How São Paulo Connects Its Science to the Rest of the World

In short: São Paulo connects its science to the world through strong global partnerships, international research centers, and inviting foreign scientists to work locally. Public and private funding support this long-term growth.

Science does not happen in isolation, and researchers everywhere benefit from working together across borders to solve big questions.

What happened, in plain words

The text discusses how scientific research in São Paulo has grown through international cooperation. Starting in the 1970s by training individual scientists abroad, the strategy now focuses on building global partnerships, hosting international research centers, and bringing talented researchers to Brazil. Key projects include new centers linked to institutions in Italy, France, Germany, and China, backed by local funding agencies like Fapesp.

Key points

Strong Local Foundations São Paulo features a structured science system dating back to the late 19th century, supported by stable public and private funding where private companies invest heavily in research and development.
Shift in Global Strategy International efforts moved past simply sending students abroad to creating lasting partnerships, hosting foreign institutions, and joining global scientific conversations.
New International Centers Recent announcements include a research center from Italy's Polytechnic of Turin at the IPT, a French Institut Pasteur laboratory at USP, and upcoming projects involving German and Chinese institutions.
Attracting Global Talent Programs like the Jovem Pesquisador help bring scientific leaders from other countries to São Paulo, with thousands of projects and grants approved by Fapesp between 2022 and 2026.

Terms explained

Internationalization — Working closely with people, universities, and organizations from other countries to share knowledge and build research projects together. Example: A school in Brazil teams up with a school in Japan to study ocean water quality together.
Startup — A young company created to develop a unique new product or service and bring it to the market. Example: A small group of engineers working out of a garage to build a cheaper solar panel.

Why it matters

Building global connections helps local researchers share knowledge, create new technologies, and tackle shared challenges more effectively.

What we still don't know

The text is an opinion piece representing the author's views, and the Jornal da USP notes that such articles do not reflect the official positions of the university.

Based on reporting from Jornal da USP. This is an independent explainer, written in our own words with AI assistance; Jornal da USP has not reviewed or endorsed it. Read the original for the full details.