Brazilian students broaden their horizons with the Science without Borders Programme

28 Nov, 2013

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By Natalia de Santana Revi

In a rapidly growing economy like Brazil’s, investing in human capital is an important way to maintain the pace of growth and supply the country’s demand for a well-qualified labour force.  For many Brazilians, studying in a foreign university is a way to boost their employment prospects and take advantage of opportunities that might not exist if they were studying in a university in Brazil.

Science without Borders (SwB) is a Brazilian mobility scholarship programme developed by the Federal Government which gives financial incentives to Brazilian undergraduate and graduates who hope to study abroad. The programme aims to attract students from the fields of science, engineering, mathematics, innovation and technology, along with the creative industries. As a consequence, the Government hopes to address the shortage of highly qualified workers in a number of technical fields.  In addition, the programme also aims to develop links between Brazil and partner countries in government, higher education sector and the private sector. These links will eventually support further collaboration between both countries and students.

The programme is extremely ambitious, aiming to enable 101,000 Brazilian students and researchers to enter some of the world’s top universities. It is expected that in the UK alone approximately 10,000 Brazilian students will be welcomed over the next four years. It is the result of the combined effort between the Ministry of Education (MEC) and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MCT) through their specific funding agencies – CNPq and CAPES. Science without Borders UK (SwB UK) is coordinated by the UK HE International Unit on behalf of UK universities. Those interested in applying for the programme should no te that their overseas experience will last for a minimum of 1 year. Students are expected to be selected on the basis of their level of skill and knowledge in the chosen course. They will also have to meet the language requirements of the course, which varies from university to university. The most commonly accepted language tests in the UK are IELTS and TOEFL. In addition, the scholar will have to study at least 60 percent of their course in Brazil. Finally, the student must return to Brazil at the end of the scholarship. If they fail to comply with these requirements, he or she will have to reimburse all the expenses paid by the Science without Borders programme.

Matheus Geremias, a Brazilian undergraduate student from the University of Vale do Itajai (UNIVALI)

According to Matheus Geremias, a Brazilian undergraduate student from the University of Vale do Itajai (UNIVALI) who came over to undertake an undergraduate sandwich course in Biomedicine at the University of the West of England, having the opportunity to study in a foreign university brings numerous benefits. Matheus has learnt to be more independent and develop particular academic skills that he would not have had the opportunity to develop in a university in Brazil. He also gives a tip for those who are thinking about participating in the programme: “It is important to keep an aye on the dates for the language exams required for each particular language you take as they are not very often, but extremely important to give you access to a foreign institution” . Investing in talent seems to be the mantra of Science without Borders and participation in the programme for students and researches represents a major step forward in developing professional skills and competencies. However, it is equally important for participants to embrace the opportunity to learn about a new culture and return to Brazil to help in the construction of a better society.