Lula Commits R$47.4 Million and $30 Million AI Fund to Deepen Africa-Brazil Academic Alliance

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva inaugurated the inaugural Brazil-Africa Rectors Forum on May 25, 2026, coinciding with Africa Day, marking a significant step in strengthening academic, scientific, and technological ties between Brazil and the African continent.

The three-day forum (May 25 – 27) at the Centro Internacional de Convenções do Brasil (CICB) in Brasília brings together over 50 Brazilian university rectors and 64 African rectors from more than 30 countries. Organised with support from the Brazilian Ministry of Education and the Association of African Universities (AAU), the event aims to deepen South-South cooperation through education and research.

In his opening address, Lula highlighted the historical and cultural bonds between Brazil and Africa, rooted in the transatlantic slave trade. He described Brazil’s engagement with Africa as both a “historical debt” and a strategic imperative. “Brazil has a historical commitment to Africa – a commitment to our history, our culture, and our roots,” Lula stated. He emphasised Africa’s growing global importance, noting that by 2050 the continent will represent one in four people on Earth, creating vast opportunities for collaboration in food security, climate change, and technological development.

The forum produced several concrete outcomes:

Capes Move África Program: Agreements worth R$ 47.4 million (approximately US$ 8.5 million) were signed to bring 2,600 African postgraduate students to Brazil starting in 2027, including 1,600 master’s sandwich scholarships and 1,000 doctoral scholarships.

Existing Partnerships: Brazil currently maintains 235 cooperation agreements with higher education institutions in 38 African countries.

AI and Technology Collaboration: Lula announced US$ 20 million for joint AI projects with Africa and Latin America, plus US$ 10 million for shared Brazilian AI infrastructure. He warned against “digital colonialism” and advocated for AI models developed in African languages.

Broader Cooperation: Partnerships will expand into agriculture (through Embrapa distance learning), renewable energy, mining, aerospace, and humanities.

Ministers Rachel Barros (Racial Equality) and Leonardo Barchini (Education) also addressed the forum, highlighting programmes such as UNILAB (Universidade da Integração Internacional da Lusofonia Afro-Brasileira), which already hosts nearly 3,000 African students, and Brazil’s renewed affirmative action policies in universities.

The forum aligns with Lula’s long-standing foreign policy focus on multilateralism and stronger ties with the Global South. It builds on previous Brazil-Africa summits and reflects Brazil’s view of Africa as a key partner in building a more balanced multipolar world.African participants welcomed the initiatives.

AAU Secretary-General Olusola Oyewole praised Brazil’s support for curriculum decolonization and research capacity-building, while University of Cape Verde Rector Astrigilda Silveira emphasised opportunities for youth and innovation.

The event will conclude with the Brasília Charter, outlining future cooperation guidelines. For Brazil, the forum represents an investment in soft power and long-term strategic partnerships. For Africa, it offers expanded access to quality higher education and research collaboration at a time of rapid demographic and economic growth.