Nuffic will soon open Neso Brazil
16 Sep 2008
Nuffic is working hard to set up various new Netherlands Education Support Offices (Nesos). One of these will open in the near future in Brazil, a country that has a lot to offer the Netherlands in the field of higher education, and vice versa.
What is a Neso?
In 2001, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science assigned Nuffic the task to set up Netherlands Education Support Offices (Nesos) in a few selected countries. The aim of the Neso network is the strengthening of institutional cooperation and the recruiting of students.
There are Neso offices in China (Beijing), Indonesia (Jakarta and Surabaya), Taiwan (Taipei), Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City) and Mexico (Mexico City). In the near future Neso offices will be opened in Russia (Moscow), Thailand (Bangkok), India (Ahmedabad), South Korea (Seoul) and Brazil (Brasilia).
Launch meeting Neso Brazil
Recently a launch meeting was held in Utrecht for Neso Brazil. A few dozen representatives of Dutch higher education got together to find out what the new Neso can do for them and more importantly - what challenges and possibilities Brazilian higher education has to offer universities in the Netherlands.
Opportunities
Brazilian higher education has a lot to offer the Netherlands, as emerged during the meeting, but these opportunities are not always grabbed. In the Netherlands as well as Brazil there is a lot of interest in cooperation in higher education, but the results are in sharp contrast with this. One of the main reasons for this is that there is a lack of knowledge about each other's expert knowledge areas and education systems.
This is unfortunate because Brazil, fast-emerging as an economic world power, has an extensive system of higher education and a solid research sector that - like its counterparts in the Netherlands - has great interest in the practical applications of research. The Brazilian government actively supports internationalization and sending young (research) talent to foreign institutions.
On equal terms
Neso Director Remon Daniel Boef and Dr Marianne Wiesebon of the University of Leiden stressed that the fine Brazilian universities and research institutes are every bit as good as their Dutch counterparts . The times when Dutch institutions would provide their Brazilian counterparts with a form of development aid have long since gone. Matchmaking will be an important task for the new Neso office in Brasilia.
Cooperation
Nuffic has set up cooperation with Capes, an intermediary organization that promotes the quality of higher education and research, on behalf of the Brazilian government. Capes does this in many different ways, including evaluating institutions and courses, but also providing budgets for international cooperation in the field of education and research that promotes the quality of Brazilian education.
The link between Nuffic and Capes creates new opportunities for Dutch higher education to establish good working relations with their Brazilian counterparts. The options available include PhD pathways and double and joint degrees, but also curriculum design and teacher and student exchange projects at all levels.
Focus year Brazil
Nuffic has declared 2009 a Focus Year on Brazil. In this context, a visit of a delegation from the Dutch higher education sector to Brazil is considered, as well as a visit from Brazilian representatives to the Netherlands.
Last Monday the Director of Neso Brazil, Remon Daniel Boef, flew to the Brazilian capital to start setting up the office there. Nuffic is expecting Neso Brazil to be operational in two months time.
Neso e-newsletter
Almost every month, Nuffic sends out an e-newsletter to those who have subscribed to it (for free). This e-newsletter provides information about the various Nesos and discusses local developments that could be of influence to the promotion of Dutch higher education.
More information and registration for the e-newsletter