Middle powers and South-South cooperation in comparative perspective: Brazil, India and China

• Grant number: 14/15525-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2014
• End date: October 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Political Science - International Politics
• Principal Investigator: Janina Onuki
• Grantee: Iago Checo Rondello
• Host Institution: Instituto de Relações Internacionais (IRI). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The main object of this research is the common practice of International Cooperation for Development between southern countries, also known as South-South Cooperation. Given the huge scope of this theme, it is obviously necessary to precise the specific features of it that are going to be studied in this project. Thus, we opted for a study in comparative perspective of the different practices of South-South Cooperation realized by Brazil, India and China. First, it will be necessary to study the institutionalization process of the North-South Cooperation, which historically happened within the OECD. Then, with the results obtained from this study and from the comparative analysis, this research will try to establish the perspectives about a possible institutionalization of the South-South Cooperation in the international system. Our main hypothesis is that such institutionalization is not only possible, but also desirable, from the perspective of the interests of the South. In order to achieve these objectives, we will use different research techniques, such as speech and data base analysis and bibliography review. The main effort of this research is, as it was stated above, to prove the potential benefits, be they either economic or political, from the institutionalization of the South-South Cooperation. Thus, the utilization of the International Political Economy will be essential to analyze these different aspects (political and economic) of the theme together. This research will benefit from the participation within the research group in South-South Relations of the IRI-USP (NAP-Caeni), which gathers researchers from different levels. Furthermore, this project will be inserted in the research program of Prof. Janina Onuki, who is guiding me in this research.