DOI: 10.4025/cienccuidsaude.v13i4.20212 Cienc Cuid Saude 2014 Out/Dez; 13(4):782-787 _______________ 1 Conducted under the Doctoral Course, the (EEAN-UFRJ) Graduate Program in Nursing, Anna Nery School of Nursing, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, with funding from CNPq * Nurse. PhD in Nursing. Associate Professor I EEAN-UFRJ. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, email: rafaenfer@yahoo.com.br ** Nurse. PhD in Nursing. Professor EEAN-UFRJ. CNPq Researcher. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. E-mail: marcia.eean@gmail.com *** Psychologist. PhD in Social Psychology. Professor of Aix-Marseille Université, Laboratoire de Psychologie Sociale (LPS EA 849), 13621 Aix-en- Provence, France. Email: themistoklis.apostolidis@univ-amu.fr EXPERIENCE REPORT SANDWICH DOCTORATE AS A STRATEGY FOR THE INTERNATIONALIZATION OF NURSING KNOWLEDGE Rafael Celestino da Silva* Márcia de Assunção Ferreira** Thémis Apostolidis*** ABSTRACT In recent times, the need for qualified education at PhD level has called attention to the indicators of knowledge internationalization.The goal is to discuss, through an experience report, sandwich doctorate programs as a strategy for the internationalization of nursing knowledge. The gains deriving from the internationalization process based on this experience comprise the advancement of knowledge in terms of the research methods, the social representations theory and scientific knowledge production itself.In addition, the reality experienced permitted a critical analysis of the structural characteristics of post-graduate studies in Brazil, as well as the tracking of related study domains in which international bi-center research agreements and academic mobility programs can be established. In conclusion, the sandwich doctorate is a fruitful strategy of knowledge internationalization and educational enhancement. It is up to the institutions to attract and stimulate the young talents who have the profile and the research potential to invest inits accomplishment. Keywords: Nursing. Nursing research.International educational exchange.Health postgraduate programs.Social psychology. INTRODUCTION Brazil is experiencing a phase of economic progress that influences the labor world, demanding qualified professionals, as well as the social level, through the improvement of the population’s living conditions. In the health area, specifically in nursing, this progress demands the production of tools and the appropriation of knowledge aligned with the public policies, which contribute to the expansion of knowledge and the consolidation of the Unified Health System (SUS), resulting in excellent care delivery to society (1) . That is the context in which nursing is under pressure to enhance its post-graduate programs, aiming to consolidate and expand its scientific and technological range and innovation through the knowledge produced (2) . In that sense, nursing research is considered a tool that permits the advancement of nursing science and technology and, at the same, benefits health care. In this perspective, post-graduate programs have a responsibility in the production of this knowledge, through the preparation of doctoral graduates with the ability to investigate the practical experiences involved in nursing practice contexts (2) . Among the competences/aptitudes/domains of nursing PhD’s, the following are highlighted: Mastery of the state of the art of the theme/activity area, with the ability to dialogue in the international sphere and to understand at a similar range, to argument in order to sustain one’s ideas in front of one’s peers and in other knowledge areas in the scientific community, moving towards the inclusion in and construction of knowledge production partnerships or networks (3:134) . In an education of excellence, required from the post-graduate programs, which complies with this profile and, hence, supports the evolution of nursing science and technology,