The Brazilian Association of Rectors of Provincial and Municipal Universities (Abruem), created in 1991 and based in the city of Brasília (capital of the Nation), is one of the most important Higher Education organizations in Brazil and Latin America. Acting directly in 22 Provinces of Brazil, through its 47 partner universities, Abruem intends to permanently deepen the discussion of themes relevant to the Higher Education agenda, always wishing to harmonize teaching, research, community services, innovation and international cooperation.
Non-profit private legal entity, Abruem serves thousands of students at all levels of Higher Education in the classroom, blender learning (B-learning) and distance modalities. With participation in different councils and advisory units all over Brazil (in order to support the implementation of educational policies together with the authorities of the government and the private sector), the Association has as important flag the physical presence in the most interior areas of the country, by virtue of its enormous capillarity of own headquarters, shared headquarters, centers of distance education (called EaD, in Portuguese) and other structures maintained by universities.
Abruem is also an advocate for the cause of internationalization, annually developing many actions involving educational missions to other countries, scientific cooperation agreements, diplomatic meetings and much more. In adopting such strategies, Abruem justifies our reason for existence, always acting in benefit of society, notably in poor areas and along with the population who most need support from the provincial and municipal Higher Education system. Thus, Abruem has as president one of the rector of the associated universities, chosen by the other rectors for a two year term, with the same standard for the election of the vice president. Ind addition, the entity still has a full board (in which all rector have a participation), as the main decision-making body; a Deliberative Council; a Fiscal Council; and an Executive Secretary.
Access the Association website here
The Academic Latin-American Exchange Program (PILA) has originated through exchange programs including bilateral students who had between the Asociación Nacional de Universidades and Instituciones de Educación Superior (ANUIES) from Mexico, the Asociación Colombiana de Universidades (ASCUN) from Colombia, and the Consejo Interuniversitario Nacional (CIN) from Argentina, which decided to form a strategic through this Program.
Posteriorly, in March 2021, there was an accession of The Brazilian Association of Rectors of Provincial and Municipal Universities (Abruem) - from which UENP éis associated, of the Consejo de Rectores de las Universidades Chilenas, from Consejo Nacional de Universidades (CNU) da Nicarágua, from Ministerio de Educación Superior de la República de Cuba (MES), from Universidad de la República do Uruguai, and the Asociación de Universidades Públicas del Paraguay (AUPP). Nowadays is a consortium of 9 countries from Latin America and from the Caribbean, and 255 educational institutions.
The PILA Program started from the second semester in the year of 2018, when it was the first mobility in the program milestone. It aims to promote the exchange with undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as academics, researchers and university and educational and managers from universities and institutions of higher education participants, in order to value their academic, professional and integral formation, as well as to promote the internationalization of the higher education and strengthen cooperation ties.
In August 2020, the PILA Program started a new modality of participation to incorporate the virtual exchanges among the attending universities, denominated PILAVirtual.