Fact Sheet: Educational Exchanges for the 21st Century: 100,000 Strong In The Americas and Science Without Borders

President Obama’s “100,000 Strong in the Americas” and Brazilian President Rousseff’s “Science without Borders” initiatives create opportunities for substantial new partnerships between Brazil and the United States to expand international study and research.  These exchanges strengthen U.S. and Brazilian institutional partnerships, develop a workforce prepared for 21st century opportunities, and contribute to long-term economic growth for both countries.

100,000 Strong in the Americas

President Obama's 100,000 Strong in the Americas goal is to increase higher education exchanges between the United States and Latin America and the Caribbean to 100,000 each year in each direction.  To meet the President’s goal, the U.S. government is working to expand educational linkages in the region through partnerships with foreign governments, universities and colleges, higher education associations, and the private sector. 

Goals of the Program:  100,000 Strong in the Americas will foster region-wide prosperity through greater in¬ternational exchange of students who are our future leaders and innovators. Increased understanding in the Western Hemisphere and closer people-to-people ties will help us work together to address common challenges including citizen security, economic opportunity, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability.

University Partnerships:  New and existing partnerships between community colleges, public and private universities and colleges, states, and other consortia serve as a foundation for expanding academic and research exchanges.  EducationUSA, a network of more than 100 U.S. government-supported advising centers throughout the hemisphere, connects U.S. higher-education institutions with students and universities throughout the region.  The U.S. Commercial Service of the Department of Commerce is partnering with EducationUSA to organize an Education Mission to Brazil.  The mission will stop in Brasilia, Sao Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro from August 30 to September 6, 2012.  The purpose of the mission is to connect approximately 60 appropriately accredited U.S. education institutions with potential students and university/institution partners in Brazil.

Bilateral Government Partnership:  The United States cooperates with partner governments throughout Latin America and the Caribbean who offer scholarships to qualified students to study abroad by providing educational advising and placement strategies for those students in U.S. higher education institutions.  The United States also coordinates with partners to ensure timely access to information on educational opportunities and visas through EducationUSA advising centers, U.S. embassies, and U.S. consulates.

Public-Private Partnerships:  Private sector contributions to expand international study can broaden the reach of existing programs as well as support new initiatives that align with donor priorities.  The U.S. government, in partnership with governments in the region, offers several exchange programs – including Fulbright, Gilman, the Global Undergraduate Exchange, and others in which the private sector can contribute directly to the implementing partner to expand the number of exchange participants or support enhancement activities that make these programs a unique experience. 

Diversity:  The diversity of the U.S. higher education system offers educational opportunities for all types of study and is one of the fundamental strengths behind 100,000 Strong in the Americas.  We also seek to diversify the range of students who participate in international exchanges to and from the United States.  Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Native American Tribal colleges, other Minority Serving Institutions, and community colleges in the United States offer opportunities that may meet international students' needs and interests.  We also work with Latin American and Caribbean governments, universities, and the private sector to provide international study opportunities for students from disadvantaged backgrounds throughout the region. 

Science without Borders

President Rousseff’s Science without Borders initiative has the potential to make a major contribution toward reaching the United States’ 100,000 Strong goal.  The initiative aims to fund 101,000 Brazilian university students and scholars in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields to study and conduct research abroad over the next four years.  The Brazilian government will fund 75,000 Brazilian students; the private sector will fund an additional 26,000 scholarships.  At least half of the Brazilian students under this program are expected to study in the United States.  The United States received and placed the first cohort of Brazilian Science without Borders students in more than 100 U.S. universities in 42 states, and we look forward to receiving thousands more in the coming years.

University Partnerships:  Brazilian universities nominate candidates for the program and the Brazilian agencies responsible for the implementation of the program, Brazil’s Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (CAPES) and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), approve the students’ participation.  CAPES and CNPq, through partnerships with educational organizations and universities, negotiate placement, tuition, and fees for the students and researchers.  The participating host institutions make the final decision to accept a student in the Brazil Science without Borders Program.  The Brazilian government has partnered with the Institute of International Education (IIE) to administer the undergraduate scholarship segment of Science without Borders in the United States and with Academic and Professional Programs for the Americas (LASPAU) to place Brazilian students in Ph.D. programs in the United States.  Accredited U.S. institutions interested in hosting undergraduate and Ph.D. students should contact IIE and LASPAU.

Supporting Students:  The U.S. Government supports Science without Borders students by advising on successful strategies for navigating the American higher education community, encouraging diversity of placement throughout the United States, conducting outreach to engage both U.S. and Brazilian higher education and scientific communities, facilitating visa appointments and hosting orientation events.  The U.S. Government, in partnership with a consortium of Binational Centers in Brazil, launched english3 (“English-cubed”) in March 2012.  Specifically developed and tailored for Science without Borders applicants, the country-wide English immersion program will prepare students with essential skills for academic life in the United States.  The United States is also expanding professional development opportunities for English language teachers in Brazil. 

Public-Private Partnerships: Science without Borders is funded by public and private sources. The United States of America and Brazil Fulbright Commission provide support by managing funds from the Brazilian Government, nonprofit and philanthropic organizations, and private sector partners.  U.S. private sector partners and foundations support the program financially by funding the program’s academic component or opening internship (academic training) opportunities, paid and unpaid, for Science without Borders scholars.  U.S. private sector organizations interested in supporting the program through funding scholarships or opening internship opportunities should contact IIE or LASPAU.

Fact Sheet: The U.S.-Brazil Economic Relationship

Strengthening Commercial Ties Contribute To Jobs and Growth

The United States and Brazil, the two largest economies and largest democracies in the Western Hemisphere, share one of the most important trade and economic relationships in the world.  Brazil is our eighth largest goods trading partner.  U.S. goods and services exports to Brazil totaled $63 billion in 2011 supporting approximately 300,000 U.S. jobs.

Brazil is an emerging global player and economic powerhouse.  With a 2011 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of nearly $2.5 trillion, Brazil is the sixth largest economy in the world and accounts for more than 60 percent of South America’s total GDP.  The United States is committed to deepening our bilateral economic relationship with Brazil, building on our mutual strengths, common interests, and input from our dynamic private sector stakeholders.

A Key Trading Partnership

• Two-way goods and services trade between the United States and Brazil has nearly tripled in the past decade to more than $100 billion in 2011.  In the past five years, goods and services exports from the United States to Brazil more than doubled, from $26.6 billion in 2006 to $62.7 billion in 2011.
• With 195 million of the world’s consumers, and per-capita income expected to grow more than three percent per year during the next five years, Brazil’s demand for goods imports has more than tripled, from $47.2 billion in 2002 to $226.2 billion in 2011.
• Since 2002, U.S. goods exports to Brazil have more than tripled, growing from $12.4 billion in 2002 to $42.9 billion in 2011.  In 2011, U.S. goods exports to Brazil were up 21 percent from 2010. 
• These exports were made up of goods from high-tech, value-producing industries.  In 2011, the largest U.S. goods export category to Brazil was machinery, valued at $7.9 billion.  Other top export categories included aircraft and parts ($5.4 billion), electric machinery ($4.6 billion), and plastics ($2.1 billion).
• Exports to Brazil benefit businesses and entrepreneurs across the nation. In every year for the past 10 years, exporters in all 50 states have reported exports to Brazil.  In 2011, nearly three-quarters of U.S. states (36 total) reported goods export shipments in excess of $100 million.
• U.S. services exports to Brazil have also increased.  From 2002 to 2011, U.S. services exports to Brazil more than tripled, increasing from $5.1 billion in 2002 to $19.9 billion in 2011.  In 2010, these services included telecommunications services worth $2.1 billion, and business, professional, and technical services totaling $2.2 billion.
• In 2011, 1.5 million Brazilians visited the United States, a 26 percent increase compared to 2010, and up about 400,000 in 2002.  In 2011, Brazilians spent $6.8 billion on travel and tourism related goods in the United States, up 148 percent from 2009.

Leading 15 Exporting States to Brazil (in millions of $USD)

Source: TradeStats Express

Strengthening Ties Through Investment

Bilateral investment flows between Brazil and the United States support jobs, stimulate exports, and strengthen our overall economic relationship.  At the end of 2010, total Brazilian capital investment in the United States stood at $15.5 billion, making it among the largest sources of foreign direct investment (FDI) from Latin America. 

According to preliminary estimates released by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Brazilian firms invested nearly $3.7 billion in the United States in 2011.  Top sectors for FDI from Brazil to the United States include energy – including coal, gas, oil, and alternatives and renewables – as well as the manufacture of metals, plastics, textiles, and building and construction materials.

In 2009, U.S. subsidiaries of Brazilian-owned firms employed 39,000 U.S. workers and contributed $2.6 billion to U.S. goods exports.  As Brazil’s economy continues to grow, there will be great potential to increase these flows.  Between January 2003 and February 2012, 81 deals were announced with total capital expenditures of $3.37 billion, creating approximately 8,110 U.S. jobs.

Some recent examples of job-supporting Brazilian investment in the United States include:

• In June 2011, the Brazilian firm Braksem announced plans to invest $4 billion to increase its plastics production in North America.  This investment will help Braksem expand its three U.S. facilities to produce 1 million tons of polypropylene per year.
• In June 2011, Santana Textiles announced plans to open a new spinning, weaving, and storage facility in Edinburg, Texas.  The first phase of the project created 300 new jobs by December 2011, with an expected 500 additional positions generated upon completion of the facility.
• In May 2011, the Brazilian company Gerdau announced plans to invest $347 million to expand metal manufacturing capacity by 400,000 tons at its mills in Michigan, Arkansas, and Minnesota.  Gerdau also announced its intention to conduct technical studies on the expansion of its Monroe, Michigan plant and the creation of a new North American facility.

Export Success Stories

Through the National Export Initiative and the U.S. Commercial Service, the United States is working to facilitate more job-supporting exports to Brazil.  Some recent success stories include:

• Rosenbauer America, a fire truck manufacturer, won a $42 million contract to supply 80 fire engines to Infraero, Brazil’s airport authority.  The contract was signed in August 2011 and the trucks will be manufactured in Minnesota. 
• Florida-based Eastern Shipbuilding Group won a $241 million contract last year to build five vessels for the Brazilian firm, Boldini, S.A.  The U.S. Maritime Administration provided a loan guarantee for the project.  The deal will generate 300 jobs at the Eastern Shipbuilding facility in Panama City, Florida.
• West Virginia-based Swanson Industries, a manufacturer and repair service company of long-stroke cylinders used in the offshore oil industry, in October 2010 entered into an agreement with a Brazilian firm, Superpesa, which yielded a repair service contract worth $1 million in sales for Swanson.
• In March 2012, GE Energy made a $30 million sale of GE engines to two wind farms in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Norte.

Fact Sheet: U.S.-Brazil Science and Technology Cooperation

President Obama and President Rousseff recognize the importance of science, technology, and innovation to the well-being and economic strength of our countries.  At the March 12-13, 2012, Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) on Science and Technology cooperation in Brasilia, the United States and Brazil deepened their already strong science and technology partnership.  The two countries reaffirmed their shared commitment to collaboration in a wide range of disciplines, from studies of our oceans to outer space and from nanotechnology to natural disasters.  Accomplishments of this bilateral partnership and activities planned for the years ahead include:

Understanding Oceans, Weather, and Climate Change

• The United States and Brazil enjoy a growing partnership in space weather, Earth observations, advocacy for data sharing, participation in the International Space Environment Service, the training of scientists from Brazil at the U.S. National Weather Service, and collaboration on shark and billfish management. The JCM Ocean Science Working Group will, with possible engagement of private industry, continue its work on ocean technology and ocean and coastal zone management related to climate change and extreme weather events.

Strengthening Ecosystems Research

• The United States and Brazil will cooperate on the Green Ocean Amazon 2014 experiment to better understand role of the tropics in the Earth’s climate. Atmospheric and terrestrial ecosystem measures will be jointly analyzed through the U.S. Department of Energy’s atmospheric and terrestrial process and modelling research components to advance our understanding and modelling of tropical systems.

Maximizing the Potential of Nanotechnology

• Representatives from the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation; Brazilian National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology; and the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative met on March 30, 2012, to discuss national strategies, research programs, and shared access to user facilities. Significant opportunities for collaboration, including undergraduate and graduate student exchanges, were identified between the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Nanoscale Science and Engineering Centers and the Brazilian Nanotechnology Centers. The two countries have launched workshops on Converging Technologies, with the first held in São Paulo in October 2011 and a second to be held in Arlington, Virginia, in June 2012. 

Managing and Monitoring Natural Disasters

• The Disaster Management Working Group, representing 13 U.S. and nine Brazilian agencies, agreed to focus on observation assets (including new technology and remote sensing); modeling of floods, landslides, and drought; capacity building for special-event/incident-command protocols; and Geographic Information System tools for flood monitoring and public health surveillance. 

Refining Measurement Standards for Biofuels

• The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology and Brazil’s National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology collaboratively developed the standards for bioethanol and biodiesel. They will expand their work on measurement standards and data needs for biofuels (including aviation biofuels and biomass), environmental science, smart grid, bioscience, and health.

Cultivating Policies for Innovation

• The Working Group on Innovation and Policy will support short-term visits for Brazilian program managers to the NSF and other U.S. agencies; foster information-sharing about the regulatory framework for innovation; and, plan a multidisciplinary “Frontiers of Science and Engineering” workshop to be organized by the respective Academies of Science and Engineering with NSF as the lead agency. The U.S. Council on Competitiveness and other partners attended the “Partnership for the 21st Century” conference hosted by Brazil on April 9, 2012, to discuss collaborations in energy, education and leadership—areas crucial to lasting productivity and prosperity.

Enhancing Health at Home and Abroad

• The U.S.-Brazil Working Group on Public Health continues its work related to: the Joint Action Plan To Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Discrimination and Promote Equality; polio-eradication and HIV/AIDS in Lusophone, Africa, and immunizations in Haiti; the hosting of doctoral and post-doctoral fellows through Brazil’s “Science without Borders” program; influenza, HIV/AIDS programs, surveillance and prevention of non-communicable diseases; public health emergency preparedness and response; parallel funding of basic, clinical, and translational research; and the U.S.-Latin American Cancer Research Network.

Partnering for Education and Collaborative Research

• President Obama’s “100,000 Strong in the Americas” and Brazilian President Rousseff’s “Science without Borders” initiatives—in collaboration with the U.S. Department of State’s Fulbright Program—are supporting expanded academic and research partnerships, including teaching and applied research exchanges in the fields of science, technology, and innovation.

Applying New Technologies for the Military

• In 2011 and 2012, the U.S. Office of Naval Research Global funded 10 grants in Brazil worth $609,000 to continue bilateral basic-research collaboration in areas such as nanotechnology, materials science; and ocean observation and modeling. The proposed Bilateral Master Data Information Exchange Agreement between the U.S. Department of Defense/Air Force and Brazil’s Ministry of Defense is expected to deepen the two nations’ strong partnership in energy security by supporting new work in biofuel production.

Deepening Our Understanding of the Earth and Space

• In October 2011, during a visit to Brazil by the Administrator of NASA, the two countries signed agreements to cooperate on the Global Precipitation Measurement Mission and to study the Earth’s ozone layer. In addition, in January 2012, the NASA Administrator hosted 45 Brazilian Youth Ambassadors at NASA Headquarters for an educational outreach presentation. 

Advancing the Cause of Women in Science

• At the JCM, the United States and Brazil outlined best practices for recruiting, retaining, and advancing women in science through enhanced participation by women and girls in exchange programs and by strengthening networks of women scientists to enhance collaboration and mentorship opportunities. 

Improving Transportation Security

• A pending Memorandum of Cooperation with Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency and a Memorandum of Agreement with its Federal Police will support talks with the U.S. Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) on a technology qualification program and the possible establishment of a TSA Systems Integration Facility-equivalent for qualifying civil aviation security technologies.

Fact Sheet: The U.S.-Brazil Strategic Energy Dialogue

Today in Washington, President Obama and President Rousseff reviewed the accomplishments of the presidential-level Strategic Energy Dialogue (SED).  On the occasion of President Obama’s March 2011 visit to Brazil, they announced the creation of this Dialogue to support the two countries’ common goals of developing safe, secure and affordable supplies of energy for economic growth, energy security, and the transition to a clean energy economy.  Priority areas of cooperation in the SED include oil and natural gas, biofuels, clean energy and efficiency, and clean energy.  Since then, the United States and Brazil have undertaken collaborative activities with the goal of strengthening our energy relationship, increasing bilateral trade in energy-related goods and services, and enhancing national and shared energy security.  In January, the two governments also committed, through the U.S.-Brazil Commercial Dialogue, to develop a work plan related to the energy sector to further enhance the private sector’s role in the SED.  The partnerships resulting from this Dialogue will seek to create jobs in both countries, make energy supplies more secure, and help address the challenge of global climate change.

Oil and Natural Gas

• The United States and Brazil have held technical workshops and events involving government regulators and private industry to exchange information and share best practices on common oil and gas issues.  This work included a workshop on offshore technology in Rio de Janeiro in October 2011 and a video conference on disaster response and the use of dispersants in February 2012.  These activities brought together the expertise of the U.S. Departments of Energy, Commerce and the Interior, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Environmental Protection Agency, with the Brazilian Ministry of Mines and Energy, the National Petroleum Agency (ANP) that regulates Brazil’s oil and gas sector, and national petroleum company Petrobras.  The U.S. and Brazilian governments will continue a robust agenda of collaborative activities in 2012, including the Department of the Interior’s April workshop on offshore safety and spill response issues such as well integrity, subsea containment, and national contingency plans, and the Department of Energy’s shale gas development workshop in May 2012.  Additionally, the U.S. Geological Survey will continue to engage with Brazilian counterparts on conventional and unconventional resource assessments.
• Under the Dialogue, the United States and Brazil are committed to identifying and implementing solutions to key challenges for the safe and efficient development of oil and natural gas reserves in both countries through technical, policy and regulatory cooperation. 

Biofuels

• Biofuels cooperation under the SED focuses on bilateral research and development activities, and standards cooperation; joint work with other nations in the Western Hemisphere and Africa; and multilateral work on the sustainable production and use of modern bioenergy, including through the Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP).  This includes work established under the 2007 Memorandum of Understanding to Advance Biofuels Cooperation.  Additionally, in March 2011 our nations launched a Partnership for Aviation Biofuels to establish common standards and specifications, and to facilitate the commercialization and expansion of aviation biofuels.
• The U.S. and Brazilian governments are working to enhance methods for life-cycle modeling of biofuels sustainability, including greenhouse gases and land-use change; and exchanging information on maximizing fuel economy of ethanol-optimized engines in flex-fuel vehicles.  To expand ongoing work, the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Petrobras is taking steps to sign with Brazil a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) on next generation biofuels. 
• In addition, the U.S. and Brazilian governments are coordinating efforts on the development of sustainable aviation biofuels.  This includes efforts towards the establishment of common standards and specifications for aviation biofuels, the strengthening of public-private partnerships through engagement with the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuel Initiative (CAAFI) and the Brazilian Alliance for Aviation Biofuels (ABRABA), and engagement in multilateral fora.
• The U.S. and Brazilian governments also have made significant progress in providing joint technical assistance to El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Senegal in their efforts to strengthen policy frameworks, implement blending laws, and develop domestic production capabilities. 
• The U.S. and Brazil also collaborate multilaterally as leading voices in GBEP, which held a joint capacity building forum in Bamako, Mali in March 2012 with the Economic Community of West African States to develop and deploy sustainable bioenergy throughout the region.

Hydropower and Wind Energy

• Brazil and the United States have identified sustainable development of hydropower and wind power development as strategic areas for increased partnership.  The two countries will work together through the Sustainable Development of Hydropower Initiative under the Clean Energy Ministerial process.  Additionally, public and private-sector stakeholders will explore the technical aspects, benefits, and market opportunities of distributed and community wind development in Brazil, which has the potential to expand energy access to more rural areas and to reduce dependence on fossil fuel as a power source in both countries.

Energy Efficiency

• The U.S. and Brazilian governments are focusing on the major efficiency gains possible through effective public policies and compatible standards in the building and industrial sectors.  In August 2011, the Dialogue convened a workshop on industrial energy efficiency in Rio de Janeiro that identified key opportunities of mutual interest and included a demonstration energy assessment of a textile plant in Brazil.  As a result, Brazil’s Electric Energy Research Center (CEPEL) and the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory are exploring opportunities for a partnership in this area.  We also have agreed to share technical information to support the establishment of an independent testing facility in Brazil for efficiency ratings for building materials – including high-efficiency windows, cool roofs, and advanced insulation – following a workshop on this topic held in São Paolo in November 2011. 

Smart Grid

• Brazil and the United States are pursuing smart grid technology deployment and are working to identify opportunities for greater private-sector partnerships.  Additionally, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency has an active program in Brazil, including funding of a smart grid pilot implementation strategy for a major Brazilian electrical utility.  The Department of Energy and the Ministry of Mines and Energy of Brazil currently are planning a workshop to be held in 2012.

Science

• In the area of earth sciences, Brazil and the United States have committed to cooperate on the Green Ocean Amazon 2014 (GOAmazon2014) experiment during 2014 in an effort to gain a better understanding of the tropics’ role in the Earth’s climate.  The project will include the deployment of an Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) mobile facility in the tropical rainforest near Manaus, Brazil.  The U.S. Department of Energy and the Ministry of Science and Technology of Brazil are taking steps to sign a Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate cooperation, in conjunction with our respective research and academic institutions.

Nuclear Energy

• U.S. and Brazilian technical and regulatory agencies continue to collaborate to help assure that nuclear power for peaceful purposes is generated safely, securely, and responsibly.  The first civil nuclear technical workshop was held in Washington, D.C. in August 2011.  It served to strengthen the U.S.-Brazil partnership through the exploration of key issues of mutual interest and provided the opportunity for Brazilian and U.S. participants to meet with counterparts from the public and private sectors.  The United States looks forward to exploring with Brazil areas for technical cooperation ranging from site selection and licensing to reactor long-term sustainability, reactor life extension, severe accident management, and radioactive waste management, among other potential commercial activities. 
• Nuclear security and nonproliferation activities are essential to facilitate peaceful uses of nuclear energy.  The United States looks forward to partnering with Brazil to strengthen global efforts on the safe, secure, and peaceful development of civilian nuclear power, advancing discussions on topics of mutual interest in the areas of nuclear safeguards and security and sharing U.S. experience in supporting nuclear security Centers of Excellence globally.