Workshop discusses equitable international partnerships at the 68th Confap Forum

How to increase Brazilian participation in global science? This was the central question during the workshop “Strengthening Equitable Long-Term Partnerships to Expand International Cooperation,” held on July 1, at the auditorium of the São Paulo Research Foundation (Fapesp).

Organized by Fundação Getulio Vargas, funded by the British Academy, and supported by the National Council of State Foundations for Research Support (Confap), the event gathered researchers, representatives from national and international funding agencies, and members of Research and Development Support Offices (RDOs). The aim was to discuss strategies to strengthen Brazil's presence in global scientific collaborations and promote more just, sustainable, and enduring partnerships.

The workshop is a result of the successful approval of a call for proposals from the British Academy, achieved by the director of Research and Innovation at FGV, Goret Paulo, in partnership with the director of International Cooperation at Confap and coordinator of the International CT&I Project at Fundação Araucária, Maria Zaira Turchi.

During the opening, Maria Zaira Turchi explained the concept of equitable partnerships: “This concept refers to emphasizing mutual benefit, shared governance, respect for local differences of each partner, and building relationships based on trust. That is, an equitable partnership occurs when there is participation and mutual appreciation at all stages of the process.”

She further emphasized that this topic will be addressed transversally throughout the 68th Confap Forum: “How to promote fairer collaborations? How to ensure inclusion in different regions of Brazil? We believe that with the strength of the FAPs, federal agencies, and institutions like FGV, we can make Brazil more competitive in international calls.”

For Goret Paulo, strengthening these partnerships is essential for advancing Brazilian science: “Science today develops in networks, globally, and through equitable partnerships.”

The president of Confap, Márcio Araújo Pereira, also reiterated the importance of internationalization: “Brazil's participation in collaborative networks is still limited. We can advance much more based on the competence of our researchers and our technical capacity.” He also announced a new partnership with the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Capes), which will be formalized during the Forum, focusing on expanding international cooperation.

The workshop featured panels on: What do funders and international partners seek? Opportunities, Strengths, and Challenges for Brazilian Institutions in Global Collaboration; and Mitigating Challenges and Strengthening Strengths: The Role of Research Support Offices (RDOs) in Equitable Partnerships. 

The full recording of the event is available online via the links: Part 1 and Part 2.

Upcoming editions of the FGV-British Academy workshop series will take place in Curitiba (PR) and Salvador (BA). While the events are invitation-only, key outcomes from the discussions will be shared later across FGV’s official channels.