15 Years of the Brazil Centre – A Festive Anniversary

On 23 June 2025, the big moment had come: the Brazil Centre celebrated its 15th anniversary – a significant milestone in the history of the cooperation between Brazil and Münster. At the festively decorated Alexander von Humboldt House, members, friends, as well as Prof. Dr. Ursula Neles, former Rector of the University of Münster, and Dr. Ricardo Schuch, former Managing Director of the Brazil Centre, gathered to reflect on joint achievements and open up new perspectives.

The celebration began with a musical introduction by cellists Renan Moreira and Rafael Frotgar, students at the Münster University of Music. This was followed by welcoming speeches from our Scientific Director, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Bernd Hellingrath, and the Rector of the University of Münster, Prof. Dr. Johannes Wessels, who officially opened the event. Francisco Jeremias Martins Neto, representing the Brazilian Embassy in Berlin, also attended this special occasion. In his address, he emphasised the importance of the partnership between Brazil and Germany, as well as initiatives that support and stimulate this partnership, such as the Brazil Centre, which promotes research, science and innovation through cooperation.

The audience also had the opportunity to learn more about the history of the Brazil Centre through a retrospective of its work over the last 15 years, presented by Prof. Bernd Hellingrath and Anja Grecko Lorenz. Milestones mentioned included the Centre’s foundation in Münster in 2010, the opening of a liaison office at the German Centre for Research and Innovation São Paulo (DWIH-SP) in 2012, several collaboration agreements. These agreements resulted in various activities and projects with funding agencies such as the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) and the State of São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), as well as with 15 Brazilian partner universities, including the University of São Paulo (USP), the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), and the University of Pernambuco (UPE), and the partner research institute, the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz). Altogether, the Brazil Centre has more than 100 members: Professors and researchers at the University of Münster, who have active collaborations with Brazil or wish to initiate them, and counting on the support of the Brazil Centre.

The anniversary programme included an interdisciplinary Round Table on the topic “Accomplishments, Challenges and Perspectives of Scientific Cooperation with Brazil and Latin America“. The discussion was moderated by Prof. Hellingrath and brought together renowned experts from research, science management, and higher education policy, including: Prof. Dr. Barbara Göbel, Director of the Ibero-American Institute, Berlin; Dr. Dietrich Halm, German Research Foundation (DFG), Bonn; Prof. Dr. Samuel Mössner, Institute of Geography, University of Münster; Prof. Dr. Stephan Ludwig, Institute of Virology, University of Münster; Prof. Dr. Sarah Albiez-Wieck, Chair of Latin American History, University of Münster; and Dr. Jessica Oyie Sousa Onyeisi, University Hospital Münster. At the round-table discussion, participants explored the numerous advantages of scientific collaboration with Latin American countries and the ways in which this process promotes the internationalisation of the institutions involved. Participants also noted that the existence of an institution such as the Brazil Centre is fundamental to fostering scientific cooperation — a point Prof. Bárbara Göbel encapsulated in the phrase ‘Brazil Centre trust’. Thus, the Brazil Centre, as the coordinator of scientific cooperation activities, contributes unequivocally to the internationalisation of the University of Münster, as recognised by the participants.

After a networking break featuring coffee (and pão de queijo) and inspiring conversations, a musical tribute was dedicated to the late Prof. Matias de Oliveira Pinto, a long-standing friend of the Brazil Centre. This tribute was presented by Prof. Stephan Froleyks, Dean of the Münster University of Music.

The evening’s keynote speech was both thought-provoking and highly topical. Prof. Dr. Ana Larissa Marciotto de Oliveira (UFMG), currently a CAPES Visiting Professor at the University of Münster, gave a powerful lecture on “Hate Speech, Gender, and Democracy: The Brazilian Case”. In her lecture, the researcher demonstrated, based on an analysis of hate speech on social media, the extent to which elected female leaders—such as members of Congress or those in prominent political positions, including justice Carmen Lúcia—are subjected to large-scale violent misogynistic attacks on these platforms. The use of such aggressive language is intended to damage these women’s reputations, discrediting them in their roles. The session was moderated by Prof. Dr. Marcelo Parreira do Amaral, Institute of Educational Science, University of Münster.

During the event, we also bid farewell to our long standing Executive Director, Anja Grecko Lorenz, who, after ten years of dedication to the Centre, has taken up a new post at the DWIH-SP. Her contribution to the development and strengthening of the Brazil Centre was decisive. She demonstrated commitment, competence, and steady support throughout, raising the institution’s profile both in Brazil and Germany. We extend our gratitude for her valuable work and wish her all the success in her new professional and personal endeavours.

The festive celebration culminated in a vibrant gathering featuring Brazilian specialities and a fifteen-candle anniversary cake for the Brazil Centre. It was a day full of encounters, memories, and new ideas for the future.

A heartfelt thank you to all contributors, guests, and supporters who made this day so special! We look forward to many more years of successful collaboration on behalf of the scientific cooperation, the cultural exchange, and the friendship between Brazil and Münster.

15 Years of the Brazil Centre – A Festive Anniversary

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