PROURB has an established tradition in agreements and exchanges, both nationally and internationally. The institutional project of the program is based on the integration of education, research, and exchange, recognizing that knowledge production also involves collaborations with external institutions and researchers. This ensures continuous dynamism and a constant update of the theoretical and methodological reflections of the faculty.

In the latest survey (2017–2021), it was observed that over 55% of PROURB’s permanent professors participate in research projects with international teams, and at least 40% of the permanent faculty are involved in research projects with international funding. During this period, PROURB established international cooperation agreements, research, and academic partnerships with institutions from various countries: Germany, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Spain, the United States, England, Italy, Portugal, the Czech Republic, and Tanzania, among others. Professors and researchers were actively involved in academic activities abroad, such as serving on master’s and doctoral committees in 8 foreign universities, participating in juries for international competitions, or evaluating final projects at foreign universities.

There was also significant involvement of faculty members, researchers, students, and alumni in teams presenting projects in international competitions, with awards and recognitions received in 4 different countries (Spain, Peru, Colombia, and Argentina).

Students and alumni of PROURB were also celebrated in international events and competitions, earning awards for best articles in international congresses, best thesis, and best dissertation in international contests, as well as awards in architectural and urban planning project competitions.

As part of its internationalization strategy, PRINT/UFRJ is one of the funding channels for exchange experiences, alongside calls from funding agencies, national bilateral calls, and international calls. Thus, PROURB’s proposal in PRINT/UFRJ prioritized the allocation of resources to foster the mobility of the Program as a whole, rather than focusing on specific research group projects, adopting a broader institutional vision. This strategy increased the opportunities for sandwich doctorates and expanded the network of institutions and countries.

• International Network of Researchers F(u)P – Possible Urban Futures; UFRJ, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Spain), Universidad Nacional de La Plata (INVI) (Argentina), Universidad de Chile/Santiago (Chile)

• Institutional Agreement PROURB/FAU/UFRJ and Instituto Universitário de Arquitetura de Veneza (IUAV, Italy) (co-supervision)

• Institutional Agreement PROURB/FAU/UFRJ and Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (co-supervision)

• Archimundus – Building up Quality in Architectural Education – Erasmus Mundus – European Commission. Participating IES: Schools of Architecture and Urbanism from Latin American and European countries (12 from Europe and 17 from Latin America); and Associations: Associations of Architecture Schools in Europe (EAAE), USA and Canada (ACSA), and Latin America (ARQUISUR, UDEFADAC, and UDEFAL), as well as the National Architectural Accreditation Board (NAAB) of the USA. NoPa Program (New Partnerships) CAPES/DAAD/GIZ. Partner institutions: Federal University of Paraná (Course of Architecture and Urbanism – Postgraduate Program in Civil Construction Engineering); Technische Universität München (Fakultät für Architektur Lehrstuhl für Bauklimatik und Haustechnik), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (PROURB – Postgraduate Program in Urbanism – FAU/UFRJ); Ministry of Planning, Budget, and Management (Secretariat of Logistics and Information Technology – SLTI – MP); Ministry of Culture (Institute of National Historical and Artistic Heritage – Regional Training Center for Heritage Management – IPHAN). Project Title: Energy Efficiency and Sustainability in Brazilian Public Buildings. Study missions for undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students and work missions for professors

• ADU 2020 Project – Restructuring Higher Education for the 21st Century in the field of Architecture, Design, and Urbanism. European Economic Community. Alfa III Project. Participating countries: Argentina, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Spain, Greece, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Sweden, UK, Venezuela.

• CAPES COFECUB Agreement, Project: Integrated and Sustainable Management of Water in Brazilian and French Metropolitan Areas: new issues related to universal access to sanitation services and climate change; Proposing Institution in Brazil: PROURB/UFRJ; French proposing institution: CIRED (Centre International de Recherche sur L’économie et le Développement) of ENGREF Agro Paris Tech (École Nationale du Génie Rural, des Eaux et Forêts); Collaborating institutions: COPPE/UFRJ, IPPUR/RJ, DESMA, PPGEngAmb/UERJ, LATTS/France, ENPC/Paris/France, GSP/ENGEES/Strasbourg, CHERPA/IEP/Aix en Provence/France (2011–present). MAIN COORDINATION: PROURB.

• AUF Agreement, L’Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) – Urban Environmental Governance: Public Action and Climate Change, main coordination by PROURB.

• INCT/CNPq/FAPERJ, Metrópolis Observatory Project, coordinator IPPUR/UFRJ; PROURB is a network member, supported by MCT.

• Interinstitutional Network Métropoles, Inégalités et Planification Démocratique (MIPD), (DEUT/UQAM, IE/UdeM et ESAD/UL), Quebec, Canada, (CEUR/UBA) Argentina, and (IPPUR-UFRJ, PROURB and FAU-USP), Brazil, coordination by IPPUR/UFRJ.

• Interinstitutional Network Public Policies Network (UFRJ, Fiocruz, UERJ), (2010–2012), PRONEX Project, supported by FAPERJ and CNPq, PROURB is a network member, coordinated by IPPUR/UFRJ.

• Consortium Program for Higher Education Brazil-United States, CAPES/FIPSE (UFRJ, UFPR, University of Cincinnati, University of Florida), Project: Sustainable Development and the Built Environment, (Aug 2008–Jul 2012), main coordination by PROURB.

• Ministry of Cities SNSA No. 1/2009 project: The Study of the Overview of Basic Sanitation in Brazil Considering: Strategic Vision, Technical, Social, Economic, and Institutional Diagnosis, and Thematic Notebooks on the Current Context of Basic Sanitation (PROURB, UFMJ, IPPUR/UFRJ, UFBA).

• Interinstitutional Research Program Urban Landscape and the Right to the City (UFRJ/UERJ/PUC-Rio/UFRGS/OAB-RJ).

• Interinstitutional Project Right to the City and Urban Landscape Interpretation, Universidade da Madeira and Universidade do Minho.

• Interinstitutional Project Legal Pluralism and the Right to the City, with University of Camerino, Italy, and OAB/RJ.

• Interinstitutional Project Consumer Relations, Credit, and Over-indebtedness, with the University of Chambéry.

• DINTER – UFMT-UNEMAT

• PROCULT – ProCultura Program CAPES/Ministry of Culture, Project: City and Culture: impacts on contemporary public spaces. Collaboration of three Postgraduate Programs: PPG History/UFMG, PPG AU/UFBA, and PROURB/FAU/UFRJ (2010–2011), supported by CAPES/MinC, coordinated by UFRJ, PROURB.

CURRENT NATIONAL AGREEMENTS

• ABAP-Rio (Brazilian Association of Landscape Architects), for the execution of projects and events in the area of Landscape Architecture. Landscape Research Center (NEP).

• OAB/RJ – Brazilian Bar Association – Research Directorate.

• Casa de Rui Barbosa Foundation / Oitocentos Study Group, with the goal of promoting the dissemination and debate of research on 19th-century architecture and urbanism and the institutionalization of education in Architecture and Fine Arts in the country.

• Convênio PROURB/INCT Observatório das Metrópoles – grupo de pesquisa e formação funcionando na forma de um instituto virtual, reunindo mais de 200 pesquisadores de 51 instituições dos campos universitário (programas de pós-graduação), governamental (fundações estaduais e prefeitura) e não-governamental, sob a coordenação conjunta do IPPUR/UFRJ, FASE/RJ. Financiadores: CNPq, MCT, FAPERJ.

• Intercâmbio de cooperação científica e técnica com do LeU/PROURB e PPGAU/UFBA – Desenvolvimento da cronologia do pensamento urbanístico.

• Projeto de pesquisa Interinstitucional REDE INFORIO. Acesso dos pobres à cidade informal e mobilidade residencial nas favelas: características da mobilidade residencial dos pobres e do mercado informal urbano no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, envolvendo sete IES: UFRJ (PROURB e IPPUR), UFF, UFRRJ, UENF, PUC RJ, UCM e Centro Universitário de Volta Redonda.

• Intercâmbio de pesquisa: Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Projeto Interinstitucional Paisagem Urbana e Direito Urbanístico.

• Projeto Interinstitucional Casa Solar Flex – (UFSC, UFRJ, USP, UNICAMP, UFRGS), desenvolvimento de projeto arquitetônico da Casa Solar Flex, visando a participação no Solar Decathlon Europe, organizado pela Universidade Politecnica de Madri; apoio Eletrobrás, FUSP, CAPES, Saint-Gobain e Phillips.

• Agreement PROURB/INCT Observatório das Metrópoles – a research and training group operating as a virtual institute, bringing together over 200 researchers from 51 institutions in the academic field (postgraduate programs), government (state foundations and city halls), and non-governmental sectors, under the joint coordination of IPPUR/UFRJ and FASE/RJ. Funders: CNPq, MCT, FAPERJ.

• Scientific and technical cooperation exchange between LeU/PROURB and PPGAU/UFBA – Development of the chronology of urbanistic thought.

• Interinstitutional research project REDE INFORIO. Access of the poor to the informal city and residential mobility in favelas: characteristics of residential mobility of the poor and the informal urban market in the State of Rio de Janeiro, involving seven HEIs: UFRJ (PROURB and IPPUR), UFF, UFRRJ, UENF, PUC RJ, UCM, and Centro Universitário de Volta Redonda.

• Research exchange: Federal University of Santa Catarina. Interinstitutional Project Urban Landscape and Urban Law.

• Interinstitutional Project Casa Solar Flex – (UFSC, UFRJ, USP, UNICAMP, UFRGS), development of the architectural project Casa Solar Flex, aimed at participation in the Solar Decathlon Europe, organized by the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid; supported by Eletrobrás, FUSP, CAPES, Saint-Gobain, and Phillips.

This refers to exchanges that result in projects submitted to PROCAD/casadinho or other calls from CAPES or CNPq. These exchanges continue after the project’s conclusion.

• Federal University of Santa Catarina

• Federal University of Paraíba

• Federal University of Paraná – (under CAPES/FIPSE)

• Federal University of Paraná (under NoPa/CAPES/DAAD/GTZ)

• State University of Maranhão

• Federal University of Mato Grosso

• State University of Mato Grosso

• Federal Fluminense University

• Partnership with FASE – Federation of Organizations for Social and Educational Assistance for the Socio-Environmental Work of the Project on Flood Control, Urbanization, and Environmental Recovery of the Iguaçu, Botas, and Sarapuí River Basins.

• Partnership with the Chiq da Silva Association – an association focused on the proposal and execution of architectural and urban projects with a social and cultural emphasis.

• Favelas Observatory – technical cooperation partnership.

• Waterlat Network – Governance and Citizenship in Water and Environmental Health Management in Latin America – a network of researchers from Europe and Latin America, linked to the GOBACIT research community (Asia and Africa), coordinated by Prof. Esteban Castro, School of Geography, Politics, and Sociology at Newcastle University, United Kingdom.

• Wassup Network – An interdisciplinary approach to contemporary urbanization – a network of researchers from Switzerland, France, Brazil, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, and India, coordinated by Prof. Yves Pedrazzini, from the Urban Sociology Laboratory of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (LASUR/EPFL).

• World Bank/Cities Alliance and IDB – Urban Assessment and Institutional Arrangements of Neighborhood Improvement Programs.

PROURB regularly offers joint courses or project workshops with other HEIs in the country or abroad. In 2012, it participated in the Project Workshop at PUC-Valparaíso (Atelier III course) at PROURB. In 2013, two project workshops were planned in collaboration with other foreign HEIs and with the participation of students from different institutions: one within the scope of the cooperation exchange with PUC-Valparaíso (funded by FAPERJ) and another as part of the Alfa ADU 2020 Project (funded by the European Union).

Participation in the DINTER Program
PROURB was a pioneer in the field of architecture and urbanism by proposing, in 2006, the first DINTER in the area with the State University of Maranhão (initiated in 2007 and completed in 2011).

In 2010, through the CAPES Novas Fronteiras Call for Proposals, the program received approval for the DINTER with the Federal University of Mato Grosso and the State University of Mato Grosso (DINTER-UFMT-UNEMAT), with academic activities starting in March 2011. In the selection process held in September 2010, 11 students were admitted. The DINTER-UFMT-UNEMAT followed the same didactic-pedagogical premises as the DINTER-UEMA, with specific differences derived from the CAPES Novas Fronteiras Call.

The proposal was based on the following aspects:

1. Doctoral training should be grounded in academic research and knowledge production.
2. Academic research requires specific training, including participation in consolidated research groups, ongoing dialogue with PhD researchers, libraries, and updated bibliography.
3. The theses produced must be original and present theoretical-methodological structuring and content compatible with scientific rigor.
4. The quality of the course offered to the special DINTER cohort should be the same as that offered to the regular students of the Program. The availability of bibliographic resources and sources of knowledge and information has become accessible with the popularization of the internet, enabling access to updated information on scientific and academic production in the field.
5. Real-time interpersonal communication is possible through internet resources, facilitating remote exchanges.

Main interinstitutional agreements in the last 3 trienniums:
Laboratoire Techniques Territoires et Sociétés, École Nationale de Ponts et Chaussées; CERNA (Laboratoire d’Économie Industrielle) Écoles des Mines de Paris; CIRED (Centre International de Recherche sur L’Économie et le Développement); Laboratoire GEA (Gestion de l’Eau et de l’Assainissement) at ENGREF (École Nationale du Génie Rural, des Eaux et Forêts), completed in September 2009.

Alfa Project – A Meta-University in Architecture: a feasibility study – ARCHINET (Project nº II-0059-A). Meta University – Intercultural Master in Architecture. Alfa-exchange project (contract nº AML/B7-311/97/0666/II-0418-FA-FCD). Master’s level training involving the following institutions: Hogeschool Voor Wetenschap & Kunst – Sint Lucas Architectuur – Belgium (general coordination), PROURB/FAU-UFRJ – Brazil, Universidad de Belgrano – Facultad de Arquitectura – Argentina, ISPJAE – Havana – Cuba, Strathclyde University – Glasgow UK, Universidad Sevilla – Spain, TU Eindhoven – Netherlands, and Universidad Católica de Chile. Funded by the EEC (European Economic Community).

Other agreements: CAPES/COFECUB (with the École d’Architecture Paris Belleville); CAPES/COFECUB (with Université de Paris X, Bordeaux III, and PPGAU-UFBA); CAPES/DAAD/PROBRAL (with Bauhaus-Universität Weimar); URBAMEDIA (with Universidad de Buenos Aires); and with the ABACUS Research Group (University of Strathclyde, Glasgow), the GT Urban Water Conflicts of UNESCO, and the LAIOS/CNRS laboratory, among others.

Additional academic collaborations include: University of Porto – Portugal, University of Buenos Aires, University of Naples, Università degli Studi di Napoli L’Orientale, AAA, London, UK; Cornell University – USA; Politecnico di Milano, Terza Università, Rome, ICTP, Trieste, Technical University of Berlin. The Technical University of Berlin was previously involved in a PROBRAL project. In 2008, the cooperation was resumed with the UNIBRAL project, involving undergraduate and postgraduate programs (still ongoing in 2010).