We are always pleased to announce fund donations that benefit SIPA students. It brings me great pleasure to announce that a Brazilian entrepreneur has donated $3 million to SIPA to facilitate student exchange. The gift will be used to establish the Jorge Paulo Lemann Fund at SIPA and will provide fellowships and grants for Brazilian students to study at SIPA and for SIPA students to study in Brazil.
The specifics of fund distribution are still being finalized and as a current applicant there is nothing additional to do at this point to possibly gain consideration for any funding that might be available next year. All admitted applicants are considered for fellowship funding based on information provided in the admission application – there is no separate fellowship statement that is required. Below is more information on Mr. Lemann and the goals associated with the donation.
Jorge Paulo Lemann was born in Brazil and received his bachelor’s degree from Harvard University in 1961, and later his MBA from Harvard. In 1971, Lemann and three partners founded the Brazilian investment banking firm Banco Garantia, which Lemann helped build into one of Brazil’s most prestigious and innovative investment banks.
Lemann and his partners later purchased control of a Brazilian brewery that eventually became AmBev. In 2004, AmBev merged with Interbrew of Belgium. The new company, InBev, is now one of the world’s largest beverage producers. In November 2008, shareholders of Anheuser-Busch, the makers of Budweiser and many other beverages, approved a $52 billion sale to InBev, which will create the world’s largest brewer.
The new exchange program complements SIPA’s existing strengths in the research, teaching, and discussion of Latin America. The Institute of Latin American Studies (ILAS) is one of the nation’s foremost centers in the field.
The Institute’s primary mission is to bring together and provide resources for Columbia faculty, students and visiting scholars, recognizing the diversity of their interests and approaches, while strengthening their links with Latin America and with communities of Latin American origin in the United States. Columbia University has established its first interdisciplinary post-graduate program in Latin American and Caribbean studies, offered under the auspices of the ILAS.
Within ILAS, the Center for Brazilian Studies serves as a key focal point for students and faculty with an interest in Brazil. Established in 2001, the Center offers scholars a place to pursue their research on Brazil, and provides a regular forum for lectures and conferences by visiting Brazilian government officials, business leaders, politicians, and representatives of civil society.
One highlight of last week was a talk by Muhammad Yunus, founder of the Grameen movement and 2006 Nobel Peace Prize recipient. He is considered a pioneer in the field of microcredit, which provides “micro” loans to the poor to serve as a catalyst for improving their socioeconomic status.
