UA Walton College of Business To Collaborate With Brazilian Business School

The University of Arkansas Sam M. Walton College of Business has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Fucape Business School in Brazil to work toward the exchange of students and faculty and to develop collaborative programs to benefit both institutions.

The document states the schools will “establish a formal agreement of cooperation and friendship which is intended to further the academic objectives of each institution and to promote better understanding between the faculty and students of each institution.”

“The agreement with Fucape Business School establishes a framework for programmatic collaborations that will build on the strengths of both institutions,” said Walton College of Business Dean Eli Jones. “Our globalization strategy includes the emerging markets. Brazil is a growing, important part of the global economy, and the signing of this document further cements the Walton College’s commitment to being a leader in international business education and research. I appreciate the Walton College Global Engagement Office — particularly Amy Farmer and Joe Ziegler — for their work on forging the relationship with Fucape.”

The two schools will work to exchange information, students and faculty, in addition to developing collaborative programs, seminars and research activities.

“Not only will our students and faculty benefit from exchanges,” Fucape Business School Dean Arilton Teixeira said, “but this will open a new avenue to explore partnerships in research, consulting – wherever we see an opportunity to explore.”

Fucape Business School started 12 years ago and now has 1,700 students and offers four business majors: law, accounting, management and economics. Teixeira said that the management major at Fucape is an umbrella that also includes finance, marketing, human resources and supply chain management. Fucape is a top 10 college in Brazil.

“Brazil is a key emerging market and central to our college’s strategic initiatives,” said Amy Farmer, interim co-director of the Walton College’s office of global engagement. “We are excited to offer this opportunity to our students and faculty.

Teixeira said there was the potential for Walton College students to learn Portuguese and to secure internships with companies in Brazil while studying at Fucape. “International experience is very important in the labor market now,” he said.

The language is one of the barriers for American students studying in Brazil, Teixeira said. “The students generally don’t know Portuguese,” he said. To make it easier, the schools would work together on a two- to three-week intensive class in the language and Fucape would offer at least one of its classes in English for Walton College students in their first semester in Brazil.

He also said he saw great opportunity for faculty from both schools to cooperate on research and teaching. “The potential for building a bigger research network is great and will benefit Walton and Fucape professors,” he said.