The internationalization of education policy in the polytechnic institutes of Portugal and the partnerships with brazilian institutions of vocational and technological education

Abstract

Portuguese actions and initiatives for the internationalization of education are developed not only with the European Union, but also with countries in Africa and Latin America. Portuguese polytechnic institutes are important partners of Brazilian public institutions for vocational and technological education, entering into interinstitutional agreements aimed at teaching, research and extension. The objective of this article is to understand the strategies and the partnerships between the Instituto Político de Coimbra and Instituto Politécnico do Porto and the three public institutions of professional and technological education: Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Sul de Minas Gerais - IFSULDEMINAS and São Paulo - IFSP and Centro Estadual de Educação Tecnológica e Paula Souza – CEETESP, seeking to understand the concepts and practices of vocational and technological education considering the process of internationalization of education. Through bibliographic and field research it was possible to conclude that such partnerships result from geopolitical, demographic issues and the reformulation of the Portuguese educational system in the face of European Union guidelines. What is emphasized in this study is the relevance of the Portuguese experience of vocational and technological training that makes Brazilian counterparts have more ease and even higher interest in the development of partnerships that need to be expanded as effective opportunities for construction projects for the internationalization