York President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri will visit Brazil from April 25 to May 2 as part of a delegation to promote Canada-Brazil partnerships in research, innovation and higher education.
The mission, led by the Governor General of Canada David Johnston, is the largest of its kind in Canadian history, with 
more than two dozen Canadian university presidents making stops in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Campinas and Brasilia. It is organized by the Association of Canadian Colleges & Universities (AUCC).
Canadian university presidents will be visiting Rio de Janeiro as part of their tour of Brazil
In the next five years, Brazil is expected to become the fifth-largest economy in the world; the delegates will work to establish partnerships that will address the research interests of both countries and foster long-term prosperity.
As part of the mission, York University will announce two undergraduate entrance scholarships for Brazilian students, along with a pair of scholarships to study English through the York University English Language Institute (YUELI).
Shoukri will also be a signatory on a Memorandum of Understanding between York University, Simon Fraser University, Ryerson University, Concordia University and the State of São Paulo research foundation, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP). The memorandum encourages collaboration between researchers at SFU, Concordia, York and Ryerson and those working in public or private research or teaching institutions in the State of São Paulo, Brazil.
“It is important that York University participate in this mission,” Shoukri says. “Our aim is that our students become ‘citizens of the world’, by increasing their knowledge and skills through globally connected, internationalized programs, research and campuses. This new era of partnership with Brazil is an extension of York’s leadership in international education, international research and collaboration with international institutions.”
The Fundação Dom Cabral - Campus
York University’s Schulich School of Business will also sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Brazil’s Fundação Dom Cabral, a centre for executive development, for collaboration in research and teaching. The institutions will share knowledge around sustainability and responsible business, and jointly provide executive education training and development programs with Brazilian companies. Schulich will also establish the Brookfield Brazil Internship Program, an opportunity for up to four of the school’s MBA/IMBA students to participate in a structured work term in the Brazilian operations of a globally oriented Canadian-based firm.
In keeping with strengthening ties between Schulich and Brazilian institutions, Schulich Dean Dezsö Horváth will give a special address to the Federation of the Industries of Sao Paulo (FIESP), with introductory remarks provided by Shoukri.
Stephen Toope, chair of AUCC and president of The University of British Columbia, says the delegation aims to strengthen existing partnerships with Brazil and create new opportunities.
“This is the largest international mission of university presidents in Canadian history, which speaks to the importance of building connections with this emerging economic powerhouse,” says Toope. “Our focus is on establishing and strengthening partnerships in research and innovation. We will also enhance opportunities for student mobility between our countries, providing experiences that will better prepare students in both countries for the new knowledge-driven economy.”
Canada’s universities, including York, will welcome an estimated 12,000 Brazilian students between 2012 and 2016, through the Canadian component of Brazil’s ambitious Science Without Borders scholarship program. Through these scholarships, more than 100,000 Brazilians will study, undertake internships and conduct research in selected countries around the world over a four-year period.
The Brazil mission is being led by the Governor General of Canada David Johnston. AUCC is the national voice of Canada’s universities, representing 95 Canadian public and private not-for-profit universities. For more information, click here.