Forgive the sterotype — but whenever I think of Brazil, I think of fantastic soccer, the beaches of Rio de Janiero, the rhythms of Samba, and the splendor of Carnival. Of course, all of those are authentically “Brazilian”, but there are other aspects of Brazil which are quickly overtaking the cultural and tourism themes traditionally associated with this South American giant. These include the exponential growth of its business sector, large scale industrial and infrastructural development, and significant advancements in science and technology. I discovered this “side” of Brazil in early October when the U.S. Embassy to Brazil partnered with the Fulbright Commission in Brazil to sponsor a program on “Higher Education Missions to the U.S.”. The program, which was implemented by Meridian International Center, brought three regional delegations comprising eighteen Brazilian deans and academic professionals to the United States. Each of the regional delegations, visited several institutions of higher learning in the U.S. which could potentially provide innovative exchanges to the Brazil Scientific Mobility Program.

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