In this presentation we report on our experiences at the intersection of research and teaching with regard to expanding knowledge about the process of internationalization of higher education in Brazil. Based on a comprehensive understanding of internationalization, we argue that even if there are behavioral, motivational and attitudinal barriers at the level of individuals, departments and the institution as a whole, these barriers must be overcome. It is imperative for the teaching staff of higher education institutions to be aware of internationalization actions and, consequently, to engage in these actions. Within the scope of internationalization, our research activities address political, practical, methodological and linguistic issues and these reflections reverberate in teaching activities. In this context, we describe two courses taught to postgraduate students from different Brazilian higher education institutions and present some considerations about these experiences. The first course, entitled "Topics in Applied Linguistics: Language and Internationalization Policies and Practices", was taught in 2022 and the second, named "Internationalization in Higher Education and Foreign Language Training: Concepts, Methodological Approaches and Design of Teaching Programs", was taught in 2023. After collecting information from the students who took these courses, we show how their academic publications, participation in events and some community outreach and management actions were influenced by their involvement in the courses.   We end with some observations that we believe are pertinent when reflecting on the need to engage in research and teaching in order to strengthen the internationalization of Brazilian higher education. We believe that national internationalization policies should take into account the promotion of faculty internationalization actions that go beyond research and include teaching activities, as we have described here, as well as engagement in community outreach and institutional management.

The internationalization success of higher education institutions (HEI) requires planning, executing, and evaluating the integration of an international, intercultural or global dimension into their purposes, functions, and activities. The Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Rio Grande do Norte (IFRN) defined a systemic policy in its 22 campuses by fostering internationalization teaching/learning, outreach activities, and applied research at vocational, undergraduate, and graduate programs. In this regard, IFRN offers internationalization activities, such as short-term foreign language programs, english as a medium of instruction (EMI)-oriented courses, visiting professors, inbound/outbound international mobility, etc. However, they need more integration, which prevents better results and benefits. This empirical analysis, thus, led to GINTER (Grupo de Estudos e Trabalhos para a Internacionalização, in Portuguese), a novel multidisciplinary, multicampus team meant to integrate internationalization activities. In addition, GINTER is a novel strategy that seeks to incorporate internationalization activities, despite the public investment challenges. Strategically, GINTER aims to merge different drivers, such as mobility, joint research, Internationalization at Home (IaH), etc., for students, teachers, and administration staff members who are the actors in this research. Furthermore, the GINTER model integrates internationalization activities in four dimensions: language learning, joint international projects, mobility, and publications, interculturality, and communication. Regarding language learning, GINTER identified the lack of additional language knowledge as a barrier to internationalization. So, they started to provide students with support in foreign languages to reach the language proficiency levels required by international opportunity providers, e.g., short-term programs. Moreover, GINTER provides actors with information and support on program requirements for successful applications. As for joint international projects, GINTER focuses on identifying international public calls and preparing applications to include IFRN as a partner in international consortiums since they reinforce solutions for local and global problems in different fields. Furthermore, GINTER provides intercultural activities between traditional communities, such as indigenous and Afro-descendants, and exchange students. Finally, GINTER is preparing a communication strategy to filter international opportunities and dispatch them to an intended audience. As for validation, we conducted a pilot project in the IFRN Canguaretama Campus in 2021. Firstly, we conceived a novel short-term, online product called Estratégias para a Internacionalização (in Portuguese) designed for actors with little or no knowledge in the field. Ten English, Spanish, Tourism, Informatics, Electrical Engineering teachers and two administration staff members from 4 different campuses were trained during the COVID-19 pandemic. Afterward, they officially became GINTER members. GINTER could conceive and successfully deliver 11 internationalization actions in 2021/2022 within all four dimensions. As a follow-up, they planned to execute 14 new, multidisciplinary, integrated activities this year (2023) with HEI from Brazil, Ecuador, Mozambique, Portugal, Spain, and the United States. Such proof of concept demonstrates that a fully integrated, multidisciplinary, multicampus vision can foster internationalization within the education process by systematizing activities with the effective participation of actors to bring up global citizenship and transnational knowledge networks.

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have revolutionized the internationalization of higher education by making it more accessible, affordable, and flexible. They have created a global learning community that transcends geographical boundaries, allowing individuals from different parts of the world to learn together. Many MOOCs are offered in multiple languages, making education more accessible to non-English speakers, and fostering a diverse learning environment. In May 2023, the Federal University of Espírito Santo (UFES) launched its platform Moocqueca (https://mooc.ufes.br), with free open online extension courses developed through virtual learning environments. The platform's name Moocqueca is a fusion of the acronym MOOC and the term moqueca: a traditional dish from the southeastern Brazilian state of Espírito Santo, which is a fish or seafood stew evenly cooked in a clay pot. Moocqueca was conceived in 2021 by the University Extension Office (Pró-Reitoria de Extensão, PROEX), the Office of Distance Learning (Superintendência de Educação à Distância, SEAD), and the International Office (Secretaria de Relações Internacionais, SRI). In early 2022, a call was launched, and 14 out of the 35 proposals submitted were selected based on the thematic lines of extension covered, the course's potential for internationalization, the qualifications of the proposer, and the content and methodology of the proposal. Over the next 12 months, the courses were created with the recording of videos, preparation of teaching materials, and the virtual environment for each course by a specialized team of about 20 people. In January 2024, the platform had 18 courses and around 38,000 registered users, and many people have already been certified in areas such as languages, health and well-being, education, communication and marketing, and gastronomy and culture. The most popular course is Communication in Digital Media, with more than 6,000 students. According to our statistics, the courses are most sought after by white (42%) young (19–28 years old, 34%) female (72%) undergraduate students (27%), who earn slightly above the minimum wage (28%). To our surprise, more than 80% of users have never attended the Federal University of Espírito Santo. Although most of these users are from Brazil, there are more than 110 users based in 41 foreign countries, especially in Europe (42 users from 12 countries, mainly from Portugal) and Africa (28 users from 10 countries, largely from Mozambique). Therefore, the platform is indeed reaching the public outside the university and the country, especially in Portuguese-speaking nations. The platform has been recently translated into English, and two courses are already featuring subtitled videos and teaching materials and activities translated into this language to reach a broader audience. A new call for proposals is being prepared for 2024 and the goal is to have 30 courses available by the end of the year, including at least five courses in English. Institutions are increasingly recognizing the value of MOOCs and integrating them into formal education systems and professionals can enhance their skills without the need to enroll in a full-time program, promoting a culture of lifelong learning on a global scale.

Nesta tese de cunho histórico, o objetivo principal é compreender como se caracterizou a atuação das mulheres nos processos de internacionalização da Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso (UFMT), entre os anos de 1970 e 2016. Os objetivos específicos foram: I) investigar mulheres na internacionalização na UFMT; II) analisar a internacionalização implementada na UFMT, com ênfase na atuação feminina; III) identificar o perfil dos partícipes nas mobilidades internacionais promovidas pela UFMT e VI) Pesquisar o movimento assumido pela comunidade acadêmica feminina da UFMT. Constituíram fontes da pesquisa: legislação, artigos científicos, sítios eletrônicos, documentos oficiais coletados no acervo institucional de diferentes setores da universidade e testemunhos orais. Metodologicamente, a pesquisa é bibliográfica e documental, a partir da análise de documentos institucionais. Para compreender melhor as fontes coletadas, entrevistas foram realizadas com servidoras e servidores da UFMT, adotando procedimentos comuns à história oral. As contribuições de Pedro Benedito Dorileo (1976) e Gabriel Novis Neves (2022) somaram-se para a composição da memória institucional. Para compreensão do percurso de mulheres no ensino superior e na internacionalização, trouxeram fundamentos as obras de Jane Soares de Almeida (2004), Michelle Perrot (2007), Dermeval Saviani (2010), Jane Knight (2020), Marília Morosini (2020), em meio a outros autores. Jacques Le Goff e Pierre Nora (1974), Michel de Certeau (1982), Peter Burke (1992), entre outros, ensinaram os caminhos da investigação histórica e a coleta minuciosa e atenta das fontes documentais. Paul Thompson (1978) e José Carlos Sebe Bom Meihy (1996) orientaram o uso de técnicas para compor o percurso de coleta e análise de fontes orais. A tese aponta que a participação das mulheres na internacionalização da UFMT iniciou-se de maneira tímida e avançou a partir de movimentos de mobilização interna e externa, conduzidos ora por anseio pessoal, ora por ações institucionalizadas. Ao mesmo tempo, a internacionalização, no recorte temporal estudado, movimentou-se morosamente, dado que a UFMT, até 2016, ainda buscava consolidar uma política para internacionalização em âmbito institucional. Como resultado, a pesquisa pontua que movimentos femininos pela internacionalização foram desencadeados na UFMT, contudo, nem sempre houve apoio ou incentivo institucional para a promoção de mobilidade internacional acessível às mulheres. As fontes acessadas demonstram a necessária política de internacionalização institucional incluindo a pauta de equidade de gênero.