English/US
The President of Capes/Ministry of Education (MEC), Denise Pires de Carvalho, represented Brazil at the China–CELAC Forum, held on November 14th, 2025, in Beijing, as part of the World Chinese Language Conference. In her speech, Denise addressed higher education and artificial intelligence, emphasizing that the topic requires constant updating by governments and teachers, as well as effective actions to prepare students for the challenges of the digital era.
“The world has been undergoing increasingly accelerated technological transformations, which demand profound behavioral adaptations, as well as reflections on the possible harmful effects on the human species,” she stated. The President of Capes stressed that although artificial intelligence can increase productivity and improve learning processes, its indiscriminate use must be regulated based on ethical principles and integrity in intellectual production.
Denise emphasized that teaching and learning methodologies have been undergoing structural changes and that digital literacy among teachers is increasing y necessary. “The advent of technological facilities will make it more difficult to identify differentiated professional characteristics; however, the best professionals in the future will be those capable of formulating the best questions. Answers can be found through technological tools, but the formulation of appropriate questions remains an irreplaceable human characteristic,” she highlighted.
The China–CELAC Forum brought together representatives from Latin America and the Caribbean. At the opening of the event, Denise also addressed the theme “Leadership in Innovation, Digital Empowerment: Making the Chinese Language Accessible,” highlighting educational cooperation between Brazil and China. According to the Capes President, Brazil currently has 15 Confucius Institutes and 50 Chinese institutions offering Portuguese language courses to more than 5,000 students, while approximately 20,000 Brazilian students were studying the Chinese language.
The President of Capes also recalled the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2024, on academic mobility in the area of teaching Portuguese as a foreign language, as well as the Brazilian Student Exchange Program, which offers free placements to foreign students for Portuguese language courses and for undergraduate or graduate programs at Brazilian universities.
During the mission, Denise met with China’s Vice Minister of Education, Ren Youqun, and visited institutions such as the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC), the China International Education Foundation (CIEF), the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and Beihang University. The objective was to strengthen cooperation in graduate education and teacher training, including the signing of memoranda of understanding, such as the one signed by Unesp and the Confucius Institute at the University of Brasília (UnB) at Beihang University.
Currently, Brazil–China cooperation involves 26 Brazilian universities, 75 Chinese institutions, and more than 80 agreements. In June 2025, Capes/MEC hosted the “Rectors’ Forum – Brazil–China,” with the participation of 180 representatives from universities in both countries. Brazil considers the academic and scientific partnership strategic for advancing knowledge, innovation, and access to technologies applied to local and regional challenges, while sharing its expertise in areas such as agriculture, biodiversity, renewable energy, and social sciences.
Source: Gov.br