Purdue has a long history of collaborating with Brazilian institutions. Purdue's partnership with Brazil goes back several decades. Brazil is one of Purdue’s original “strategic partner countries.” We have been engaging since the 1950s, when Purdue’s College of Agriculture helped Brazil establish the Federal University of Viçosa and EMBRAPA.
Over the past few years, Purdue has increased its collaboration with Brazil in a number of ways:
At Purdue, the Brazilian student population is 8th overall for Purdue's international student population. 174 Brazilian students joined Purdue in Fall 2024 - 100 undergraduates and 74 graduates.
Through the CAPES-Brazil Agriculture PhD Program that began in fall 2021, the Brazilian government and Purdue fund up to 10 doctoral students in Purdue’s College of Agriculture each year. The program aims to encourage scientific exchange and increase academic expertise of Brazilian professionals in the field of agriculture. Each year, CAPES issues a call for applications, and prospective candidates must first be selected through a rigorous CAPES pre-selection process. Finalists then follow the standard graduate admissions process for the Purdue department to which they are applying for final consideration. Learn more about applying to the CAPES program here.
PONTES: In June 2022, Purdue administrators, faculty, and staff traveled to Brazil to announce a new undergraduate research program called "PONTES" between Purdue's College of Engineering and three partners in Brazil: The University of Campinas, University of São Paulo, and Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. In 2024, the program was expanded to also include Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica. Through this program 15 Brazilian undergraduate students a year spend a semester a Purdue doing research, co-advised by a Brazilian and Purdue faculty member. Purdue provides a scholarship/living stipend to each student to cover most costs except travel. If you are a Purdue faculty member interested in hosting a scholar or a Brazilian student interested in applying to the program, click here to learn more.