Home is where the heart is for Brazilian students

02 Jan, 2014

Read in English below | Read in  Portuguese here

By Natália de Santana Revi

Of all the countries in Latin America, Brazil sends the highest number of students abroad each year and all the indications are that  this trend will continue. However, it is not always clear what Brazilian students do once they finish their studies. Before we can understand this, we need to understand who studies abroad. The number of Brazilians studying abroad is increasing every year as a result of a growing middle class and a number of study mobility programmes introduced by the Brazilian Government. Exact figures are hard to come by: in the same way that information on the number of Brazilians living abroad is limited, it is also difficult to establish the number of students studying outside Brazil. A number of surveys have been carried out; however, these have mainly been conducted by individual organizations focusing on particular areas of interest rather than the broader picture. As a result, the available information is fragmented. When we look at the results of the surveys that have been carried out it is clear that the vast majority of the Brazilians studying abroad do so for language learning purposes.

Popular destinations include countries such as Canada, France and Spain demonstrating Brazilian students’ interest in French, Spanish and English language skills. Perhaps, also, there is a perception that these languages will provide opportunities for future careers. The age range of Brazilian students is also broader than one might have expected with the average age of Brazilian students ranging from 16 to 35 years. Clearly, studying abroad is not limited to teenagers and young undergraduates. According to the organization Belta, the UK is the third most popular destination chosen by Brazilian students and more than half enrol at a university or language course based in London. The majority of these students come from the Southern regions of Brazil. Of course, those who come to study languages, usually only stay for a short period and soon return to Brazil.

Nathalia Pimenta is one example of a Brazilian studying London. Originally from Rio de Janeiro, she is currently an undergraduate student at the London Metropolitan University. According to a study carried out by the GNext MBA, 90% of those studying in Europe would like to return to Brazil after finishing their courses and Nathalia is no exception. “I came here to grow professionally and to gain experience; however, I want to follow my career in Physical Education in Brazil”.

Regina Linhares Hostins is also determined to return once she completes her post-doctoral studies at the Institute of Education, University of London. “I have a responsibility to the education system in my country. Although it is a privilege to be here, I have a social obligation to return to my country and contribute towards the improvement of the Brazilian educational system”. You might wonder why students travel abroad if they intend to work in Brazil. Regina, who originally comes from Santa Catarina in the south of Brazil, identifies the wide range of study resources that she has access to and the autonomy and independence that she has at the University of London as being fundamental to her choice of studying in London and crucial to her academic development.

Carla Fontabassi from São Paulo is an undergraduate student in Business and Management at Greenwich University. With just 5 months left of her course she has already started to think about her future as a graduate. The first step will be sending her CV to Brazilian companies to assess her career prospects. “I hope to find a very good job with a high salary, where I will be able to share everything I have learned at my university in London”.  Carla is convinced that she will have more opportunities in Brazil, as in the UK she would need a masters, at the very least, to compete in her field. It seems then, that the majority of Brazilians are determined to return to Brazil once they finish their studies. Almost certainly their decision is partly motivated by the economic growth that the country is experiencing and is widely reported in the UK media. From a UK perspective, where economic news has been full of doom and gloom in recent years, Brazil really does appear to be the land of opportunity. A sense of duty to Brazilian society is also an important motivating factor and one can only admire students such as Regina who believe in their ability to make a difference. In fact, whatever their motivations, one thing is clear: Brazilian students in London are optimistic about their future.