MIT–Brazil Showcase

Brazil is the sixth most populous country in the world, the twelfth largest economy, and home to some of the planet’s most abundant natural resource reserves. Shaped by more than five centuries of interaction among Indigenous, European, and African peoples, Brazil’s cultural diversity is matched by its growing strength in technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship. From a highly developed agricultural sector in its interior to a rapidly expanding startup ecosystem in its major cities, Brazil’s export-oriented economy is undergoing profound transformation.

As South America’s most industrialized nation, Brazil has made significant advances in aerospace, pharmaceuticals, information technology, and renewable energy, including the development of an exceptionally balanced energy matrix. At the same time, persistent social, environmental, and institutional challenges continue to limit the country’s full potential. This combination of opportunity and complexity makes Brazil a uniquely compelling context for advancing MIT’s tradition of mens et manus—bridging theory and practice through hands-on engagement in a country that has long captured global attention.

What We Are

The MIT–Brazil Showcase brings together the people, programs, and partnerships that shape Brazil-related activity across MIT. In addition to highlighting the educational, research, and innovation initiatives led by the MIT-Brazil Program, the Showcase points to the broader ecosystem of Brazil-connected work that spans academic departments, research labs, centers, and student life.

This ecosystem includes:

• The MIT-Brazil Program, housed at the Center for International Studies
  https://cis.mit.edu/regions/latin-america/mit-brazil

• The MIT Brazilian Student Association, which fosters community, cultural exchange, and peer support for Brazilian students on campus
  https://web.mit.edu/brazil/

• Brazil-focused initiatives at the MIT Media Lab, including the Creative Learning Initiative developed in collaboration with the Lemann Foundation
  https://www.media.mit.edu/projects/creative-learning-in-brazil/overview/

• And many additional fellowships, courses, research projects, cultural programs, and partnerships that connect MIT and Brazil in diverse and evolving ways.

Together, these efforts reflect MIT’s distributed and interdisciplinary engagement with Brazil, linking students, faculty, alumni, and partners through education, creativity, research, and innovation. The Showcase invites visitors to explore this landscape and understand how individual initiatives intersect to form a vibrant, long-term MIT–Brazil ecosystem.

What We Do

MIT-Brazil Program

The MIT-Brazil Program promotes collaboration and joint research between MIT faculty and researchers in Brazil, notably through the MIT Global Seed Funds. These faculty-led collaborations catalyze connections among students, academics, engineers, policymakers, and entrepreneurs in both countries, laying the groundwork for sustained research and innovation partnerships.

Through the International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI), the program matches MIT undergraduate and graduate students with opportunities in Brazil via Global Teaching Labs, Global Startup Labs, and a wide range of internships in industry and university research labs. Students engage in projects spanning fields such as biotechnology, civil and environmental engineering, artificial intelligence, and management, while gaining cultural fluency and professional experience through close collaboration with Brazilian mentors and peers.

Working with a robust and diverse national portfolio, the program maintains relationships with dozens of partners across Brazil. While many organizations host MIT students for summer internships or teaching programs, others seek to deepen their engagement with MIT by connecting with faculty, researchers, and students on campus.

Beyond academic and professional programming, MIT-Brazil also cultivates a supportive community for Brazilians at MIT. In addition to organizing the Brasilidade event series, the program collaborates with campus partners to support Brazil-related activities, including MIT Global Languages’ Portuguese program, the MIT Brazilian Student Association, and the MIT & MIT Sloan Club of Brazil.

By the Numbers:

Impact (Past 16 Years)

• 500+ MIT student placements in Brazil across teaching, research, innovation, and professional settings—growing from 12 placements per year in the program’s early years to nearly 60 annually by 2019, with continued engagement through remote and hybrid formats during the pandemic.

• 1,500+ Brazilian students engaged through hands-on teaching delivered in Brazil via:

  • MIT Global Teaching Labs: STEAM + Design + Entrepreneurship programs for high school students nationwide

  • MIT Global Startup Lab (no longer active): computing and innovation bootcamps for Brazilian undergraduates using the Disciplined Entrepreneurship framework

  • MIT Global Classrooms

• 200+ institutional partners cultivated over time, including universities, research institutes, companies, startups, sponsors, and host organizations across Brazil.

• 25+ Lemann Fellows at MIT supported since 2015 at the master’s and PhD levels.
  In 2025–2026, active fellowships are connected to the MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning.

• 90+ seed-funded research collaborations launched through the MIT–Brazil Seed Funds, engaging 300+ faculty, postdocs, and students from MIT and Brazilian partner institutions.

• Approximately 10 Brazil-related events per year organized at MIT, spanning academic, cultural, and community-building activities.

• 6 Brazilian university educators welcomed to campus through the Lemann Visiting Scholars Fellowships.