MSU and Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV), Collaborative Workshops

Michigan State University and the Fundação Getúlio, São Paulo - Brazil, established last year a General Agreement to foster international cooperation in education and research between the MSU Departments of Political Science and Economics and the São Paulo School of Economics - FGV. This initiative intends to offer great opportunities for students of both countries to develop international activities on undergraduate and graduate programs abroad. It is also a chance for faculty members to develop international and comparative studies and connections aiming at exchanging experiences and expertise with Latin American scholars. In order to take concrete steps on this agreement it has been already organized two workshops on "Institutions, Policy Performance and Cooperation."

• The first workshop, which was co-sponsored by the CLACS, was held at the International Studies College at MSU on April 17-20 (http://www.pegs.msu.edu). On this occasion a formal agreement was signed between ISP Dean at MSU and Dean of FGV to develop a dual degree program in economics and political science
• The second workshop took place at FGV in São Paulo on December 12-14, 2007 (http://www.eesp.fgv.br). Participants included faculty members from MSU (Political Science, Economics, Telecommunications, and Journalism) as well as from FGV (Political Science, Economics, and Political Economy; Director of Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, and Dean of International Studies and Programs), as well as MSU alumni who are currently on the FGV faculty. In addition, an agreement was signed between FAPESP (Sao Paulo Research Institute) for long-term cooperation to promote research of mutual interest. This cooperation can extend across a wide range of subjects including economics, politics, business, agro-economics, environment, and other topics.