Network for Environmental Studies in Portuguese-speaking Countries

Enquadramento

The Environmental Studies Network of Portuguese-speaking Countries (REALP) was created in 1997 with the overall objective of promoting scientific and educational cooperation in the field of the environment and sustainability in the Portuguese language. Currently, the network consists of 20 higher education institutions (HEIs) from Portugal, Brazil, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Angola, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Timor, with three HEIs from Guinea-Bissau having applied for membership. We will soon be integrating HEIs from all countries of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP).

Initially named the Luso-Brazilian Network for Environmental Studies (RLBEA), the network was created in 1997 with the overall objective of promoting scientific cooperation in the field of the environment and sustainable development between Portugal and Brazil, as well as with the specific objective of implementing a master's degree course in environmental management and policy in both countries. To this end, a protocol was established between different government and university institutions. 

On the Portuguese side, the protocol was signed by the University of Aveiro (UA), the University of Évora (UE), the University of the Azores, the New University of Lisbon, the Ministry of the Environment, and the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), currently linked to the Ministry of Education and Science. On the Brazilian side, the protocol was signed by the University of Brasília (UnB), the Federal University of Amazonas (Ufam), the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), the Ministry of the Environment, the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), and the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Capes).

In 2004, RLBEA expanded its activities to Portuguese-speaking Africa, incorporating the Eduardo Mondlane University of Mozambique and the University of Cape Verde. Later, in 2009, it was the turn of the Agostinho Neto University of Angola. In 2011, during the XIV Annual Meeting of the Network, held in Recife, the Superior Council, within the scope of its protocol duties, officially recognized the Eduardo Mondlane University (Mozambique), the Agostinho Neto University (Angola), the University of Cape Verde, and the University of Lisbon (Portugal) as full members. At that same meeting, with the accession of the new members, it was decided to change the name of the network to “Network of Environmental Studies of Portuguese-speaking Countries — REALP.”