The Netherlands and Brazil sign agreement for education cooperation
On the afternoon of Friday 11 April, the Netherlands and Brazil signed a memorandum of understanding, in which they agree to actively promote cooperation in the areas of education and research.
There are many commonalities between Dutch and Brazilian higher education, but because of mutual unfamiliarity too little contact is made. The memorandum expresses the desire to open a Netherlands Education Support Office (Neso) in Brazil. Nuffic hopes to achieve this before the end of 2008.
The signing
Ronald Plasterk, the Minister for Education, signed on behalf of the Netherlands. Also in attendance at the signing were her Majesty Queen Beatrix and the President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who was in the Netherlands for a two-day state visit.
The signing took place in the historic Binnenhof government buildings, where Lula gave a keynote speech during a seminar on global challenges. At the end of the meeting several Dutch-Brazilian agreements were signed.
Background
Trade relations with the Netherlands were established immediately after the independence of Brazil in 1822. These have increased further ever since. In 2007, the Netherlands was the biggest investor in the Brazilian economy for the third time in a row. Dutch investors provided a total of 8.1 billion dollar. All the more reason to raise the cultural as well as the educational cooperation to a level that fits the size of the economic relations.
Source: NUFFIC, 15 April 2008
