Promoting an understanding of Brazil and developing the profile of Brazilian Studies at the university level in the UK, the Institute coordinates and develops Brazil-related research capabilities and Brazil-focused programmes of study at King's, while also building links with Brazilian organisations in education, the cultural and creative sectors, business and government. Through these activities, and as part of the College's broader internationalisation strategy, the Institute aims to contribute to a growing interdisciplinary interest in Brazil among both students and academics at King's. King's has pioneered the study of Brazilian culture and history as a concentrated subject area for the last 12 years. In 1996, in association with the College's Department of Portuguese & Brazilian Studies, the King's Centre for the Study of Brazilian Culture & Society was created to promote graduate research, conferences and seminars, literary translation and publishing, collaborative research on black diaspora studies and popular music. The Centre also hosted numerous Visiting Research Fellows from Brazil. The Centre has now been incorporated into the Brazil Institute. King's research links with Brazil are further distinguished by the naming of two research centres in Brazil after King's academics; namely, the Centro de Apoio à Pesquisa 'Robin Murray' at the Universidade de São Paulo (USP) and the John Ernsting Aerospace Physiology Laboratory at the Pontifícia Universidade do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS) in Porto Alegre. The Brazil Institute plans to develop and extend this experience through cross-appointments with mainstream departments and via a network of College affiliates/fellows. The defining characteristic of King's Brazil Institute is its blend of internationalism and interdisciplinarity. The King's Brazil Institute is part of a cluster of Global Institutes at King's College London, founded to lead the College's strategy of international engagement.