Rice’s Baker Institute to partner with Brazilian think tank Fundação Getúlio Vargas

RIO DE JANEIRO — (March 29, 2012) — Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy today announced a formal agreement with Brazil’s premier think tank, Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV) in Rio de Janeiro, to enhance research and academic relationships and to lay the foundation for long-term cooperation.

The memorandum of understanding (MOU), which officially paves the way for Rice University and FGV student and faculty exchanges, joint research projects and academic programs, has been signed by Edward Djerejian, founding director of the Baker Institute; Flávio Carvalho de Vasconcelos, dean of the FGV School of Public Administration; Rice University President David Leebron and FGV President Carlos Ivan Simonsen Leal.

“Brazil is one of the largest and fastest-growing economies in the world, and Houston and Rio de Janeiro, in particular, share many similarities with their coastal locations, thriving energy sectors and world-class academic institutions,” Djerejian said. “Our agreement with FGV, Brazil’s foremost think tank, will open the door to joint research collaborations and new opportunities for our Rice faculty and students and Brazilian counterparts.”

“This agreement between Rice and FGV is an important piece of our broad engagement with Brazilian institutions of higher education and research,” Leebron said. “The initial collaborations are in the area of public policy, and we look forward to even more interactions with FGV for both students and faculty in the fields of management, finance and political science, among other areas.”

Vasconcelos welcomed FGV’s association with the Baker Institute and Rice University and future collaboration on public policy research and projects. Djerejian said the agreement would focus on research on Brazil’s significant emerging role regionally and globally. Earlier this month, the Baker Institute hosted in Houston a lecture by Mauro Vieira, the ambassador of Brazil to the United States.

“This relationship will provide relevant insights, assessments and policy recommendations to decision-makers in both the private and public sectors,” Djerejian said.

The Baker Institute was invited by FGV representatives Carlos Quintella, projects coordinator; Antônio Freitas, provost; Rogério Sobreira, head of international relations; and Vasconcelos to visit Rio de Janeiro and establish a public policy partnership between the two institutions.

Members of the media interested in learning more should contact David Ruth, director for national media relations at Rice, at david@rice.edu or 713-348-6327.

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From left to right: Rogério Sobreira, head of international relations FGV; Flavio Carvalho Vasconcelos, dean of FGV; Edward Djerejian, founding director of Rice’s Baker Institute; Carlos Quintella, projects coordinator, FGV. (Credit: Baker Institute for Public Policy)

Founded in 1993, the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University in Houston ranks among the top 20 university-affiliated think tanks globally and top 30 think tanks in the United States. As a premier nonpartisan think tank, the institute sponsors more than 20 programs that conduct research on domestic and foreign policy issues with the goal of bridging the gap between the theory and practice of public policy. The institute’s strong track record of achievement reflects the work of its endowed fellows and Rice University scholars. Learn more about the institute at www.bakerinstitute.org or on the institute’s blog, http://blogs.chron.com/bakerblog.

Founded in 1944 with the main purpose of training qualified personnel for the administration of the nation’s public and private sectors, Fundação Getulio Vargas has pushed the boundaries of teaching and advanced into the research and information areas, becoming a center of quality and excellence. A pioneer in the education field, FGV is considered a reference not only for its undergraduate, master’s and doctorate programs and for its research, but also for its constant search for modernity and innovation.