Bilateral Programs

The BRAFAGRI (Brazil France Agriculture) program was established in 2006, and largely inspired the subsequent 2015 creation of the ARFAGRI (Argentina France Agriculture) program.

Each of these programs is substantially similar.

• Establish and consolidate long-term relations between higher education institutions in the partner countries;

• Encourage the creation of networks of higher education institutions that will ensure the long-term legacy of these programs and foster academic recognition and trust among the parties involved; 

• Offer support for research activities conducted through these networks; 

• Promote international travel for study and research; 

• Simplify the creation of dual degrees; 

• Support language learning.  

• Calls for projects are issued, and joint France/Brazil and France/Argentina selection committees choose the projects that will receive financial support. This support primarily funds travel and exchanges for teaching staff and students—with students receiving the majority of such funding. 

• AgroParisTech is currently involved in 5 BRAFAGRI projects and 3 ARFAGRI projects (see the partners involved below), which offer several advantages: 

• the opportunity to work with eminent partners;  

• increased visibility for AgroParisTech; 

• increased research and study travel to AgroParisTech; 

• more diverse opportunities for AgroParisTech students to study abroad; 

• the development of dual degree programs; 

• networking between faculty and researchers who might work together on joint research projects.  

Whether the destination is Brazil or Argentina, the French government offers a fixed amount of funding for all academic travel to a partner institution under the ARFAGRI and BRAFAGRI programs (base amount of €1,200, with additional funding possible for dual degrees). This amount is paid by the higher education institution, which coordinates the project in question, upon receiving proof of expenditures.

The Argentinian and Brazilian partners provide cost-of-living scholarships for the students they select, which is of great assistance to them when they come to AgroParisTech.

Travel assistance for teaching staff and project coordinators offers an opportunity to strengthen institutional ties and intensify cooperation by giving priority to initiatives such as the implementation of dual degrees.

The FITEC programs, under the financial coordination of the CDEFI, facilitate the development and consolidation of programs to host international students at French engineering schools. On the French side, these programs are funded by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Higher Education and Research, as well as by the relevant ministries in the partner countries.

Since the creation of these programs, the various projects led by the schools have facilitated the mobility of:

• 1,901 Argentine students to a French engineering school;
• 2,471 students from French engineering schools to a university in Argentina;
• 12,373 Brazilian students to a French engineering school;
• 3,512 students from French engineering schools to a university in Brazil.

AgroParisTech is currently involved in an Arfitec project (Argentina) and a Brafitec project (Brazil) offering benefits similar to the Arfagri and Brafagri programs in the field of engineering.