Internationalisation

The strengthening of the visibility of the Graduate Program in Geography at the Federal University of Ceará (PPGGeo/UFC) during the 2021–2024 quadrennium was essential for consolidating its internationalization strategy. Its activities across multiple scales—local, regional, national, and international—directly contributed to achieving effective symmetry in scientific exchanges with foreign institutions.

The program had a prominent role in three major funding calls, primarily aimed at programs with a rating of 6 and 7, enabling the structuring of an institutional internationalization policy:

• PRINT/CAPES (2019–2024): This represented a true watershed moment for PPGGeo, allowing the establishment of foundational internationalization actions, with broad mobilization of faculty, students, and alumni in missions, internships, events, and publications.

• CAPES/FUNCAP (2019–2021): Reinforced the previous strategy by promoting international scientific cooperation and increasing high-quality output. The program involved all permanent faculty, strengthening bilateral ties with foreign institutions.

• FUNCAP Internationalization (2023–2026): A specific call aimed at expanding the international mobility of faculty and students and attracting outstanding foreign researchers. The resulting actions have fostered the emergence of new research networks, academic partnerships, and projects with global impact.

The consolidation of local, regional, and national foundations, particularly with institutions in the North and Northeast regions of Brazil, was fundamental to rooting and sustaining international actions. This macro-region, understood as Northern Brazil, constituted the territory for articulating research networks and technical-scientific cooperation that enhanced the international reach of PPGGeo/UFC.

Collaboration with Institutions

Coordination with institutions such as FUNCEME, URCA, UECE, UFRN, and UNICAMP enabled the development of projects with international dimensions:

• FUNCEME, through its technical staff (e.g., Eduardo Martins), participated in scientific missions to France and Morocco, linked to the Capes-Cofecub project with Institut Agro de Montpellier.

• URCA, represented by Paula Tomaz, engaged in activities of the HWISE Network, including a scientific mission to the United States, strengthening the theme of urban water security.

• Rubson Maia and Frederico Holanda (UECE), in collaboration with Lionel Siame (Aix-Marseille Université), participated in Capes-Cofecub project activities on global changes and tropical landscape erosion.

• Zoraide Souza (UFRN) and Sonia Seixas (UNICAMP) conducted a scientific mission at the Universidad Nacional de Salta (Argentina), in connection with the COOPBRAS/South Global project, coordinated by Adryane Gorayeb.

These connections demonstrate how the program’s international insertion is strongly anchored in a consolidated macro-regional base, from which research networks, exchanges, and knowledge production with international impact expand.

Research Networks

All PPGGeo/UFC faculty are integrated into international and national research networks, demonstrating a consolidated and active presence. Key networks include:

• Household Water Insecurity (HWISE): A global collaboration network coordinated by Wendy Jepson (Texas A&M University), focused on developing strategies and analytical scales for household water insecurity across five continents, supported by the National Science Foundation, Fulbright, Lloyd’s Register Foundation, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, and CNPq. Established in Brazil in 2019, with UFC and UFABC researchers participating. Jader Santos coordinates the local network, with involvement from Adryane Gorayeb and Paula Thomaz (URCA alumna and faculty). Websites: https://hwise-rcn.org/ and https://hwise-rcn.org/hwise-community/hwise_br/.

• REALP (Environmental Studies Network of Portuguese-speaking countries in Latin America, Africa, and Europe): Focused on undergraduate, master’s, doctoral, and postdoctoral cooperation and scientific mobility across universities including Évora, Aveiro, Nova de Lisboa, Açores, Eduardo Mondlane, Instituto Politécnico de Tomar, Cabo Verde, Agostinho Neto, Brasília, UFSC, UFPE, UFAM, and UFC. Vladia Oliveira and Eliza Zanella are active members. Vladia Oliveira gave a lecture at the XXIII REALP Meeting in December 2022 at Instituto Politécnico de Tomar, Portugal.

• Wind Energy Observatory: Coordinated by Adryane Gorayeb, Christian Brannstrom, Carlos Sopchaki, and Jeovah Meireles, with UFC partners and international collaborators from Texas A&M University and Universidad de Salta. Funded by CAPES, PRONEM FUNCAP/CNPq, and other sources.

• Latin American Heritage Landscapes and Arts Observatory: Established in partnership with comparative and collaborative studies involving Geography faculty and related fields from Colombia, Argentina, and Brazil (UFC, UFRN, UFSCAR, UECE, URCA, UVA). Christian Oliveira and Tiago Cavalcante are involved.

• Research Network “Nós Propomos!”: Participation of Alexandra Oliveira and Alexsandra Muniz, connecting students in undergraduate and graduate programs with public education networks in Brazil.

• International Network of Socio-Environmental Studies: Latin American and European scale, involving Alexandre Pereira and Eustógio Dantas, coordinated by Antonio Aledo (University of Alicante, Spain).

• Latin American Coastal Erosion Network: Collaborative initiative across Latin American countries (Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Cuba, Argentina, Brazil), with participation from Lidriana Pinheiro.

• Observatório das Metrópoles (INCT-CNPq): Systematic study of metropolitan challenges for national development, coordinated by Luiz Ribeiro (UFRJ), with participation from UFC faculty including Adryane Gorayeb, Jeovah Meireles, and others.

Participation in International Publications

Between 2021–2024, PPGGeo showed significant growth in international scientific output, including journals, books, and chapters. Publications appeared in 44 journals, with co-authorship: 53.4% with external partners as first author, 24.2% by PPGGeo/UFC faculty, and 22.4% by students and alumni. High-impact journals included Energy Research & Social Science, Water, The Extractive Industries and Society, Annals of the American Association of Geographers, Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Ecological Economics, Environmental Development, Geomorphology, Marine Policy, and Scientific Reports.

Notable books include Flávio Nascimento’s Global Environmental Changes, Desertification and Sustainability (Springer, 2023) and the edited volume Descarbonización en América del Sur by Christian Brannstrom, Lucas Seghezzo, and Adryane Gorayeb. Book chapters featured contributions from Eustógio Dantas, Alexandre Pereira, and alumnus Marília Silva (Impacto social y desarrollo, 2022), as well as José da Silva (Geografia sem fronteiras: diálogos entre Portugal e Brasil, 2021).

Participation in International Examining Committees

Faculty participation in international master’s and doctoral committees reaffirmed active global network involvement. Highlights include:

• Jader Santos (2023), doctoral committee at Institut Agro Montpellier, France.

• Eustógio Dantas (2024), two master’s committees at Le Mans Université, France.

• Adryane Gorayeb (2024), doctoral committees at Universidad Javeriana, Colombia, and Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Argentina.

Participation in International Research Projects

PPGGeo was involved in numerous international research projects during the quadrennium, with active student, alumnus, and partner participation, including:

• Moving Smartly Towards Accessible & Inclusive Urban Environments for our Elders (FCT/FUNCAP, Portugal, ended 2022)

• Renewable Energy and Decarbonization in South America (COOPBRAS/CAPES/SULGLOBAL, ongoing)

• SmARTER: Sustainable Approaches for Resilience Building in Northeast Brazil (University of Bath, UK, ended 2021)

• Urban Water Provisioning and Household Water Security in Northeast Brazil (NSF/Texas A&M University, ended 2022)

• TropiCool – Green Infrastructure in Tropical Cities (Swedish Government/UFC, ongoing)

Participation in International Agreements and Cooperation

The 2021–2024 quadrennium saw strong institutional international articulation, consolidating agreements with universities in Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Portuguese-speaking countries. Highlights include:

• PRINT/CAPES: Exchanges and joint supervision with universities in France, Spain, and France, with faculty and student mobility.

• CAPES-COFECUB: Three ongoing projects with Rubson Maia, Jader Santos, and Adryane Gorayeb, including doctoral co-supervision.

• OEA/GCub-Mob: International mobility program, allowing entry of seven foreign students from Bolivia, Colombia, Haiti, Chile, and Venezuela.

• CAPES Move La América: Integration with Latin American and Caribbean countries; selection of two Argentine doctoral students in 2024.

• REDE SIRMA: Brazil-Morocco-Algeria-Tunisia-France partnership, including field school in Ceará, faculty and student mobility, and joint supervision of Moroccan student Bouchra Kouissi.

International Cooperation by Continent

Europe

• France: Partnerships with Le Mans, Angers, and Tours universities; Institut SupAgro Montpellier; Aix-Marseille Université; Université Sorbonne Lettres. Faculty mobility, joint events, and doctoral co-supervisions highlighted.

• Spain: Universidad de Alicante and Universidad de Alcalá collaboration; Universidad de Barcelona mission and project involvement.

• Italy: University of Bologna hosting Anna Sabrina (PDSE/CAPES, 2025).

• Denmark: Copenhagen Business School hosting Sâmila Lima (PDSE/CAPES, 2025).

• Portugal: University of Lisbon and University of Coimbra partnerships, including GRAMPCITY project and Erasmus+ participation.

• Sweden: Collaboration with Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute on TropiCool project, with joint international colloquium in 2023.

America

• United States: Expanded collaboration with Texas A&M University through the project Urban Water Provisioning and Household Water Security in Northeast Brazil, linked to HWISE network.

• Latin America: Argentina – Universidad Nacional de Salta (COOPBRAS/CAPES Sul Global); Colombia and Ecuador – Universidad Regional Autónoma de Los Andes; Mexico – Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; Argentina – Universidad Nacional de Quilmes (OPPALA network).

Africa

• Cabo Verde: Comparative studies on coastal management and territorial planning by Vládia Vidal and Elisa Zanella, with participation in postgraduate programs.

• Morocco: Cooperation with Instituto Hassan II and CIRAD (France), including scientific missions and doctoral co-supervision with Moroccan student Bouchra Kouissi, and faculty visits.