Visiting Professors

Through its own resources or by programs from the Higher Education Personnel Improvement Coordination (CAPES), the University of São Paulo (USP) offers some opportunities to foreign professors to visit the school with the purpose of strengthening institutional ties and developing teaching and research activities.

 

Welcoming foreign professors is important and essential to the whole internationalization process. It is a way we can share experiences, learn from other realities and intensify academic cooperation. Thus, when welcoming foreign professors, it is interesting not only to involve them in technical visits but in teaching, research and extension activities as well.

 

 

PLEASE NOTE: USP AIDS ARE TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED.

 

 

Scholarship Program for Visiting Professors at USP

 

By Decree #5910, dated of April 7, 2011, the Rectory of USP created a Scholarship Program for Visiting Professors. Its objective is to promote international exchange development within academic, scientific and cultural spheres so as to strengthen teaching and research, managed by a Committee composed by the Rector (President), the Executive Provost for International Relations (Vice-President), the Provost for Graduate Studies, the Provost for Research, and the Provost for Academic Activities (CAA). The Committee responsible for the program holds meetings every two months to analyze incoming proposals.

 

The USP Scholarship Program for Visiting Professors is focused on stimulating professors and researchers (Brazilian or not) connected to Excellence Centers abroad to give classes or courses (with a possibility of extension under a local professor’s responsibility), to lecture and/or conduct research activities that involve master’s students or doctoral graduate programs.

 

The scholarship granted to the visiting professor must be no higher than the monthly salary corresponding to a MS-6 Professor in Full-Time (RDIDP). Scholarships sponsored by foreign resources are not subject to the above-mentioned limit. Furthermore, foreign visiting professors can benefit from the infrastructure given by USP to its professors and will be granted an economy class air ticket and health insurance aids.

 

The scholarship will last from at least a month to twelve months at the most, continued or not, though, exceptionally, there is the possibility of extending this period to twenty-four months at the most. At the end of the scholarship period, the visiting professor must hand in a report of activities developed in this period. The request for  a scholarship for this program should be formulated by the Department or an equivalent, approved by the Faculty Senate or an equivalent organ at the School, and forwarded to the Committee.

 

 

Provost for Graduate Studies of USP – PRPG-USP

 

The Provost for Graduate Studies of USP (PRPG) provides foreign professors and researchers with visiting aids for up to three months, and which involve short-term programs (with prospective extension under a local professor’s responsibility), lectures and/or research activities conducted with the participation of graduate students.

 

The request for financial aid from PRPG coming from a foreign teacher or researcher must be made by a USP Professor. First of all, note the Circular 01/2011 CoPGr and the aid website for more information.

 

We emphasize that is not possible to pay any expense that has already occurred (including passages), as expenses made before the funds’ release are not allowed to be reimbursed.

 

Items that can be financed include:

 

  • Air and ground transportation;
  • Daily amounts (including food and lodging) no higher than 15 UFESPs;
  • Health Insurance.
  • The following documents should be presented at least seventy-five days prior to the trip (15 days for approval of the CPG and 60 days for approval of the PRPG):
  • Request Form duly filled and signed by the requesting USP professor;
  • Work Plan with the schedule of the activities that are to be developed (no more than 15 pages);
  • Justification Report made by the requesting USP professor;

 

To prepare a report for the requested aid: Insert title: “Request for assistance coming of Teachers / Researchers Foreigners – Dean of Graduate”; Describe in the texts: the event title (or description) with dates; detailing the items that will be funded (in budget format), noting the maximum daily (15 UFESPs). The total value must match what is presented on the application form; third party budget of other expenses (except daily rates);

 

  • It cannot be submitted via internet or email;
  • Tickets: must be from a travel agency, on letterhead (preferably signed, but not necessarily);
  • Health Insurance;
  • Refusal or non-approval of requests made to other fostering agencies or justifications of non-presentation/request;
  • Create or update the curriculum Lattes (from the USP professor at least).

 

After the documents have been received, a CPG Letter (of approval, and forwarded to PRPG) will be written, and, then this Letter and documents will be sent to the Committee Director for approval. After the CPG’s approval, they will be sent to the Provost for Graduate Studies for the final word about the grant of aids. Please, keep in mind that this forwarding must occur within the maximum period of time stipulated in the Circular; therefore, be sure to forward the documents in time for the CPG Director’s approval!

 

In the event of an approval, a financing aids process will be open at PRPG, who will forward the process to the Accounting Section, which in turn will be forwarded to the competent sector so that the approval and the necessary procedures can be disclosed.

 

 

USP International Cooperation Office (AUCANI)

 

If a Foreign Professor is interested in coming to USP in order to develop activities involving undergraduate and graduate students, he/she can be offered a complementary financial aid, which is given in daily rates for the specific period of these activities and according to the values defined by the Rectory.

 

The interested visiting professor must contact a USP professor. The financial aid request must be submitted by a USP professor.

 

Information: aucani.auxilios@usp.br

 

French Chairs Program in São Paulo

 

Directed by professors from French universities. The notices are published at this website periodically:

 

Until 2013 November 22, applications will be received for “Programa de Cátedras Francesas do Estado de São Paulo”, sponsored by the Consulate General of France jointly with the universities of São Paulo State, including Universidade de São Paulo.

 

Applications are available for professors and researchers from all areas of knowledge from universities in France who are interested in pursuing academic activities at USP, for a period of 45 days up to 10 months.

 

Those who are selected will receive a monthly amount paid by USP, and the Consulate General of France will finance the airfare costs.

 

Click here to read the announcement in Portuguese – Modalidades Cátedras 2014 and in French – Modalités Chaires 2014.

 

 

CAPES

 

CAPES (Higher Education Personnel Improvement Coordination) offers the Foreign Visiting Professor Program (PVE) which provides scholarships, economy class air tickets, and lodging aid. The visit can last from fifteen days to twelve months, and it can be renewable for the same period.

 

The program has four scholarship modalities:

 

Young Doctor (R$3.997,09): a professor or researcher appointed by the institution, and with a Doctoral degree obtained less than 5 years prior;

 

Junior Doctor (R$4.889,56): a professor or researcher appointed by the institution, that has obtained their Doctoral degree less than 8 years but more than 5 years prior and with relevant academic production that is compatible with CNPq-1D researchers;

 

Full Doctor (R$6.931,54): a professor or researcher appointed by the institution, and with a Doctoral degree obtained over 8 years prior with relevant academic production that is compatible with CNPq-1C researchers;

 

Senior Doctor (R$8.905,42): a professor or researcher appointed by the institution, and with a Doctoral degree obtained over 8 years prior with relevant academic production that is compatible with CNPq-1A and -1B researchers, who holds academic status in foreign higher education or research institution similar to a full professor in federal Brazilian institutions.

 

Lodging aid is up to R$2.000,00 (two thousand reais) for foreign professors who do not live or have not lived in Brazil in the last six months, paid at once in the beginning of the grant, proportional to the initial period approved for visiting.

 

For scholarships granted for up to ninety days, benefits will be paid directly into the professor’s banking account overseas, proportionally to the period and only when the the professor returns to their home country.

 

The Program of Support to Graduate Studies (PROAP) of CAPES allows for refunding expenses with tickets and daily amounts to foreign professors that take part in graduate studies academic activities programs lasting up to thirty days, in a row or not, for each period of one year.

 

For periods over sixteen days in a row, PROAP will pay the professor the value equal to what had been fixed in post-doc scholarships in the country. For activities that take between twelve and fifteen days, the value corresponding to half the scholarship will be paid; moreover, when the activities go up to ten days, daily amounts will be paid.

 

Diploma revalidation

 

Nowadays, in order for it be valid nation-wide, the graduate diploma must be revalidated by a Brazilian public university that offers a government-recognized equal or similar program.

 

Information regarding Brazilian legislation about recognition of foreign diplomas can be found at this site of the Ministry of Education and Culture of Brazil

 

The University of São Paulo (USP) has the power to revalidate foreign diplomas. For further information, please click here.

More Information

Rodrigo Brunelli Pirani Phone: +55 16 3315-0112 Email: international.lawrp@usp.br