Finnish higher education attracts interest in Brazil

"Brazil's growing higher education institution brings significant new opportunities for Finnish partners in building research, development and innovation cooperation. Many Finnish higher education institutions have cooperated well with Brazilian organisations for years, and now efforts are being made to raise their operations to a new level”, says Vesa Taatila, Rector of Turku University of Applied Sciences.

The event commenced with an opening address by Luís Antonio Balduino Carneiro, the Ambassador of Brazil to Finland.  

Welcoming the guests to Finland was Kaisu-Maria Piiroinen, Senior Ministerial Advisor at the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture.

Rui Opperman, the Director of International Relations at CAPES, representing the Brazilian Ministry of Education, was also present. 

Additionally, the event was attended by Professor Emmanuel Tourinho, President of GCUB, and Rossana Silva, the organization's Executive Director.

Vesa Taatila, Rector of Turku UAS, and Jukka Kola, Rector of the University of Turku, had their own keynote speeches on the Finnish innovation system and research on the opening day of the event.

The Brazilian guests were introduced to, among other things: The Finnish education, research and innovation system provides opportunities for bilateral cooperation. Similarly, Brazilian experts reported on the needs and strategic goals of the fast-growing country. 

Lucia Campos Pellanda (Rector, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, UFCSPA) thinks “the event was very important for us to know about Finnish education system and for Finnish to know some of initiative and some of Brazilian universities”.

The program also included visits to TUAS Kupittaa campus, learning environments and laboratories. After Turku, the guests continue their journey to Helsinki to visit Metropolia University of Applied Sciences and the University of Helsinki.