Every year, a number of Warwick students have the opportunity to attend Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais’s (UFMG), Summer School on Brazilian Studies (SSBS)Link opens in a new window in Belo Horizonte – the capital city of Brazil’s federal state of Minas Gerais. The interdisciplinary programme offers an intensive introduction to Brazilian history, politics, economy and culture, alongside daily, immersive Portuguese language classes. It also includes visits local historic and cultural sites, such as Ouro Preto Link opens in a new windowand the Inhotim InstituteLink opens in a new window, and the opportunity to meet UFMG faculty and staff. The Summer School maintains a careful balance of international and domestic students, operating a buddy system where every international student is paired with a student studying at UFMG, to maximise opportunities for intercultural exchange and learning.
Of the experience, Emma, a BA student in the field of Global Sustainable Development, says: "I had such an interesting experience at the UFMG summer school. I loved the interdisciplinary learning and it was very relevant to my course, and I was able to improve my Portuguese as well. It was fun to be with students from all over the world and share our experiences and cultures, and I made some great friends! Exploring Brazil was a new experience and I loved it."