The global output synchronization problem for heterogeneous nonlinear systems having relative degree 2 or higher is studied. The proposed approach consists in two steps. First, a partial projection of individual subsystems into the Brockett oscillators is performed using a sliding-mode control. Second, the network of these oscillators is synchronized using the global synchronization results of a particular second order nonlinear oscillator model from . Our approach is based on output feedback and uses a higher order sliding mode observer to estimate the states and perturbations of the synchronized nonlinear systems. Along with numerical simulations, the performance of the proposed synchronization scheme is experimentally verified on a network of Van der Pol oscillators.