On April 23, professor Evandro Menezes de Carvalho, of Rio de Janeiro Law School (FGV DIREITO RIO), was at the Institute of African Studies at Zhejiang University, China, to discuss relations between Brazil and Africa and draw a panorama of Brazilian foreign policy towards the continent.According to the professor, Brazil used to perceive Africa as a competitor in the commodity and international development assistance markets in the past - which has recently changed. This perception changed in the second half of the twentieth century and Brazil started looking at Africa as a continent of opportunities. However, despite the change of perception, Brazilian foreign policy towards Africa has continued being selective and based on specific initiatives. Only in the first decade of the 21st century, with the Lula government, Brazil expanded its action in Africa, took a more pragmatic and horizontal attitude sharing common interests and values that exceeded trade volumes, said Evandro.Also according to him, the Chinese are interested in knowing to what extent the disputes for opportunities in the Africa continent would place Brazil and China on a collision course. However, Evandro stated that diplomats from both countries know how to isolate the differences in the trade area so that they do not contaminate the strategic relationship that Chinese and Brazilians settled in issues concerning the reform of international institutions.Evandro also emphasized that today Brazil supports the development of infrastructure, productive investments, family farming, and transfers technology to manufacture medicines - especially antiretrovirals - and share experiences of support to small and medium companies in Africa.Brazil has opened more than 35 embassies in Africa, which is an important sign of the direction change of the Foreign Ministry in the continent. Brazilian interest does not only have an economic, but also a political nature. After all, many UN decisions depend largely on African votes, stressed Evandro.OAS-China Scholarship ProgramEvandro Menezes de Carvalho was one of the ten candidates chosen for the OAS-China Scholarship Program - a partnership between the Chinese government and the Organization of American States (OAS) including the South, Central and North Americas.He will participate in the program for a year and a half, during which he will also teach classes at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (SUFE).