The agreement was signed by the acting secretary of the Secretariat of Science, Technology and Higher Education (Seti), Jamil Abdanur Jr (on the right); UEM is included in the cooperation agreement.
On 16 June 2025, the State Government signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to implement an international cooperation network focused on the integration between the seven state universities of Paraná and the eight universities of New Zealand, in Oceania. With a duration of ten years, the cooperation provides for the exchange of students and researchers and the development of studies in agricultural technologies, art and culture, economics, indigenous education, genomics, educational innovation, and sustainability and climate change.
The Associate Provost for Research and Graduate Affairs at the State University of Maringá (Universidade Estadual de Maringá - UEM), Mauro Ravagnani, is part of the delegation from the Brazilian Association of Rectors of State and Municipal Universities (Associação Brasileira de Reitoras e Reitores das Universidades Estaduais e Municipais - Abruem) that is visiting New Zealand universities until 27 June. The group includes 34 representatives, including rectors, vice-rectors, associate provosts, and internationalization advisors.
The agreement, which establishes strategic collaboration in research and high-level training, was signed by Paraná’s Acting State Secretary for Science, Technology, and Higher Education, Jamil Abdanur Júnior, who is participating in an international mission in New Zealand over the following two weeks. Among the planned initiatives are mobility programs for undergraduate and graduate students and the possibility of dual degrees in master's and doctoral programs, expanding opportunities for international education.
Faculty members and researchers will also benefit from exchanges and joint projects, especially in priority areas such as sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, and biotechnology. The cooperation also provides for the sharing of laboratories and the strengthening of research networks, consolidating a partnership that promises to boost innovation and scientific production in both countries. New Zealand universities are among the top 3% in the world, according to the World Higher Education Database (WHED).
For acting secretary Jamil Abdanur Júnior, the partnership with New Zealand universities represents a significant step forward in the internationalization of higher education in Paraná. “This strategic cooperation puts our state in a prominent position on the global research and innovation scene, allowing our universities to absorb knowledge in areas where New Zealand is a world leader, such as sustainable agriculture, environmental management, and renewable energy.”
In addition to academic and scientific benefits, the agreement also strengthens cultural ties between the two countries, with an emphasis on the exchange of knowledge about indigenous education, an area in which New Zealand has extensive experience. State universities in Paraná will be able to adopt innovative teaching and research methodologies, while New Zealand students and teachers will have the opportunity to learn about local initiatives in diversity and sustainability, expanding intercultural dialogue.
Last year, a New Zealand delegation visited Paraná to learn about the State System of Science, Technology, and Higher Education. The delegation took part in meetings at the State Secretariat of Science, Technology, and Higher Education (Secretaria de Estado da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior - Seti) and at the Araucária Foundation, attended by the rectors of Paraná's state universities. During the visit, researchers from Paraná presented the main research and innovation actions and strategies developed in the state.
Strategic mission
Promoted by the Brazilian Association of Rectors of State and Municipal Universities (Abruem), the international mission to New Zealand began on Tuesday (17 June 2025), with the participation of 34 representatives from higher education institutions in 20 states across Brazil's five regions and the Federal District. The Brazilian delegation has visited the campuses of eight New Zealand universities, located in the cities of Wellington, Palmerston North, Dunedin, Christchurch, Lincoln, Hamilton, and Auckland.
The initiative is led by the Rector of the State University of Northern Paraná (Universidade Estadual do Paraná - UENP), Fábio Antonio Neia Martini, who chairs the Chamber of Internationalization and Academic Mobility of Abruem. The agenda includes technical visits to research centers and meetings with academic authorities to discuss the practical implementation of the memorandum. It is expected that, in the coming months, the first concrete actions will be defined, including the opening of calls for scholarship applications and the formation of bilateral working groups.
(With information from the State News Agency)
Translation team:
Felipe Piva Amorim
Julia Pedriali Rosa