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UA Ruhr Strengthens Collaborations in São Paulo and Minas Gerais Through the CAPES.Global Program

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From September 8 to 14, a delegation from UA Ruhr visited various universities and research institutions in Brazil, as well as a funding agency, to strengthen bilateral relations.

The itinerary included visits to the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), the University of São Paulo (USP), the Federal University of ABC (UFABC), and the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), as well as the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP). In addition, the delegation visited the Institute for Technological Research (IPT) and the German Centre for Research and Innovation (DWIH) in São Paulo.

Discussions with the universities focused primarily on the internationalization opportunities offered by the CAPES.Global program, particularly for sending doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers to the universities and research centers of the UA Ruhr. However, the reverse possibility — enabling researchers from the Ruhr region to spend time in Brazil — was also an important topic of discussion during the meetings. The UA Ruhr’s primary areas of interest centered on academic mobility in general, scientific cooperation, and exchange in the field of innovation.

The delegation included the Vice-President for International Affairs and Diversity at TU Dortmund University, Prof. Maximiliane Wilkesmann; the Vice-Rector for Transfer, Innovation, and Digitalization at the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE), Prof. Pedro Marrón, the Deputy Director of the UA Ruhr, Dr. Hans Stallmann, as well as the Scientific Director and the Executive Director of the UA Ruhr’s Liaison Office for Latin America, Prof. Matthias Epple and Marcio Weichert, respectively.

UNIFESP

At UNIFESP, the delegation was received by Prof. Kathryn Lum, representative of the International Office, Prof. Chariston dal Belo, Coordinator for Internationalization in the Office of the Vice President for Graduate Studies and Research, and Prof. Elbert Macau, Director of the Agits Innovation Agency.

It was agreed that UA Ruhr would publicize the calls for applications from the RIUDS network — funded by the CAPES.Global program — within its academic community for both incoming and outgoing students, in order to promote exchange between the universities in the Brazilian network (UNIFESP, ITA, UFG, UFPB, UNIFESSPA, Unipampa) and the Ruhr region. In addition, shared areas of expertise were identified across various fields, ranging from medicine to innovation. UDE and UNIFESP are currently discussing a cooperation agreement.

DWIH São Paulo

At the German Centre for Research and Innovation (DWIH) in São Paulo, the delegation had the opportunity to exchange ideas with representatives of other German scientific organizations and to gain insight into internationalization efforts in Brazil and Latin America. Participants in the dialogue included Anja Grecko (DWIH), Dr. Christina Peters and Merit Mikhail (DFG), Dr. Manuel Steidle (Fraunhofer), Sören Metz (Technical University of Munich), and Cintia Toth (University of Münster).

USP

At Latin America’s top-ranked university, the delegation also discussed the timeline for CAPES.Global calls for proposals (INTEGRA Network: USP, Butantan Institute, UEG, UERR, UFERSA), as well as mobility, scientific collaboration, and science-based entrepreneurship. The NIDUS program, which facilitates innovation stays for students, was particularly interesting for Vice-President Pedro Marrón (UDE).

The Federal University of São Paulo (USP) was represented at the meeting by the Vice-President for Graduate Studies, Prof. Carlos Ambrósio, the Associate Vice-President for Research, Prof. Carlos Eduardo Cerri, and the Associate Director of the Institute of Physics, Prof. Cristiano Oliveira.

FAPESP and IPT

At FAPESP, the São Paulo Research Foundation, the delegation learned about the range of programs designed to promote science— particularly the São Paulo Excellence Clusters — as well as initiatives to foster international scientific exchange and collaboration, and the requirements for bilateral calls for proposals.

According to FAPESP, a total of 211 scientific articles were published in 2025 that were co-authored by researchers from São Paulo and the UA Ruhr universities. In addition, over a 15-year period (2010–2025), FAPESP funded eight research grants and 26 fellowships in the UA Ruhr region. The most important areas of cooperation include physics and astronomy, engineering, and medicine.

While the majority of the delegation traveled on to Minas Gerais, Prof. Pedro Marrón visited the Institute for Technological Research (IPT) for the second time. Marrón was not only interested in encourage spin-offs from Ruhr University to establish themselves at the IPT in order to operate in Brazil, but also wanted to learn more about the institute’s “Soft Landing” program in greater detail, as it could serve as a potential model for universities in the Ruhr region.

UFMG

In Belo Horizonte, Prof. Wilkesmann from TU Dortmund University and the rector of the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Prof. Alessandro Moreira, signed an agreement on academic mobility — particularly for students — in Belo Horizonte as part of the institutional agreement concluded in June 2025 between the UA Ruhr and UFMG.

During the discussion, Moreira highlighted UFMG’s strengths that offer potential for collaboration with UA Ruhr, including artificial intelligence, social sciences and humanities, health and life sciences, engineering, geology, and mining (rare earth elements). The meeting was attended by the Deputy Director for Internationalization, Prof. Bárbara Orfanó, as well as the UA Ruhr delegation.

Together with the Vice-President for Research, Prof. Fernando Reis, and the Vice-President for Graduate Studies, Prof. Bruno Leal, the focus was once again on UA Ruhr’s participation in CAPES.Global program’s calls for proposals, particularly within the framework of the INTER-NÓS network (UFMG, UEA, UFCSPA, UFRN, UNIFAL). Collaboration on publicizing these opportunities has already begun.

A discussion on science diplomacy with Professors Dawisson Belem Lopes and João Paulo Nicolini (Department of Political Science) as well as a lecture by Prof. Matthias Epple (UDE) at the Institute of Chemistry completed the program in the capital of the state of Minas Gerais.

UFABC

At the Federal University of UFABC, the focus was on strengthening institutional relationships, expanding research networks, and promoting bilateral mobility among faculty and researchers. The presentation of the UA Ruhr’s research landscape, including its Joint Research Centers, generated great interest, as did the International Senior Fellowship Program of the College of Social Sciences and Humanities.

As part of the CAPES.Global program, a second call for applications for outbound exchanges within the DESATII network (UFABC, PUC Goiás, UEG, UESB, UFAL, UPE) is scheduled to be published in November. Faculty and researchers at UA Ruhr member universities who are interested in hosting visiting scholars should invite their partners at these universities to come for research stays and/or encourage them to send exchange students and postdocs to the Ruhr region. Calls for applications for incoming scholars at the DESATII universities are not scheduled until 2027.