Mitacs announces $10.25 million for undergraduate internships, graduate
fellowships
SÃO PAULO, Brazil, April 27, 2012 /CNW/ - Canadian universities and
their Brazilian counterparts are announcing 75 new partnerships and
scholarship programs worth $6,736,800 (CAD) in university and
government funding during the Association of Universities and Colleges
of Canada's university presidents' mission to Brazil, April 25 to May
2. Stephen Toope, president of The University of British Columbia and
chair of the board of AUCC made the announcement at a news conference
in São Paulo today.
New announcements made today build on the 46 agreements and 13 new
scholarship and student mobility programs unveiled yesterday at the
Canada-Brazil Presidents' Roundtable in Rio de Janeiro. The total of 75
agreements, MOUs and scholarship programs also includes announcements
to be made in Campinas on April 28 and Brasilia on May 2.
"The connections between our universities and those in Brazil are
sparking discovery and innovation that will yield tremendous benefits
for both countries," said Prof. Toope. "These ambitious investments in
research, innovation and higher education will lead us to become more
prosperous economies and more globally successful nations." These
partnerships are being signed with Brazilian partners during visits to
Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Campinas and Brasilia.
Today's announcements in São Paulo include an additional $10.25 million
investment in undergraduate internships and graduate fellowships
through Mitacs. Canada's Mitacs connects university-based researchers,
including graduate students and faculty members, with Canadian
companies through collaborative research projects and provides research
internships to top international undergraduate students. Mitacs
announced $6.75 million - co-funded by the Brazilian government's new
Science without Borders program, the Government of Canada, Canada's
provinces and several Canadian universities - to bring 450 Brazilian
undergraduate students to Canada from 2012 to 2014 through its
Globalink program. Brazil's CAPES (Federal Agency for the Support and
Evaluation of Graduate Education) has signed an agreement with Mitacs
to support the first 100 students. The Mitacs announcement includes
another $3.5 million to fund Globalink Graduate Fellowships -
opportunities for student alumni of the Globalink program, including
those from Brazil, to pursue graduate studies in Canada.
"We look forward to working closely with our partners to establish a
closer relationship with Brazilian universities and students through
Mitacs Globalink and the Globalink Fellowship Program," said Arvind
Gupta, CEO and scientific director of Mitacs. "By connecting countries
around the world through our young researchers, we will improve the
global economy."
"These university initiatives signal a turning point in our bilateral
relationship and tremendous opportunities for students and faculty in
the years ahead," said Heather Munroe-Blum, principal and
vice-chancellor of McGill University and member of AUCC's board of
directors. "Ultimately these are investments in people - students,
researchers, innovators and, more broadly, the people of Canada and
Brazil."
Ten Canadian universities signed partnerships today with the São Paulo
Research Foundation (FAPESP) worth $1.18 million.
AUCC is the national voice of Canada's universities, representing 95
Canadian public and private not-for-profit universities.
Note to editors: A full list of today's announcements is included in attached
backgrounder. Additional news releases and other information about the
AUCC president's mission to Brazil can be found at: www.aucc.ca/brazil.
PDF with caption: "Canadian University Partnerships and Investments in Brazil (Sao Paulo)". PDF available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/media/2012/04/27/20120427_C9806_DOC_EN_12793.pdf
