Abstract
From 1962 to 1971 the Associação Universitária Interamericana (Inter-American University Association—AUI) conducted a program of internships at Harvard University for Brazilian students. The goal of these internships was for Brazilian students to gain an understanding of the American way of life. The students were mostly recruited among leftists. It was their hearts and minds that the university wanted to win over to the side of the "free world" during the Cold War. These students took advantage of the situation and used the internships for their own purposes. This had implications not only for their personal careers but also for the construction of institutional and political ideas. This process took place within a complex game that involved the interests of the United States and the entrepreneurs who helped finance the AUI. Created during the Kennedy administration, the AUI ended its activities as a result of a conservative offensive launched by the Nixon administration in the United States and the Médici dictatorship in Brazil.
Desde 1962 a 1971 a Associação Universitária Interamericana (Interamerican University Association—AUI) promoveu o intercâmbio universitário de estudantes brasileiros selecionados para fazer um estágio em Harvard e conhecer o modo de vida americano. Os universitários eram recrutados em sua maioria entre simpatizantes de ideias de esquerda, cujos corações e mentes se buscava conquistar para o lado do “mundo livre” na Guerra Fria. Eles aproveitaram as circunstâncias conforme suas próprias conveniências, não apenas de carreira pessoal, mas também na construção institucional e política, num jogo de mão dupla com os interesses dos Estados Unidos e dos empresários que, juntos, financiaram a entidade. Criada durante o governo Kennedy, a AUI encerrou as atividades de intercâmbio diante da ofensiva conservadora do governo Nixon nos Estados Unidos e da ditadura no Brasil do presidente Medici.
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