MEXT to cooperate with Brazil in the Science Without Borders （SWB） Initiative -Signing ceremony for the SWB Initiative between JASSO and CAPES-

On July 31, the Japan Students Services Organization (JASSO) signed a memorandum with Brazil’s Higher Education Assistance and Assessment Organization, CAPES at MEXT headquarters. Under the agreement, JASSO will cooperate with CAPES in the Science Without Borders (SWB) Initiative which aims to send undergraduate, graduate and post doctorate students overseas in order to promote the development of science and technology and to strengthen competition.

The memorandum was signed by the Chairman of CAPES Jorge Almeida Guimaraes and the Chairman of JASSO Katsuhiro Endo. The ceremony was attended by many others including MEXT Vice Minister Takashi Kii, Ambassador to Brazil Marcos Bezerra Abbott Galvao, and the Dean of a university in Brazil who had been visiting Japan.

Before the actual signing, Vice Minister Kii greeted the attendees by stressing the importance of nurturing young people who will take an active role in the global community. He explained that since accepting exchange students contributes to advancing the internationalization of universities and nurturing people who will be active in the international community, the government is strategically promoting active student exchange. Vice Minister Kii further followed by commending the SWB Initiative, in which it is highly anticipated that many talented Brazilian students will come to study in Japan and will also benefit to deepen the relations between Brazil and Japan.

JASSO is scheduled to advertise this program domestically, provide information on the Japanese universities cooperating in the SWB Initiative, and will collaborate in the coordination upon accepting exchange student candidates planning to study in Japanese universities under scholarship grants awarded after FY2013.

Kumiko Bando, Director of the Higher Education Bureau and Shigeharu Kato, Director of the International Coordination Division were also present at the signing ceremony.