France and Brazil consolidate their cooperation in engineering education

     The Franco-Brazilian Forum, Companies & Engineering Training, (in French, FFBEFI) which took place on April 19-20 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, attracted some 180 experts on French and Brazilian Engineering training. In addition, some fifteen companies were present with seven of them (ALTRAN, ALSTOM, CRESCENDO, GEOSERVICE, L’OREAL, RENAULT, ST-GOBAIN) financially supporting the event.
     This Forum confirmed the participants’ desire to collaborate together in the promotion of training programmes which reply to company expectations in a global context.. The Franco-Brazilian Forum brought to light the diversity and flexibility of existing cooperation mechanisms which go from the level of student/professor short term mobility periods to longer training periods in the partner country which enable students to obtain a double degree. These programmes must include industrial internships as part of the training. All participants present emphasized the rich experience given by a period of study abroad. They also agreed that such foreign study periods necessitate an additional financial investment on the part of the companies involved.

     In order to achieve this aim, both parties expressed their wish to continue their collaboration through the creation of an official body which will have the responsibility of following and reinforcing partnerships between higher education institutions and industry in both countries.
     It was therefore decided, that as soon as possible, a group linking universities, Grandes Ecoles/Engineering institutes and companies) will be created. This group will be responsible for defining the plan of action proposed at the Franco Brazilian Forum.
     It is important to point out that this dynamic decision is part of the general collaborative actions engaged between France and Brazil. Both countries have already decided to create the first edition of the Franco- Brazilian Higher Education and Research Forum to be launched in France in late 2007.

     The Franco Brazilian Forum was a confirmation of the reciprocal desire of the actors involved to pursue and amplify existing actions of collaboration and to explore new paths of cooperation, as is demonstrated by the following :

• the numerous French and Brazilian companies and institutional networks attending the Forum
• the conviviality of the debates
• the quality of the partnerships, which were strengthened in the framework of the “Brafitec” Programme (partnership programme between French and Brazilian institutions aimed at developing the mobility of engineering students and research professors and in the organizing forums for debating themes of mutual interest)
• the re-confirmed commitments by the CAPES (agency set up by the Brazilian Ministry of Education referred to as Coordenaçao de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior) and the CEDEFI ( the Conference of the Directors of the French Engineering Grandes Ecoles