By Sarah Geegan

Twenty-six Brazilian students will become Kentucky wildcats in the fall, as part of UK's partnership with the Brazil Scientific Mobility Program (BSMP) and the Institute of International Education (IIE).

The BSMP initiative is administered by IIE and is part of the Brazilian government's larger effort to grant 100,000 scholarships for the best students from Brazil to study abroad at the world’s top universities. The 26-student cohort will begin studies at UK in the Center for English as a Second Language in the College of Arts and Sciences.  The center will provide the support for the students in achieving language proficiency goals for academic, professional, as well as social purposes through multi-level language instruction.

“We are delighted to welcome the Brazilian students to campus,” said Thomas Clayton, executive director of the Center for ESL. “We enrolled nine BSMP students in summer 2012, and we have seven Brazilians from BSMP studying with us this summer.  They are excellent students, and they add tremendously to our program.  We are extremely pleased that IIE wants to send 26 more students in the fall.  This represents a strong vote of confidence in our program.”

Following study in the Center for ESL, the Brazilian students will complete two semesters of coursework in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

The partnership will not only aid the Brazilian students in the STEM fields, but will augment the comprehensive effort to further internationalize UK's campus and facilitate the interaction of global students and scholars.

“UK’s long-standing relationships with Brazilian universities are taking on increased importance, as Brazil’s global role continues to expand,” Susan Carvalho, UK associate provost for international programs, said. “Those partnerships open up opportunities for shared research and development on both sides, and show us the future of global knowledge production.”

BSMP serves to provide substantive exchange experiences at U.S. colleges or universities to a diverse group of emerging Brazilian student leaders, with a goal of widening the academic and research exchange between the U.S. and Brazil. Specific goals include promoting scientific research, funding education resources allocated both within Brazil and outside of the country, increasing the international cooperation within the scientific and technological scope, and initiating and engaging students in a global dialogue within the parameters of international education.

“We are pleased to be partnering with the Government of Brazil to implement this important program,” said IIE President and CEO Allan Goodman. "At a time when Brazil’s economy is expanding rapidly, and Brazil and the United States are forging unprecedented ties in trade, energy and scientific development, we look to higher education as another area where our two countries should seek much stronger cooperation.”