In Ottawa these days, Brazil is a very hot commodity. That is right, Brazil—land of beaches, soccer, endless rainforest and Carnival. But it is not its tourist attractions that have everyone excited. It is the other Brazil, the B in the rapidly emerging BRICS economies (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). As you read this, in fact, our federal and provincial governments, post-secondary institutions and companies are busy exploring ways to develop stronger ties with the new colossus of the Americas. The objective: to gain full advantage of Brazil’s phenomenal economic expansion and growing geopolitical prominence—whether in terms of importing talent, enhancing trade, attracting investment or aligning on the advancement of political interests on the global stage.
Of course, Canada is not the only country looking to secure advantage with the Brazilians. The Americans, the...
Lorna Jean Edmonds is a strategy consultant in higher education with a particular interest in international relations and talent mobility for fostering econo-environmental stability.
W.E. (Ted) Hewitt is a professor of sociology at the University of Western Ontario. He is the academic representative on the Canada-Brazil Science and Technology Joint Committee.
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