Internationalisation for a Multipolar World

In a time of shifting global balances and redefined alliances, the world is increasingly multipolar, with multiple centers of political, economic, scientific, and cultural influence emerging across regions. International education must evolve beyond inherited structures and asymmetries. Within this dynamic landscape, Brazil and Latin America have a renewed opportunity to help shape the future of international higher education.

The FAUBAI 2026 Conference invites the Brazilian and global international education community to reflect on what it means to internationalise higher education in a multipolar world – one where cooperation is informed by diverse perspectives, regional priorities, and shared responsibilities, no longer by a single model.

Brazilian higher education institutions are increasingly influential players with unique contributions to make in science, sustainability, innovation, and the international exchange of knowledge.

Key questions to explore

  • How can Brazil assert strategic autonomy while remaining globally connected?

  • What does internationalisation look like when driven by regional and national interests, rather than global rankings or donor agendas?

  • How are new geopolitical dynamics (e.g. BRICS+, South-South cooperation, Latin American integration) reshaping academic collaboration and mobility?

  • In what ways can internationalisation contribute to a more inclusive, democratic, and pluriversal knowledge production?

  • How can institutions build international strategies that reflect multipolar ethics and epistemologies, instead of replicating hierarchical systems?

Objectives

  • Encourage critical and creative thinking about the future of internationalisation from a Global South perspective.

  • Showcase Brazilian experiences and innovations that reflect an active, rather than reactive, approach to global academic engagement.

  • Promote dialogue on new narratives, tools, and alliances that support internationalisation as a driver of national development, regional integration, and global equity.

Key dates

Proposal Submission

August 4 – October 31, 2025

Proposal Outcomes

December 8, 2025

Early Bird Registration

November 30, 2025 – January 15, 2026

Regular Registration

January 16 – April 12, 2026

Pre-Conference Workshops

April 11, 2026

FAUBAI 2026 Conference

April 12 – April 15, 2026