International Students and Researchers
The Center for Sustainable Development (CDS) at the University of Brasília (UnB) was established in 1995 as a pioneering interdisciplinary initiative in sustainable development affairs. The center is directly linked to the UnB Rectory, collaborating with other departments and academic units. It has its own faculty members and administrative staff, but it also collaborates with several departments at UnB and other partners across Brazil and worldwide. UnB is a federal public university, established in 1962, built alongside the construction of Brazil’s new capital, Brasília, as a vanguardist university with humanist pedagogies.
CDS offers both doctoral and master’s degrees in sustainable development, as part of the Postgraduate Program in Sustainable Development (PPGCDS). This program is ranked grade 7 (maximum grade) for both degrees by the Capes Foundation at Brazil’s Ministry of Education (MEC). The doctoral degree takes a maximum of four years to complete, whereas the master’s degree takes two years. Both degrees involve attending several classes and preparing either a doctoral thesis or a master’s dissertation. The main concentration area is Environmental Policy and Management, divided into three different research emphases: i) public policy, culture, and sustainability; ii) technology, consumption, and sustainability; and iii) territory, environment, and sustainability. PPGCDS offers classes in Portuguese; however, supervision and mentoring of visiting students or postdoctoral researchers can also occur in English, French, or Spanish, depending on the supervisor’s expertise. Courses are exempt from tuition fees.
International students can apply for either the master’s or the doctoral course at PPGCDS via special recruitment processes. One of them is the program for students under postgraduate agreements, called PEC-PG, which aims to offer scholarship opportunities for developing countries with which Brazil has agreements or a memorandum of understanding. Further information about PEC-PG and the list of eligible countries is available at the UnB International Office: https://int.unb.br/en/international-students/2-pec-pg-scholarships. Another recruitment process is facilitated through the International Cooperation Group of Brazilian Universities (GCUB), which offers an International Mobility Program called GCUB-Mob. Further information about the GCUB-Mob and its application calls is available at: https://www.gcub.org.br/bsp.
Alternatively, international students can apply through the same selection process offered to Brazilian students via the regular application calls. For the doctoral program, this application typically opens at the end of each calendar year (Set-Dec), with classes starting in the first semester of the subsequent year (Feb-Mar). In contrast, for the master’s course, applications typically occur at the end of the first semester (Apr-Jun), with classes commencing in the subsequent semester (July-Aug). Scholarships may be available for some students, subject to funding availability. For further information about PPGCDS, please get in touch with our postgraduate office. Email: ppgcds@unb.br / tel.: +55 (61) 3107-6000 | 3107-6001. The course coordinator is Prof. Dr. Cristiane Gomes Barreto.
The center also has two professional master’s programs:
- Professional Master’s Program in Sustainability among Traditional Peoples and Communities (MESPT), which encompasses different departments at UnB and takes about one year for completion. Further information can be obtained at its postgraduate office. Email: mespt@unb.br; tel.: +55 (61) 3107-8065 | 3107-8094; webpage: mespt.unb.br. Classes are offered in Portuguese only. The course coordinator is Prof. Dr. Janaína Deane de Abreu Sá Diniz.
- Professional Master’s Program in Environmental Science Teaching (ProfCiamb), which works as a multi-university network program, aimed at training teachers from secondary education (high school), especially from public institutions. It also takes one year for completion. Classes are offered in Portuguese only. Further information can be obtained at its postgraduate office. Email: profciamb@unb.br; tel.: +55 (61) 3107-6000 | 3107-6001; webpage: https://cds.unb.br/documentos/profciamb; website about the national network program: profciamb.eesc.usp.br/. The course coordinator is Prof. Dr. Maria do Socorro Ferreira da Silva.
In addition, CDS offers a Bachelor’s Program in Environmental Sciences. This undergraduate program is part of a joint initiative involving the Institute of Geosciences (IG), Institute of Biology (IB), Department of Economics (ECO), and the Institute of Chemistry (IQ). Email: ciamb@unb.br. Tel.: +55 (61) 3107-6626. Course Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Angelo Henrique de Lira Machado.
Location:
The CDS building is located at the UnB main campus in Brasília, Federal District. As Brazil’s capital, Brasília houses the offices of all Ministries and federal agencies, as well as several Embassies and representations of international organizations, including the World Bank and United Nations offices. Brasília has direct flights to all the capitals of Brazil’s states. See the CDS location on Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Hi86v3NwVE92LH92A.
UnB International Office:
For more general information for international students, please check out the UnB International Office (INT) website at: https://int.unb.br/en/. See also INT detailed contacts at: https://int.unb.br/en/institutional/contact-us.