Visit by Jan O’Sullivan T.D. Minister for Education and Skills to Brazil

Minister for Education and Skills, Jan O'Sullivan visited Brazil this month for a trade and education mission to the Brazilian cities of Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, São Paulo and Campinas. This was the first time an Irish Minister has led a St. Patrick's Day mission to Brazil.

While in Brasília, the Minister met with the Brazilian Minister for Foreign Affairs to mark the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Ireland and Brazil, as well as the acting Education Minister. She also met with the heads of all of the agencies involved in the Science Without Borders programme, as well as those involved in funding research in higher education.

During this mission, the Brazilian government confirmed that it has awarded scholarships to 1,077 students to study in Ireland this year under the Science Without Borders. To underpin the support of the Irish government for further developing our links with Brazil, the Minister announced that half of the scholarships being granted this year under the Government of Ireland Scholarship Programme would go to high-achieving Brazilian students. Institutes of Technology Ireland and the Irish University Association also announced new scholarship schemes for Brazilian students.

Minister O'Sullivan was accompanied on the mission by representatives of nine Irish higher education institutions, and witnessed the signing of 11 memoranda of understanding between those institutions and their Brazilian counterparts. While education formed the central part of this six-day mission, the Minister also participated in receptions for the Irish communities in Brazil, and met with Irish businesses working in Brazil, and Brazilian businesses considering investment in Ireland. The Minister also inaugurated the new Consulate General in São Paulo.

During her visit, the Embassy in Brasilia and Consulate General in São Paulo organised the greening of the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, the Juscelino Kubitschek bridge in Brasília, and four major landmarks in São Paulo.