Summary

An initiative proposed, coordinated and sponsored by the U.S. Embassy and the Fulbright Commission in Brazil to leverage support from Brazilian and U.S. academics and researchers to delve deeper in the understanding of the U.S. under many different aspects, establishing multidisciplinary forums to analyse the country and its roles in the global context.

The Fulbright Interdisciplinary Network (FIN) is composed by five Brazilian universities countrywide, each spearheading research and activities according to their interests, current focus and expertise. The current five participating universities are the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), the Federal University of Pará (UFPA), the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and the University of Brasília (UnB).

A major highlight of this initiative is the integration with the Fulbright Distinguished Scholar Awards, which provides a grant to U.S. Distinguished Scholars to come to Brazil for a period of three to four months to conduct research, work collaboratively with Brazilian colleagues, guest-lecture, mentor students and promote their research while representing the United States, the Fulbright Program, and their home and partner universities.

Objectives

The Fulbright Interdisciplinary Network (FIN) main objectives are to foster U.S. Studies in Brazil as an educational core in the academia and research institutes, to promote a dialogue about U.S.-related topics within Brazilian society, and to disseminate U.S.-related topics to a larger audience in Brazil.

Additional objectives are:

• to forge collaborations between U.S. and Brazilian universities to support joint research;
• to promote innovative partnerships expanding bilateral education ties; and
• to strengthen and broader longer-term U.S.-Brazil institutional linkages.

Desirable outputs

The operational framework to be developed in order to meet the objectives, shall include but are not limited to: webinars; online round-table discussions; podcast series; U.S. studies conferences; academic publications; and new U.S.-specific courses in the five participating universities.

It is expected that the FIN participants collaboratively produce substantial material involving top Brazil and U.S. academics, intellectuals, public officials and members of civil society who work on U.S.-related topics to discuss and analyze contemporary issues.

Sponsor

FIN is sponsored by the Fulbright Commission in Brazil and the U.S. Embassy in Brasilia. The funding covers the 3-years budget of the initiative, which has started in March 2021.