South America

The beats of salsa music and 1960s cars provide a backdrop to the courses offered at Estudio Sampere's newest school in Havana, Cuba. Opened in January, the school is an existing operation that has entered into an agreement with Estudio Sampere, which is also in Spain and Ecuador.

Increasing numbers of Mexican students looking to study or research in a foreign country has left the Mexican government scrambling to find sufficient funds for graduate scholarships. Although the monthly stipends available are low, there has been rocketing demand for access to them, with over 500 applying for 150 bursaries...

Venezuelan agency giant Globorama is developing an independent network of schools after its partner, international education provider and test preperation company Kaplan, opened an independent sales office in Caracas. However Kaplan says the move helps reinforce its brand.

Ten students from Brazil came to London to learn English through football as part of the British Council’s Premier Skills programme. The trip served to highlight the community outreach work that...

After a very busy spring season of workshops and fairs aimed at building outbound business for Brazil's study abroad sector, the clear message is that Brazil is booming - with some of the sizable education agency businesses in the country forecasting growth of around 20 per cent in student travel in 2012.

Argentina is the latest addition to a reciprocal visa arrangement set up by the Australian government aimed at those studying, or who have studied, at tertiary level. Australians and Argentines will be able to work, study and holiday in each other countries during a 12 month period...

Education ministers from Cuba and South Africa have signed an agreement boosting tertiary-level exchange. The deal includes new exchange programmes for academics and students, collaboration on teacher training, and mutual recognition of qualifications among other shared benefits.

Peru and Mexico have announced plans to create a visa-free agreement for entrepreneurs, students and academics moving between the countries. Education agents said cost, proximity and language could make Mexico an interesting option for Peruvian students in future.

English language training isn’t usually associated with smouldering sex symbols – which is perhaps why one of Brazil’s biggest operators, CCAA, has cast the Hollywood siren Megan Fox in its latest television commercial. The PIE talks to CCAA about the campaign.

New Zealand will be the featured country at ExpoBelta 2012, a major Brazilian education fair to be held in São Paulo in March.

We understood social media very early. I just had a gut-feeling, I thought, if we want to be a good company we have to be transparent. We have to have the courage to talk about ourselves even if we make mistakes.

Fifty-five students and seven academics from the UK and Brazil have taken part in a two-week exchange programme to study at campuses in each other’s countries...

BridgeBrazil, a leading supplier of Portugese language courses to foreigners in Brazil, has been awarded a valuable accreditation by the government-backed Study in Brazil programme. According to the company, this means a trusted, quality operator.

STB, Brazil’s largest study travel organisation, announced today that well known industry player, Peter de Jong, is to become their Vice President of Business Development from January 2012. He will help develop new opportunities in North America and Asia at the outbound study giant which places 55,000 students annually.

During Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos' visit to the UK this week, agreements were signed to expand educational ties between the two countries, although agents point out that tighter UK visa rules will not help build outbound student traffic from Colombia.