workshops andregional and national meetings.

Besides, in the past few years, FAUBAI has become increasingly open to international participants,while keeping its Brazilian identity. This year’s edition was the largest ever, bringing togethermore than 600 participants, with more than 350 foreign representatives coming from 36 countriesfrom all the continents.

The FAUBAI Conference’s theme was “Creating sustainable partnerships through an equitableinternationalization”, for we believe that internationalization is a means to reach equality andmake the world a better place for all of us. Dr. Bárbara Costa, Director of the InternationalOffice at the University of Porto, BABEL coordinator, led one of the pre-conference workshopson Saturday the 25th.

Join FAUBAI in Fortaleza next year. We are waiting for you!


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ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY

Ghent University (UGent) consists of 117 departments across 11 faculties and offers high-qualityresearch-based educational programs in virtually every scientific discipline. UGent distinguishes

itself as a socially committed and pluralistic university in a broad international perspective. Themotto of the university is ‘Dare to Think’: students and staff are encouraged to adopt a criticalmind. The university’s appeal is growing every year, with about 41,000 students in 2014, of whom11% (students) and 35% (PhD students) are international. Numerous research groups, centresand institutes have been founded over the years, becoming world-renowned in disciplines suchas biotechnology, aquaculture and photonics.

The educational offer at Ghent University encompasses virtually all academic fields in Flanders.From Eastern Languages and Cultures to Pharmaceutical Sciences, from Criminologyto Business Engineering. Ghent University is the only university in Belgium who has thecompetency of organizing the study programmes Veterinary Medicine, African Languages andCultures and Engineering Sciences – Applied Physics. The options Geomatics and Surveying andMaritime technology are also unique at Ghent University. By introducing the bachelor/masterstructure the university has focused specifically on flexibility within the training programmes. Inaddition to well defined fixed courses more and more links are being forged between courses tofacilitate seamless switches or ensure that additional training dovetails with previous trainingprogrammes. Specific international programmes such as Erasmus Mundus have contributed toGhent University’s international reputation.

Ghent University is the only Belgian university in the top 100 of both the Shanghai (70) andTimes ranking (85). The university provides excellent training opportunities to both young andexperienced researchers, and is one of the fastest growing European universities in terms ofresearch capacity and productivity.


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FAST FACTS

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of PeruFORM OF GOVERNMENT: Constitutional republicCAPITAL: LimaPOPULATION: 30,147,935OFFICIAL LANGUAGES: Spanish, QuechuaMONEY: Nuevo Sol

AREA: 496,224 square miles (1,285,216 square kilometers)

Peru is the third largest country in South America, after Brazil and Argentina. It is made

up of a variety of landscapes, from mountains and beaches to deserts and rain

forests. Most people live along the coast of the Pacific Ocean, where the capital,

Lima, is located.

Because it has so many different ecosystems, Peru is home to a wider variety

of plants and animals than most other countries on Earth. For many reasons,

Peruvians have not had as much of an impact on their natural world as many other

countries, and much of these ecosystems have been undisturbed.

Peru is a very old country. The earliest inhabitants arrived there about 15,000 years ago.

Societies emerged on the west coast more than 5,000 years ago and began to spread inland.

These included the Chavín, the Moche, and the Nasca.

One of the most important Peruvian cultures was the Inca, who lived in Peru around 600 years

ago. Their capital, Cusco, is still a major city today. The Inca also built Machu Picchu, a famous

and mysterious ancient city in the Andes. They thrived for centuries before being conquered by the

Spanish in 1532.

COUNTRY IN FOCUS: PERU

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