The attractiveness of Latin American universities for establishing partnerships with other teaching and research institutions was the topic of a panel moderated by the rector of Unicamp, Antonio José Meirelles. The discussion was part of the activities of the Latin America Summit 2021, an event organized in partnership between Times Higher Education (THE) and the University of São Paulo (USP). Leaders from universities in Canada and the United States participated in the panel.
“Latin America has a large number of quality universities, with great importance for the development of its regions and countries. However, not all of these universities are able to maintain fruitful and long-lasting partnerships with prominent international institutions. There is room for universities in Latin America to increase their presence internationally, even for those that already have a good reputation around the world, such as Unicamp”, stated the dean at the opening of the discussion.
The guests to delve deeper into the topic were professor Cristina Amon, from the University of Toronto, and Steven Curral, president of the University of South Florida. Both addressed the potential of Latin American universities for establishing collaborations. The researchers also listed examples of cooperation already established between the institutions where they work and universities in Latin America.
Latin America concentrates diversity and excellent research
Cristina Amon, born in Uruguay, highlighted that the Latin American region has several characteristics that make it attractive for partnerships. The fact that it has the fourth largest economic block, that it is rich in ethnically and culturally diverse communities and that it concentrates an abundance of natural resources were elements mentioned. Excellence in research programs was also highlighted by the professor. Impact studies in relation to the Zika Virus and the Covid-19 pandemic, with the development of local testing systems, as in the case of Unicamp, were cases mentioned.
According to the professor, to carry out research with a global impact, science production institutions need to engage in collaborations that are at the same time relevant to their context. “We cannot work in isolation, we need to involve nations around the world and universities in Latin America have a lot to offer.” Among the partnerships brought by it is the Structural Genomics Consortium, in which Unicamp and the University of Toronto, among other institutions, are involved. Collaborations related to climate change and inequalities, said Cristina, are also interests of the University of Toronto together with Latin American universities.
Latin America as a strategic region
For Steven Curral, Latin America is a region of great importance for the University of South Florida (USF), which is primarily due to the position of the state of Florida, located between the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. In this way, USF already establishes several partnerships with Latin American universities. There are currently 207 academic partnerships with 243 institutions in 64 countries, many of which are Latin American.
According to the president of USF, the University is interested in further expanding cooperation with the diversity of research and teaching programs in the region. “We are committed to expanding partnerships with Latin American countries and institutions. We have around 500 USF members engaged in partnerships with 26 locations in Latin America, in teaching and research activities.” Among the areas of interest for partnerships, he cites life sciences, engineering and social sciences.
Latin America Summit 2021
The Latin America Summit 2021 event was organized by the British consultancy Times Higher Education and USP. The activities took place between July 13th and 14th, with panels that included leaders from universities in Latin America and institutional partners around the world. The topics of discussion focus on: maximizing the impact of Latin American universities; challenges for internationalization and training to build impact.
On July 13th, the THE ranking for universities in Latin America was also launched at the same time as the event. Unicamp ranked third among the 177 institutions analyzed. Find out more at:
Unicamp is the third best university in Latin America, according to ranking
