Academic cooperation with Brazil in the field of Sustainability
2025-03-18 The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) formalises the cooperation between the universities with regard to the ‘German-Brazilian Symposium on Sustainable Development’
The Baden-Württembergische Brasilien- und Lateinamerika-Zentrum der Universität Tübingen (BraLat) is entering into a dedicated partnership with Leuphana Universität Lüneburg and Universität Hohenheim to strengthen academic relations between Germany and Brazil in the field of sustainability. The collaboration was established at the end of February 2025 with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which aims to promote interdisciplinary research and intensify scientific exchange between the two countries.
The document formalises the collaboration between the universities in relation to the ‘German-Brazilian Symposium on Sustainable Development’, a biennial event that aims to bring together researchers from different disciplines to develop solutions to environmental and sustainability challenges. Since 2003, BraLat has played a key role in the organisation of the symposium, which is perceived as an important interdisciplinary platform for Brazilian, German and international stakeholders to discuss environmental issues, new approaches to sustainability and the exchange of knowledge and innovation between Brazilian and German scientists.
Collaboration started in 2024
The partnership between the three institutions was agreed in 2024 on the occasion of the 11th edition of the symposium, which took place at the University of Tübingen from 20 to 23 March 2024. The event addressed the theme ‘Towards a Resilient and Safe Future’ and focused on discussions about resilience, value creation, food security and adequate access to water.
With this memorandum, the institutions commit to collaborate in the organisation of the event, including the selection of speakers, the development of workshops and thematic forums, and the search for resources and funding to ensure the long-term success of the initiative. The participation of Brazilian speakers and presenters is guaranteed until 2028 with the support of Brazilian funding organisations such as the Science Foundation of the State of São Paulo (Fapesp) and the Federal Agency for the Qualification of Higher Education Personnel (Capes).
Next Symposium in 2026
In 2026, the 12th German-Brazilian Symposium on Sustainable Development will take place in Belém, Pará State, Brazil. It will be hosted there by the Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA) from 15 to 18 June.
With the cooperation agreement, the participating universities are demonstrating their ongoing commitment to sustainability, social responsibility and the promotion of international cooperation in order to tackle global challenges and strengthen the links between researchers and societies in Brazil and Germany.
Further information on projects and initiatives related to this cooperation can be obtained from Prof. Vânia Zuin Zeidler, the Institute of Sustainable Chemistry, School of Sustainability.