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2014 - First Edition

Testimonial

 

2015 - Second Edition

19420622218 51d2fefa72 zDuring the summer of my first year at the University of Surrey, I undertook the summer school in Brazil along with fifteen other students from our university. After finishing a very challenging first year studying Law, I was very interested in both the Economics and Legal aspects of the course.

We stayed in Riberao Preto, at a campus of the University of Sao Paulo. We stayed in university accommodation which was very clean and we were provided with a good breakfast every day. We attended classes from 8am until 4pm and explored the city every evening. We also completed a group project which we then presented to our class mates. The temperature is around 20-25 degrees Celsius which is very manageable and it is a very affordable country to travel, an average vegetarian evening meal costing around £4 and a meat option costing around £6. The University arranged weekend visits for us to explore the country a bit further, we travelled to both Sao Paulo and Brasilia. Our trip to the capital, Brasilia, was a 10-hour over-night journey but it is very worth it.

When in Sao Paulo we also took part in many cultural visits to places such as a farm that produced organic produce and a coca cola factory, where we got lots of free drinks. I was particularly interested in our visit to the coffee plantation, where we were shown the whole process of growing coffee right though to packaging and tasting it. Coffee is Brazil's largest export so this was also interesting to learn about how it affects their economy and global status.

One thing I will never forget about Brazil is how warm and welcoming the Brazilian people are, you will never feel lost or alone. There were a number of Brazilian students on our course which helped us hugely with getting around and with learning and perfecting our Portuguese skills. The students also took us around the city in their spare time and showed us how the Brazilian's love to party.

A group of us also arranged to stay in Brazil for an extra week and travel to Rio (a 45-minute flight). If you are considering this trip I would strongly suggest arranging to travel to Rio, even just for the weekend. The sights in Rio are not to be missed and really do add to this once in a lifetime trip.

I would recommend this trip unreservedly to anybody considering it. The lectures and classes are very interesting and the Brazilian culture is so enriching, you will have an amazing time.

Robyn Matthews, University of Surrey (UK)

 

18977911074 eb97b741ac zIn the summer after my second year at University, I, along with 15 others went to Brazil to take part in the Brazilian Business and Culture Programme. This took place in Ribeirao Preto, at the University of Sao Paulo. It consisted of various classes such as: Brazilian Economy, Brazilian Law, Portuguese and Brazilian culture. The classes also included local students who wanted to improve their English and have an opportunity to meet students from Surrey. The course allowed us to experience a new culture and how students in Brazil learnt first-hand.

Throughout our time there we were not only restricted to learning via theoretical concepts in the classroom. We were lucky enough to be given the opportunity to visit many companies first hand, the capital Brasilia, and the city Sao Paolo itself. This meant we would see the theoretical knowledge we learnt being applied in person. It also allowed us to use the Portuguese we learnt in class.

The students, lecturers and staff at the University of Sao Paulo were all very welcoming and did everything they could to ensure every student enjoyed this experience. They held engaging lectures and discussions which gave us an understanding of different aspects of Brazil and answered any questions we had. We also socialised with the Brazilians outside of class including a football match at the end of the programme.

Even though people did not speak a lot of English in Brazil, we had no problems communicating at all. Brazilians are keen on helping tourists and are excited to see people from different cultures and countries visiting their country. We learnt a lot not only in the classroom, but also how to live, travel and communicate in a different country.

When I first came to Brazil out of the other 15 Surrey students there, I only knew 2 others. Once I had left, I had managed to create a close friendship with the majority of them and will have memories and experiences that I will remember for a life time. The friends I made in Brazil continue to be my friends in my last year at Surrey too.

I understand some people will be hesitant to travel alone and live in a country they have never been to for a month. A lot of us were like that at the start of the trip, but we quickly realised we were not alone. Every student who went was in the same position meaning everyone was open to making new friends and helping each other have a great time. I was lucky enough to know a few others before going, but others knew no one at all, but still managed to make loads of close friends and enjoy the whole trip.

This is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to experience a new country, make friends and learn at a top class University. I highly recommend going as it is unlikely you will be given such an opportunity anywhere else. Speaking from first-hand experience, I am sure the next year's cohort will enjoy the programme and will be able to create memories that last a lifetime as well.

Overall, it is an experience I will never forget and I am glad I took advantage of this opportunity. I would definitely do it again.

Taha ManiarUniversity of Surrey (UK)

 

2016 - Third Edition

 DSC0770In the summer of 2016, I was part of the Brazilian Business and Culture Programme were I learnt about Brazil's social, economic, law, and agribusiness aspects in USP University, the top university in Brazil. The University is located in Ribeirao Preto, a wealthy city nicknamed "Brazilian California" due to its strength in agribusiness and high technology. The classes were very interactive and interesting, and personally, I really enjoyed the Agribusiness class because, by understanding this, you understand the history of Brazil and how it was founded, why certain areas of Brazil are poor and other are rich, and where their various demographics come from.

The teachers are also extremely friendly and very fluent in English. We had over 8 nationalities in our group and all blended amazingly well! Many of us never met each other before but everyone was so open and friendly and this created a really great atmosphere in the house and classes. We also had made a few Brazilian friends who have also joined the course to meet students from Surrey and to travel around Brazil with us. They were very helpful when it came to calling a taxi to go around town or to order a pizza at the house. The course is not all done in class. As I mentioned before, we travelled to other parts of Brazil, like Sao Paulo, the biggest city in Brazil with over 21 million people, and to capital Brasilia to apply what we learnt in class to the real world. Other places included near towns and cities that were hosts to big sugar cane or coffee plants.

The coffee corporation we have visited, Cooxupe, is the largest Brazilian coffee exporter and it's actually made of many small, family businesses that own a coffee farm. Even though people did not speak a lot of English in Brazil, we had no problems communicating at all. People in Brazil are keen on helping tourists and give a good impression of their country. The experience outside of class helped me a lot in how to live, travel and communicate in a different country. If you want to experience a new country, make new friends and learn about Brazil in Brazil's top University then this is a great opportunity for doing just that. I highly recommend going as this course is such a memorable lifetime adventure and am sure next year's cohort will think the same after they experience it.

Nader QariniUniversity of Surrey (UK)

 

 DSC0747This was a three-week summer programme at Brazil’s most prestigious university – Universidade de São Paulo (USP). I thoroughly enjoyed this course and learned so much about Brazil, it’s economy and culture. We also got to visit Brazil's biggest production companies – a coffee production and a pharmaceutical company. What I liked the most about the summer school was the variety of people I got to meet, the team who welcomed us in USP were very professional and friendly, we all felt very welcomed and the programme itself was very well thought through with specific activities and classes. As part of the summer school we got to go to other cities in Brazil, such as Brasilia and Sao Paulo.

After the end of the programme, a group of 8 of us went to Rio de Janeiro to explore Brazil even more. I was very lucky with the group of people from Surrey I went to Brazil with. I didn’t know anyone before the programme and although we were all so different, we got on extremely well and always made one another laugh. We had Portuguese classes every day and in one of the classes we even learned how to dance Samba.

I can really say that due to this invaluable experience I have made lifelong friendships and it has been my favourite summer so far. Also, we are still keeping in touch very regularly with the team in USP.

Ieva BernateUniversity of Surrey (UK)

 

2017 - 4th Edition