Fiocruz regulates dual-degree graduation with foreign institutions

In another huge step to the internationalization of education, Fiocruz updated the ordinance that regulates the dual-degree stricto sensu graduation program regime with foreign higher education institutions regarded as of strategic relevance for the Foundation, no. 508, of 2021. The initiative allows students to get dual-degrees or titles in master's and doctorate's degrees. With this regime, when finishing the program, the student receives a diploma from a foreign institution that is part of the cooperation, along with a Fiocruz diploma.

The cooperation convention establishes the conditions for the elaboration of a final project, as well as the commitment of both parties, to be celebrated between the General Coordination of Education (CGE/Fiocruz), the legal representative of the foreign institution, the coordinators of the programs involved, the supervisors of the final project and the student.

Enabling tool for new agreements

The update in the ordinance allows not only doctorate programs to be part of the cooperation, but also master’s degree programs. According to the adjunct coordinator of International Education (CGE/Vpeic), Vinicius Cotta, it opens new possibilities for international cooperation with foreign educational institutions. He highlights that, for CGE, it is important that the ordinance becomes an enabling and encouraging tool for agreements, so that not only the individual aspect of the process is valued, but also the institutional aspect. Ordinance no. 508 also allows a closer articulation between the parties involved in the cooperation process: the Vice Presidency of Education, Information and Communication (Vpeic/Fiocruz), and the Center for International Relations in Health (Cris/Fiocruz), the graduate programs coordination, the academic secretariats, the international cooperation centers of the unities and the members of the Fiocruz Technological and Innovation Management System (Gestec-NIT). For Cotta, the new flow set by the ordinance and its monitoring through the Electronic System of Information (SEI) - which is also new - makes the reviewing and the tracking of the process easier for the parties.

“We understand that a dual-degree graduate program might be challenging in many aspects, and we are available to support in all stages. We highlight that this process is fundamental to consolidate the institutional internationalization policy based on the strengthening of bonds between the institutions involved. Therefore, we hope that the new ordinance helps Fiocruz to become an even stronger and cohesive institution in its processes of internationalization of education”, said Vinicius Cotta.

Strengthening of the internationalization of education

The representative of the area of Mobility and International Covenants of the Fiocruz Global Health Center (Cris/Fiocruz), Liliane Menezes, said that the demand for cooperation for master’s degree programs appeared “because researchers always welcomed students from other institutions and vice-versa, but they could not be framed in this regime, which didn’t allow dual-degree or title. The update of ordinance no. 90, besides approving the cooperation regime for master’s degree programs, also presents a flowchart of the process that should be followed to get the dual-institutional participation, and implements the digitalization of the entire process through SEI, with deadlines for each stage”, she detailed.

According to Liliane, the cooperation process is a win-win situation. “The student enhances their curriculum with an international experience, besides getting a dual-degree and/or title. For graduate programs, the cooperation regimes count as an indicator of excellence by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Capes). Finally, this process strengthens the Foundation as an education institution at the international level”, commented Liliane, praising the regulation.

Process of cooperation

For those who are interested in the process of cooperation, the minimal requirements are that the activity must be set between a stricto sensu graduate program accredited by the Ministry of Education (MEC) and referred by CAPES with a grade equal to or higher the 4 in the last four years evaluation; that is considered by PPG as a strategic project of the Fiocruz Institutional Policy of Internalization of Education, and be primarily started until the end of the second semester of the doctorate program; and that a Cooperation Convention Term is celebrated for each student; besides that, it must be in accordance with the law no. 9784, of 1999, Art. 22, which appoints all instruments and documents in the public federal government, that must be in the Portuguese language for this purpose.

The process of updating the ordinance had the participation of the General Coordinator of Education of Fiocruz, Cristina Guilam, the members of the international council of CFE/VPEIC Vinicius Cotta and Beatriz Nascimento; the members of Cris/Fiocruz Helena Distelfeld and Liliane Menezes; and the technical advisor of the Coordination of Technological Management (Gestec), connected to the Vice Presidency of Production and Innovation in Health (VPPIS/Fiocruz), Carla Maia.