The Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS) is an institution committed to academic excellence and generation of knowledge and innovation, as it seeks to become a Research University, oriented towards a global world-class culture, which looks at internationalization in all aspects of University. This commitment is stated in its Vision of Future: “By 2022, PUCRS will have become, in accordance with its Mission, an international reference in Higher Education through Innovation and social, environmental, scientific, cultural and economic development.”
In this sense, the University’s Institutional Plan of Internationalization aims to develop, consolidate and integrate the international and intercultural elements in teaching, research, innovation and extension at the University to seek academic excellence in order to create an impact on the development of society, thus contributing to the development of citizens for a multicultural and interconnected world.
Throughout its history, PUCRS has been nationally and internationally accredited for the scientific, technological and social relevance and quality of the research produced in the University. Therefore, the Institution enjoys an enviable position among the best universities in Latin America, as shown in the most important international rankings. It is worth mentioning that according to evaluation promoted by Brazilian Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (CAPES), PUCRS has climbed atop the public and private higher education institutions with the highest national average (5.36), as a result of the excellence of its Graduate Programs (2013-2016). This is the result of a number of structural strategies and actions carried out by the University, especially concerning professor development and research infrastructure as well as the promotion of interdisciplinary work. The University has developed several other initiatives geared towards the promotion of internationalization, which have had a positive impact on PUCRS’ Graduate Programs.
In this sense, PUCRS aims to reach even higher in order to become a world-class university with relevance at the local, national and international levels.
The Institutional Project of Internationalization of PUCRS, in application for Call 41/2017 – CAPES/PrInt, is intended to develop and incorporate international perspectives into the University’s Graduate Programs and Research, with an eye to academic excellence and effective actions for society’s global issues. In view of that, the University has defined five strategic themes in the Institutional Plan of Internationalization: Health in Human Development; World in Motion: Individuals and Society; Humanism, Education and Culture in the Age of Interconnectivity; Technology and Biodiversity: Sustainability, Energy and Environment; Technological Innovations for a Dynamic and Interconnected World. These Themes are in line with the main research and innovation areas, which have been previously set forth by the University and which will tackle complex issues of our society. Among them, the University has set forth three priority areas for the development of the Institutional Project of Internationalization. The institution is competent enough to deal with these issues at a more profound level and is in quest of alternatives to change reality.
