On June 28, 2018, Ted Hewitt, SSHRC president and Brazil-Canada Chamber of Commerce board member was presented the Order of Rio Branco by His Excellency Denis Fontes de Souza Pinto, ambassador of Brazil to Canada.
Instituted in 1963, the Order of Rio Branco honors the patron of Brazilian diplomacy, Baron of Rio Branco. Hewitt is recognized as Grand Officer—one of the highest levels of merit—for the many years he has fostered bilateral business and research partnerships between Brazil and Canada.
This places Hewitt alongside previous awardees and iconic figures for Brazil, such as Prime Minister of Portugal António Costa, and Pelé, the world-renowned soccer player.
Hewitt has published works on population health and international cooperation for urban development in Latin America. He also co-chairs the Canada-Brazil Joint Committee for Cooperation on Science, Technology and Innovation, through which he continues to emphasize the important roles of universities, industry and government in promoting economic prosperity for Latin Americans, Canadians and beyond.