On Wednesday, January 28, the President’s Office received a delegation from the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) to discuss expanding the ongoing academic and scientific cooperation between the two institutions since 2023. The meeting addressed ongoing projects and the prospect of new joint work fronts, consolidating collaboration with the French institution.
USP President Aluisio Augusto Cotrim Segurado emphasized the strategic importance of the relationship with the European country and the plans of the current administration: “I have closely followed this partnership between USP and CNRS from the beginning and the benefits it has brought. I am fully committed to supporting everything necessary for this collaboration to flourish even more”, he commented, noting that USP’s relationship with French institutions and researchers is historic. “It has been present since the founding of our university and remains fundamental to this day. Strengthening internationalization is one of the foundations of this administration. We want to expand the boundaries of knowledge and ensure that our scientific production is connected to major global centers, promoting an increasingly open university that plays a leading role on the international stage”.
Led by CNRS President Antoine Petit, the delegation was received by the President; Vice President Liedi Légi Bariani Bernucci; the representative of the USP International Office, Paulo Braz; the Chief of Staff, Edmilson Dias de Freitas; and the acting Provost for Research and Innovation, Susana Torresi. The president and administrative director of the São Paulo Research Foundation (Fapesp), Marco Antonio Zago and Fernando Menezes, respectively, also attended the meeting.
During the meeting, Petit highlighted the role of USP as a strategic partner in research: “It is our main alliance in Latin America and one of the most important in the world. This collaboration between the CNRS and the university demonstrates how science can transcend boundaries to address shared global challenges. The quality of the research developed here has been achieving excellent impact and reputation, and we are certain that the joining of our skills will result in innovative solutions to complex problems”.
The CNRS delegation also included the dean of the institution’s office for South America, Liviu Nicu; the head of scientific cooperation, Pascal Singer; and the science and technology cooperation attaché of the French Consulate-General in São Paulo, Marion Magnan, as well as researchers and academic leaders. Before fulfilling the agenda at the President’s Office, the group visited the headquarters of the CNRS office in South America, which is located within the USP University City campus.
Topics discussed at the meeting included the renewal of agreements that facilitate the exchange of doctoral students and the funding of research missions, with the purpose of increasing collaboration. USP and CNRS have a strong academic relationship marked by several joint research projects and international research laboratories in areas such as mathematics, physics, biodiversity, and the social sciences.
Academic diplomacy and partnerships of excellence
The connection with the French research ecosystem has been one of the central points of USP’s internationalization policy. In addition to the CNRS, the university maintains ties with other highly relevant French institutions, such as the Institut Pasteur São Paulo. The center was inaugurated by French President Emmanuel Macron as a result of an agreement between the university and the Institut Pasteur of France. It conducts cutting-edge research on infectious and emerging diseases and is part of the international Pasteur network.
Another highlight is the collaboration with Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL), a university comprised of prestigious educational and research institutions in Paris. The partnership maintains mobility programs and joint projects ranging from the exact sciences to the humanities, reinforcing France’s role as an essential partner in shared scientific production.
English version: Nexus Traduções, edited by Denis Pacheco
