Camões, I.P. is a founding partner of AULP, the Association of Universities of Portuguese Language (Associação das Universidades de LÃngua Portuguesa), which was created in 1986 and currently has over 140 members from Portuguese-speaking countries around the world as well as Macao. AULP’s main objective is to encourage communication between its members for the purpose of collectively developing the Portuguese language and teaching around the world. AULP offers the annual Fernão Mendes Pinto Prize which is awarded to the Master's or degree thesis that most effectively brings Portuguese-speaking communities together during the previous calendar year, according to Camões, I.P. guidelines