A Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) is a formal instrument used by public entities to set up a partnership or a cooperative relationship with each other, when they have a reciprocal or equivalent interest/conditions, in order to achieve a common goal.
It is different from agreements, transfer contracts and terms of decentralized execution because there is no possibility of transferring resources between the participants. It is different from Technical Cooperation Agreements because it is a generic arrangement, with no immediate obligations.
It is a brief document, not necessarily requiring a work plan or a specific project; it is a consensus among its participants, in order to establish specific instruments on projects they intend to sign in the future. It must be used in a subsidiary way in relation to others of a cooperative nature, being a residual instrument, when it is not intended to create mandatory legal bonds between the participants.
Since it does not involve the transfer of financial resources, only normative provisions that are compatible with such specificity apply. It is an instrument intended to record general principles that will guide the relations between the parties, particularly in the political, economic, cultural, scientific and educational areas, as well as define lines of action and areas of cooperation.
It can be taken between Union members once they can celebrate the adjustments in the legitimate exercise of their institutional competences. And it is enough to indicate them as participants in the instrument, without mentioning the Union.
The object can embrace a variety of activities, which are of common competence of the entities involved or that are specific to one of them, serving as an instrument for the action of the other. The description of the object must be objective, clear and precise, in order to demonstrate the public and reciprocal interest of those involved in the partnership.
The validity must be fixed keeping compatibility with what is necessary for the execution of the agreed object. The extension must be adjusted by common agreement between the parties.
At UNIPAMPA, DAIINTER is responsible for analyzing and processing the processes of Protocols of Intent signed in the country and abroad.
The process starts when a faculty or staff member of the institution inserts the documentation in the Electronic Information System (Sistema Eletrônico de Informações – SEI), choosing the option: International Relations: International Cooperation.
Mandatory documents:
- requesting analysis of the request for formalization of the MOU to DAIINTER;
- e-mails between the parties, including the acceptance of the protocol;
- protocol of approval by the Campus Council;
- brief description or justification for signing the Protocol;
- copies of the documents of the external responsible (identity card, official document of appointment in the position and professional address);
- protocol approved by the other part;
- protocol of the Campus Management (Direção do Campus) with the signature agreement;
- declaration by the responsible for the MOU, signed by the coordinators;
- declaration of object fulfillment signed by the coordinators;
- certificate of compliance of the process with reference legal manifestation; and
- work plan (when applicable).
At the moment, UNIPAMPA has the following ongoing MOUs:
- Hochschule Weihenstephan-Triesdorfo University of applied Sciences (Germany), until 1/12/2024
- Tallin University (Estonia), until april 2024
- Universidad Nacional de Misiones (Argentina) – until 01/10/2022
- Universidad Nacional del Nordeste (Argentina) – until 02/01/2026
- Tallinn University (Estonia) – until 01/04/2024
- The University of Nottingham (England) – indefinite term
- Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México (México) – until 20/05/2027
- Universidade da Beira do Interior (Portugal) – until 01/03/2024
- Universidade de Évora (Portugal) – until 17/10/2024
- Universidad Tecnológica de Uruguay (Uruguay) – until 04/05/2027
- Universidade Federal da Fronteira Sul (UFFS), until 29/01/2025
- Consórcio Intermunicipal de Desenvolvimento do Pampa Gaúcho, until 16/12/2025
- Secretaria Nacional de Políticas de Promoção da Igualdade Racial do Ministério da Mulher, da Família e dos Direitos Humanos (SNPIR), until 13/07/2026
- Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (UFES) 24/06/2026
- Município de São Borja Protocolo (PMSB), until 10/01/2027
- Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia Farroupilha (IFFAR), until 14/04/2027
- Universidade Estadual do Rio Grande do Sul (UERGS), until 14/04/2027
- Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM), until 12/05/2027
- Centro Universitário da Região da Campanha (Urcamp), until 16/05/2027