South America

Chile-based Poliglota uses Facebook to connect language learners and volunteer teachers worldwide. Within two years of launching it has attracted 33,200 users and now wants to expand into Brazil, spying opportunity in the run-up to the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games.

Signalling Brazil’s ELT business boom, one of the country's biggest publishers Abril Educação has bought English-language chain Wise Up for 877 million reais (US$444.9 million). Wise Up is present in more than 70 cities in Brazil and around the world, and a sponsor of the 2014 World Cup.

The Institute of international Education (IIE) has launched a series of university fairs in Latin America to help science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) students connect with US universities. The fairs will be held in America's top Latin markets, Brazil, Mexico and Chile. Some 41% of all foreign students in the US took STEM courses last year.

In order to capture the huge ELT market in Brazil, schools and agencies must be prepared to offer bespoke, innovative programmes for two distinct groups of clientele, says Marcia Mattos, head of international education at STB. She delivered market insight at the recent ALTO Seminar in Dubai.

Online education in Brazil got a boost last week as Digital Education, a division of international education publishing giant Macmillan, announced investments in two technology-led businesses, Veduca and Easyaula.

The Colombian government has welcomed a group of Chinese students to the country who will teach Mandarin at top universities for the next year through an academic mobility programme with China. In its seventh year, the Programa de Movilidad Académica has strengthened ties between China and Colombia.

An Australian English language school that operates interesting "Teach and Travel" programmes in China and Vietnam has received official endorsement from the government of Vietnam. English Language Company (ELC) Australia signed an MOU with the government earlier this month.

The Rt Hon Hugo Swire MP and the Rt Hon David Willetts MP were among guests at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in London this week to mark the achievements of Science without Borders UK (SwB UK); the Brazilian-government back scholarship programme that will see up to 10,000 Brazilians arrive in the country.

International House World, the global language school brand, has launched its first language learning app for mobile phones and tablets. My Words stores and translates vocab in 15 languages.

Canada has welcomed 400 Brazilians to its public schools through a scholarship programme aimed at increasing English language ability of those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Brazil is said to be a "steadily growing market" for public schools.

The top five most attractive study destinations according to education agents have not changed since last year, according to the i-graduate ICEF Agent Barometer 2012, however Canada has significantly gained ground on its competitors. 64% rated it "very attractive" – up 5% on 2011 and 15% on 2008.

Colombia has signed two mutual degree recognition agreements in as many weeks following Memorandums of Understanding reached with Portugal and Chile. The agreements are part of a campaign to increase internationalisation in Colombia's higher education sector and recognition of its graduates in the global workforce.

The agency behind the websites All About Languages and Idiomas Fuera has launched two new websites promoting high schools, boarding schools and vocational institutions to English and Spanish speaking markets across Europe and the Americas.

US universities should refocus their attention on “emerging” recruitment markets to avoid over reliance on traditional sources, the education think tank World Educational Services (WES) has claimed in a new report. It points to Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Vietnam and Turkey as top targets, warning dependence on the likes of India, Korea and China means less campus diversity and more financial risk.

Ireland has signed an agreement with Brazil that will bring 4,000 undergraduate students to Irish universities over the next four years under the Science Without Borders programme. Around 5,600 Brazilian students will be studying in Ireland by 2016.