The Belgium-Brazil Chair, an initiative of Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), was launched on July 6. The launch, held at the residence of the Consul General of Belgium, was preceded by three lectures on the theme ‘Europe and Brazil in a changing world.’

FGV’s Rio de Janeiro Law School (Direito Rio) attended the event through a partnership between ULB and the Jean Monnet Chair, funded by the European Commission and coordinated by professor Paula Wojcikiewicz Almeida.

Renowned ULB professors such as Anne Weyembergh, Ramona Coman, Emmanuelle Bribosia, Isabelle Rorive and Erik Van den Haute, will teach courses and participate in research projects of the Belgium-Brazil Chair within the framework of Rio de Janeiro Law School’s Jean Monnet Chair, educating Brazilian university students on the complexity of the European Union.

The academic assistant of the Jean Monnet Chair, Gabriela Hühne Porto, represented Rio de Janeiro Law School (Direito Rio) at the event. The event was also attended by the Consul-General of Belgium in Rio de Janeiro, Jean-Paul Charlier, the Ambassador of Belgium in Brazil, Dirk Loncke, Princess Alix de Ligne, as well as UBL representatives Marie-Soleil Frère (Deputy Dean), Frédéric Louault (Deputy Dean of the School of Philosophy and Social Sciences in charge of international relations), and Mario Telo (professor emeritus of ULB and LUISS University, Rome).

The purpose of the event was to announce the creation of the Belgium-Brazil Chair, which is an unprecedented platform to unify the two countries, seeking the support of both businesses and the academic community. Although the event focused on the innovative character of the project, it also highlighted the historical and traditional context of the relations between the countries, identifying Belgium as a bridge between Europe and Brazil, and signaling the strategic role of Brazil in the relations between the EU and Mercosur. It also addressed the current geopolitical issues and challenges faced by traditional integration systems.

Accordingly, the activities of the proposal for approximation between Belgium and Brazil would include: exchange of Brazilian and Belgian researchers of excellence from different fields (Biology, Chemistry, Medicine, Science, Politics, Sociology, among others); investment in research projects from selected Brazilian universities; support and incentive to projects by young and promising scholars; and the organization of events, conferences, cultural and scientific meetings.

“The tone of the event was optimistic, with high expectations for the project to bring together Belgium and Brazil, and specifically to bring fruitful results as a scientific platform of excellence,” said professor Paula Wojcikiewicz Almeida.