UMass Dartmouth and Portugal’s Camões Institute for Cooperation and Language have renewed their academic partnership.

UMass Dartmouth Interim Chancellor Peyton R. Helm and Ambassador of Portugal in the U.S. Domingoes Fezas Vital will signed an agreement on June 9 that aims to “deepen students’ knowledge of Portuguese language, literature and culture.”

The signing, which was the highlight of a Portuguese delegation visit to UMass Dartmouth, will took place at the Ferreira Mendes Portuguese-American Archives following a brief tour of the facility.

The Portuguese delegation included Ambassador Vital, Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Portugal Teresa Ribeiro, and New Bedford Portuguese Consul Pedro Carneiro.

Under the three-year agreement, the University and the Institute will support three teaching fellowships in the UMass Department of Portuguese Graduate program. In addition to teaching Portuguese language courses, these fellows will support activities of the Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture and the Ferreira Mendes Portuguese-American Archives. The Institute also committed to supporting cultural activities on campus and the continued development of library materials for the university’s Master’s and PhD programs.

The Camões Institute for Cooperation and Language is a public institute within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Institute’s mission is to propose and implement the Portuguese cooperation policy and to coordinate activities undertaken by other public entities involved in implementing that policy and also to propose and implement the educational policy, to disseminate the Portuguese language and culture in foreign universities and to manage the foreign Portuguese teaching network at primary and secondary levels.