The first Brazil-Africa University Forum took place in Brasília from May 25 to 27, 2026, with the goal of strengthening academic, scientific, and technological cooperation between Brazilian and African higher education institutions.
Cameroon was represented at the event by several institutions, including the University of Yaoundé I and the University of Dschang.
The forum was organized by Brazil’s Ministry of Education, the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES), and the National Association of Directors of Federal Higher Education Institutions (Andifes), with support from Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Organizers aimed to position higher education as a key pillar of the growing relationship between Brazil and Africa. During the forum, participants explored opportunities for collaboration in strategic sectors including agriculture, renewable energy, artificial intelligence, mining, oil and gas, aerospace, and the humanities.
Discussions also focused on common challenges facing developing countries, including food security, public health, social inclusion, sustainable development, and climate change. For Cameroonian universities, the forum creates new opportunities for student and faculty exchanges, joint research projects, and institutional partnerships.
The initiative could also expand access to international research networks and cooperation programs in sectors considered critical to the country's development. One of the most significant announcements made in Brasília was the launch of the Capes-Move África program, which will fund academic mobility for African master's and doctoral students in Brazilian universities.
The initiative complements existing cooperation mechanisms such as the PEC-G and PEC-PG programs, which allow students from partner countries to pursue undergraduate and graduate studies in Brazil.
Part of Brazil’s South-South Cooperation Strategy
The initiative reflects the South-South cooperation strategy promoted by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva since returning to office.
Brazil has sought to strengthen ties with African countries by building on long-standing historical, cultural, and human connections. According to Brazil’s 2022 census, more than half of the country's population identifies as Black or mixed-race, reflecting a history shaped by the transatlantic slave trade, forced migration, and centuries of exchanges across the Atlantic.
In higher education, this policy has led to the creation of institutions and programs dedicated to strengthening academic ties with Africa, including the University for International Integration of the Afro-Brazilian Lusophony (UNILAB). Brazil already maintains numerous cooperation agreements with African universities, and the Brasília forum is intended to give new momentum to those partnerships.
For Cameroon, whose relationship with Brazil already spans sectors such as agriculture, health, education, and research, stronger university cooperation could provide another avenue to develop skills, promote innovation, and address development challenges shared by both countries.
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