Maison France UFPA: The University of French Guiana strengthens scientific cooperation in the Amazon

A new centre for cooperation has been opened in Belém

The Federal University of Pará, or UFPA, opened the Maison France UFPA on 22 June 2026 in Belém. This new permanent venue is intended to strengthen academic and scientific cooperation between Brazil, mainland France and French Guiana.

The University of French Guiana is one of the partners in this initiative. It aims to contribute to the development of exchange programmes, research projects and training courses focusing on the major challenges facing the Amazon.

At the opening ceremony, the University of French Guiana was represented by Christian Haridas. His attendance reflects the institution’s commitment to playing a full part in this new cooperation initiative.

Numerous French partners have come together under the umbrella of the UFPA

The University of French Guiana joins a number of French institutions involved in the project. These include the French Embassy in Brazil, the Alliance Française in Belém, Aix-Marseille University, CIRAD and the CNRS’s Department of Humanities and Social Sciences.

The Institute of the Americas, the National Museum of Natural History, Jean Moulin Lyon 3 University and the universities of Toulouse are also involved in this initiative. The Maison France UFPA is intended to enable these partners to coordinate their activities more effectively.

Strengthening scientific ties between French Guiana and Pará

French Guiana and the Pará region are situated at the heart of the Amazon. They therefore share many scientific, environmental and social challenges. Furthermore, Cayenne and Belém are less than two hours’ flight apart.

This proximity is a major asset. It can facilitate exchanges between researchers, lecturers and students in both regions.

During the ceremony, Gilmar Pereira da Silva, President of UFPA, emphasised the need to encourage greater mobility of researchers between Pará and French Guiana. This mobility should enable knowledge about the Amazon to be generated in a more integrated manner.

The Maison France UFPA is therefore intended to bring the academic and scientific communities of the two regions closer together on a long-term basis. For the University of French Guiana, it also offers a new opportunity to strengthen the relationships it has already established with Brazilian institutions.

This project also enables the University of French Guiana to reinforce its role as a bridge between Europe, France and South America.

A scientific process already underway

Cooperation with Brazil is part of a long-standing tradition. The University of French Guiana is already working with several Brazilian universities and research organisations on shared issues.

This research covers climate change, biodiversity, health, satellite data, energy and tropical habitats. It also focuses on Amazonian societies and cross-border relations.

To mark COP30, the University of French Guiana had, in particular, organised a series of scientific meetings with several Brazilian partners, including UFPA. The new centre builds on and formalises this cooperation.

A place for projects, training and mobility programmes

Maison France UFPA is based at the UFPA Centre for Internationalisation. It will host researchers and university delegations.

Its premises will be suitable for hosting working meetings, scientific events and training sessions. They will also facilitate the development of new cooperation projects.

The Centre must promote incoming and outgoing mobility for students, PhD students, lecturers and researchers. It must also help French partners to better coordinate their activities and develop joint projects.

The aim is not to confine the Centre to a series of bilateral collaborations with the UFPA. The partners wish to turn it into a genuine networking hub.

The University of French Guiana will therefore be able to work directly with the Brazilian university. At the same time, it will be able to forge new partnerships with the other institutions and organisations involved in the project.

A library serving the French-speaking world

A library will be made available to the university community. It will contain works on literature, the humanities and social sciences, as well as the natural sciences.

Through this resource, the Centre will help to promote the French language and the Francophone world. It will also help to raise awareness of French and Francophone scientific cultures.

Working together to tackle the challenges facing the Amazon

The Maison’s partners share a common ambition. They aim to promote scientific excellence in the Amazon by bringing together French and Brazilian expertise.

Climate change, biodiversity loss and social transformation transcend national borders. The same applies to health issues and matters relating to land-use planning in the Amazon region.

These challenges call for close international scientific cooperation. This must be based on an interdisciplinary approach and on dialogue between academic knowledge, local knowledge and traditional knowledge.

For the teams at the University of French Guiana, the Maison France UFPA represents a significant opportunity. It will be able to support the development of comparative projects between Amazonian regions, facilitate access to research sites and strengthen collaboration between laboratories.

A Franco-Brazilian inauguration

The opening ceremony was attended by French and Brazilian representatives from the academic and scientific communities. A number of researchers involved in cooperation with UFPA were also present.

On the Brazilian side, Gilmar Pereira da Silva, President of UFPA, attended the event. Loiane Verbicaro, Vice-President of the University, and Denise Pires de Carvalho, President of CAPES, were also present.

Lise Tupiassu, Vice-President for International Relations, and Iracilda Sampaio, Vice-President for Research and Master’s and PhD programmes, also took part in the ceremony.

Following the official speeches, the participants unveiled a plaque commemorating the cooperation between Brazil and France. The plaque is located on the campus quay, on the banks of the River Guamá.

The ceremony then continued with the opening of the Maison France UFPA premises.

Over forty years of cooperation

The plaque commemorates a Franco-Brazilian partnership stretching back more than forty years. This relationship has seen several significant milestones in recent times.

Among these events is the arrival in Belém of the research vessel Iaraçu as part of COP30. Another significant event is the visit by the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, to the UFPA on 6 November 2025.

France is currently the country with which the UFPA has the largest number of international agreements. In total, there are 39 partnerships covering a wide range of disciplines.

These agreements cover, in particular, remote sensing, mathematics, the humanities and social sciences, agronomy, veterinary sciences and environmental sciences. The Centre is intended to help strengthen and diversify these relationships.

An internationalisation tool for all partners

The opening of the Centre comes at a time when UFPA is strengthening its international strategy through the CAPES-Global.edu programme. As part of this, the Brazilian university coordinates the Global Amazon Network.

This network was ranked second nationally. Over the coming years, it is set to support mobility schemes, scholarships and international scientific activities.

For the University of French Guiana, this development opens up new opportunities in the fields of research, education and student mobility. It also strengthens the institution’s position as a key player in scientific cooperation in the Amazon region.

By joining Maison France UFPA, the University of French Guiana is helping to build a framework for sustainable cooperation between the two sides of the Amazon. This cooperation should benefit students, researchers and local communities.

The Maison France UFPA marks a new stage in the cooperation between the University of French Guiana, the UFPA and their French and Brazilian partners. It will facilitate student exchanges, training programmes, joint projects and research into the challenges facing the Amazon. Through this network, teams will be able to pool their expertise and develop knowledge tailored to the realities of the regions. Students, lecturers and researchers are invited to keep an eye out for future activities and mobility opportunities offered within this new framework.