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Minerva’s first MOU in Brazil connects global educational experience with the District’s scientific and technological expertise.
Key takeaways:
- Minerva University’s first Memorandum of Understanding in Brazil establishes a framework for collaboration with the São Paulo Innovation District.
- The organizations will explore joint initiatives in higher education, leadership development, research and innovation focused on societal challenges.
- The agreement builds on Minerva’s Brazilian community and brings together its global educational experience with the District’s scientific and technological expertise.
SÃO PAULO, October 23, 2026 — Minerva University and the São Paulo Innovation District have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore collaboration in higher education, leadership development, research and innovation focused on societal challenges.
Minerva’s first MOU in Brazil builds on connections through 24 current Brazilian students and 60 Brazilian alumni. The agreement brings together the university’s interdisciplinary, globally connected education and the District’s scientific and technological expertise.
“Students need opportunities to exercise judgment, collaborate with others, and understand the communities that their ideas will serve,” said Mike Magee, president of Minerva University. “That is what draws us to the district’s human-centered approach to innovation and its commitment to social and environmental responsibility.”
At the signing ceremony, André Aquino, President and Executive Lead of the São Paulo Innovation District, proposed beginning with one shared innovation challenge. As an example, he described bringing Minerva students and local students together with researchers and communities to explore responsible AI applications for climate challenges. Potential areas of focus include reducing water consumption and emissions across agri-food value chains, supporting environmental regeneration, or anticipating flooding and extreme heat.
Magee connected the proposal to research, project-based learning and startup work already underway in Minerva’s sustainability lab in Japan, expressing enthusiasm for bringing that experience to Brazil. Specific projects, participants and timelines remain to be developed through the partnership.
“It's a very important event because we are making our district international,” said Dr. Vahan Agopyan, Secretary for Science, Technology, and Innovation for the State of São Paulo, Brazil.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Agopyan emphasized the importance of collaboration among universities, research centers and enterprises, alongside efforts to strengthen international connections across São Paulo’s innovation ecosystem.
Located within one of Latin America’s leading metropolitan regions, the District brings together institutions including the University of São Paulo (USP), the Institute of Technological Research and the Institute of Energy and Nuclear Research, alongside companies, startups, public services and residential neighborhoods. Coordinated by a private nonprofit managing entity, it advances technological solutions with a commitment to social and environmental responsibility. USP has approximately 48,000 undergraduate and graduate students within the District area, and its USP Alumni program connects 151,000 former students across Brazil and abroad.
“São Paulo Innovation District brings together an exceptional concentration of scientific talent, research institutions and infrastructure. Yet proximity is only the beginning. Turning that capacity into societal value requires organizations, students and communities to work together on challenges that matter,” said André Aquino, President and Executive Lead of the São Paulo Innovation District.
Aquino added, “our ambition is to make the District a place where global perspectives meet local knowledge to address real-world challenges. This partnership connects Minerva University’s interdisciplinary, globally oriented approach to education with the District’s scientific capabilities and innovation ecosystem, creating opportunities for shared learning, talent development and societal impact."
Minerva contributes educational innovation, international academic reach and experience designing learning environments that connect disciplines, cultures and communities. Its undergraduate model combines fully active, discussion-based seminars with applied learning in cities around the world.
Under the MOU, the organizations will explore opportunities to:
- Exchange talent, ideas and institutional knowledge.
- Co-develop educational, scientific and innovation practices that are internationally relevant and locally grounded.
- Design learning and research experiences connected to urban, technological, institutional and societal challenges.
- Develop leaders prepared to work across cultures, disciplines and institutions with critical awareness, humility and public responsibility.
About Minerva University
Minerva University is an accredited global university headquartered in San Francisco, offering undergraduate, graduate and executive education programs. Its undergraduate model combines rigorous, interdisciplinary academics with fully active, discussion-based seminars and applied learning in cities around the world. Across its programs, Minerva helps students and working professionals develop critical thinking, creative problem-solving, effective communication and collaboration skills.
Minerva is ranked No. 1 overall in the 2027 U.S. News Best Colleges rankings for Regional Colleges in the West. It has also been named the world’s most innovative university for five consecutive years by the World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI).
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