Schools

Kent State to Open Brazil Office

Establishment of legal entity lets Kent State start recruiting in country with more than 190 million residents

In a few years residents of Brazil looking for an American college degree could find themselves strolling one of the Kent State University campuses.

The university's board of trustees voted to establish a legal entity in one of the largest countries in South America.

The new legal entity, which will be overseen by the Kent State Office of the Provost, is similar to other Kent State legal entities in Florence, Italy; Geneva, Switzerland; and New Delhi, India, according to the university.

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The difference is that, unlike in Italy and Switzerland, there will be no campus in Brazil.

Kent State President Lester Lefton said the legal entity allows the university to establish an office with one employee for recruiting purposes.

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"We have campuses in Europe and Asia, we have recruiting offices in India and China," Lefton said. "The one place we have not made strategic investments are in the Americas, meaning South American in particular."

Kent State has about 20 Brazilian students enrolled in classes.

"There's a lot of head room to bring in 20 or 40 or 100 students over the next year or two," Lefton said.

This fall, enrollment of international students was up 19.1 percent to 2,217 students compared to 1,862 in the previous year.

Marcello Fantoni, Kent State’s associate provost for global education, said the university’s plan is to have the entity set up in Brazil by March or April. Kent State's trustees approved the measure in early December.

The overall estimated yearly budget for the Brazil office is $125,000, according to Kent State.


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