Entrenched Disadvantage and the Internationalization of Education - A Review of the Science without Border Program in Brazil

Oct 15, 2026

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Brazil focuses on internationalizing higher education in response to global trends, with the Science without Borders program as its central vehicle. The study analyzes Brazilian international mobility through a regional lens, examining how inequality shaped access to fellowships, especially for the Northeast compared with the South and Southeast. Statistical comparison shows similar average growth, yet unequal access patterns persist. Findings indicate that expanding scholarship supply from 2010 to 2019 did not change the entrenched regional disparity in access to public education services.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages25

Reading Time1 h 3 min

AccessFree to download

Entrenched Disadvantage and the Internationalization of Education

Internationalization policy and Science without Borders program

Regional mobility and inequality in fellowship access

Findings on scholarship growth and persistent disparity

| education policy analysis archives
A peer-reviewed, independent, open access, multilingual journal |
Arizona State University | | --- | --- | | Volume 30 Number 171 November 22 , 2022 ISSN 1068-2341 | | Entrenched Disadvantage and the Internationalization of Education: A Review of the Science without Border Program in Brazil Rafael Silva Barbosa UFES Brazil Arinola Adefila Staffordshire University United Kingdom & Maria Lúcia Teixeira Garcia UFES Brazil Citation: Barbosa, R. S., Adefila, A., & Garcia, M. L. T. (2022) . Entrenched disadvantage and the internationalization of education: A review of the Science without Border Program in Brazil. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 30(171). [https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.30.7211](https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.30.7211) [Abstract:](Abstract: Brazil has focused on internationalization of the higher education sector)[ Brazil has focused on internationalization of the higher education sector](Abstract: Brazil has focused on internationalization of the higher education sector), in response to trends across the globe. The main program for promoting internationalization was the Science without Borders program. The paper analyses Brazilian international mobility from a regional perspective, particularly reviewing how inequality affected access to fellowships. The Northeast Region, which historically records higher poverty indicators than the South and Southeast regions, showed average growth statistically equal to the Southeast Region. By comparing access to scholarships and fellowships between the two largest regions of Brazil, this paper sought to analyze any structural change between the Southeast region and the Northeast. The Science without Borders (Ciência sem Fronteira, in Portuguese) program has achieved considerable results. In the first four years of the program, completed student exchange programs increased by 1,620%(i.e., 2011-2014) . Despite this, the structure of unequal regional access remained. Using the hypothesis test methodology T for means with different variances, it was possible to evaluate at a significance level of 95%. The two largest regions in Brazil maintained the unequal profile of access to the program. The conclusion is that the growth in the offer of scholarships for internationalization between 2010 and 2019 has not changed the unequal regional profile of access to public education services in Brazil. Keywords: Brazilian education policy; public investment; internationalization; higher education Desventaja atrincherada e internacionalización de la educación: Una revisión del Programa Ciencia sin Fronteras en Brasil Resumen: Brasil se ha centrado en la internacionalización del sector de la educación superior en respuesta a las tendencias a nivel global. El principal programa de promoción de la internacionalización fue el programa Ciencia sin Fronteras. El artículo analiza la movilidad internacional brasileña desde una perspectiva regional, particularmente revisando cómo ladesigualdad afectó el acceso a las becas. La Región Nordeste, que históricamente registraindicadores de pobreza más altos que las regiones Sur y Sudeste, presentó un crecimientopromedio estadísticamente igual al de la Región Sudeste. Al comparar el acceso a becas e intercambios entre las dos regiones más grandes de Brasil, este artículo buscó analizar cualquier cambio estructural entre la región Sudeste y el Nordeste. El programa Ciencia sin Fronteras (Ciência sem Fronteira, en portugués) ha alcanzado resultados considerables. En los primeros cuatro años del programa, la iniciativa de intercambio de estudiantes logró aumentar en un 1,620%(2011-2014) . A pesar de ello, se mantuvo la estructura de acceso regional desigual. Utilizando la metodología de Prueba de Hipótesis T para medias con diferentes varianzas, selogró evaluar a un nivel de significancia del 95% . Las dos mayores regiones de Brasil mantuvieron el perfil desigual de acceso al progra

FAQs

What program is analyzed in the paper?

The paper reviews the Science without Borders program and its role in promoting internationalization of higher education in Brazil.

How does inequality affect access to fellowships according to the study?

The study finds that unequal regional access persisted, with the Northeast historically showing higher poverty indicators and comparable statistical growth despite continued disparity.

What conclusion does the paper reach about scholarship growth from 2010 to 2019?

The conclusion is that increased scholarship and fellowship offer for internationalization between 2010 and 2019 did not alter the unequal regional profile of access to public education services in Brazil.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by acoobca