ESCOLA DE ADMINISTRAÇÃO DE EMPRESAS DE SÃO
PAULO - FUNDAÇÃO GETULIO VARGAS (EAESP-FGV)
Source: http://mundodasdicas.com.br/avenida-paulista-sao-paulo-fotos
TRAVEL REPORT
Nathaly Guzmán Figueroa 329613
Spring 2014
1. PREPARING FOR THE EXCHANGE
About documents needed, visa procedure, and papers needed in Host University
If you want to be an exchange student in FGV-EAESP, you have to first send an application to
the International Studies office in Aalto University-BIZ. This is the regular application that all
students have to do if they want to go for exchange. Once Aalto-BIZ has accepted your place in
your desired exchange university, you have to wait for an official acceptance letter from FGVEAESP. The official acceptance letter takes long time to come, so I recommend you to be
patient. In my case (going for exchange in spring 2014), I got this letter in the beginning of
November.
You will also need a student visa to study in Brazil, so you will have to do paperwork to get this.
FGV-EAESP will start communicating with you about all procedures to become an official
student and to register your courses.
With the official acceptance letter, you can apply for the Brazilian student visa. Be aware that
you cannot start any visa procedure without this letter. You can apply for this visa at the
Brazilian Embassy located in Kaivopuisto in Helsinki. The process is very easy and they do not
take longer than two weeks to decide on your application. The application fee is 36 Euros. The
following are the documents you need to gather to apply for student visa:
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Passport valid for no less than 6 months
One passport-size photograph
Visa Application Form must be filled at https://scedv.serpro.gov.br
Extract of the Criminal Records for applicants of 18 years of age or above
Full birth certificate ("Extract from the population register" stating the full names of the
applicant’s parents on it).
Original letter from the Brazilian educational institution confirming acceptance or a place
and duration of course
Proof of financial means of support during the stay in Brazil
Round trip air ticket reservation with passenger’s name. Itinerary must show dates and
cities of entry and departure in Brazil
For more information you can visit the webpage of the Brazilian Embassy in Finland:
http://helsinque.itamaraty.gov.br/en-us/_r_student_visa.xml
Please, follow all instructions that you get at the embassy. When you get your official visa, they
will also provide a form that you have to take with you to Brazil to register in the Federal Police
office. Remember to check all the information in this form and in your visa, because if there are
spelling mistakes, it might cause trouble in the Federal Police. Therefore, it is better that you
crosscheck all information before leaving Finland.
Meanwhile, FGV-EAESP sends a lot of information by e-mail. They will inform you about the
procedure to become an official exchange student in their school and to register courses. You
will need to register in their online system, and it is important you also send to the school a
digital copy of your passport, one photo, your health insurance, and a copy of your visa once you
get it. All these procedures are very easy and the school tries to be as clear as possible so all
students can follow the instructions.
If you happen to have any questions regarding application matters you can also e-mail to
[email protected]. Unfortunately, they get many e-mails and it might be possible that they take long
time to answer. If your question is very acute, I recommend contacting by phone. They speak
very good English at the international office and this is sometimes a faster way to answer
inquiries.
Traveling to Brazil, reception at Host University
Be aware that Brazil is still an extremely bureaucratic country, and you will maybe have to go
through many paperwork procedures in order to get things done.
Once you arrive in Brazil, there are certain things you will need to do to legalize your student
visa in the country. According to Brazilian Laws the foreigners must register in the Federal
Police within 30 days, from the day of arrival. So please, be aware of this, and plan your trip
accordingly. This registration is not very difficult if you speak Portuguese. However, if you feel
your Portuguese skills are not good enough yet, you can get help from the host university.
FGV-EAESP will ask you the date and place of arrival because they want to make sure you can
accomplish all necessary paperwork once you are in Brazil. They organize some groups of
students to go together with a Brazilian to the Federal Police office, so the process is easier.
Once you are registered, you will get some kind of ID number called RNE that you will be able
to use during your stay in Brazil. The host university will give advice and support if necessary,
so do not be afraid to ask if you happen to need help with anything related with Brazilian
Bureaucracy.
There are other documents you might want to get in order to make your life a bit easier during
your stay in Brazil. For example, you can apply to get a “CPF number” which is some kind of
tax number that works sometimes as an ID. In general, you might need it when booking bus trips
online, when renting a car, and when purchasing in stores. If you decide to get one, it will take
around 4 to 5 hours. The school can give you further instruction on how to get this!
Moreover, getting a student travel card can be also useful. If you are leaving more than 2 Km
away from the school, you can apply to get this. The student travel card has 50% discount for 10
return trips to school in case you are Master’s degree student, and for 20 return trips in case you
are Bachelor’s student. I think this is totally worth it in case you use transportation a lot, but be
prepared to wait a long time to get it. Again, school supports you with this, but it can be
extremely tiring considering the amount of papers (RNE, CPF number, application form,
certified letter mentioning where you live, electricity bill of place where you live, photo…), and
the long waiting time.
FGV-EAESP plans a welcome week for exchange students. This welcome week was during the
first week of February 2014, and this time is used not only in paperwork issues but in fun
activities such as a city tour, party, etc. I specially recommend you go to this city tour, it is a lot
of fun and it is a good opportunity to get to know other students and to see quickly the great city
where you will live. There will also be presentations about the student clubs and activities.
Finally, there will be a welcome party where you can get to meet other students and where you
will see some traditional Brazilian dances and sports.
You will also be contacted by a Brazilian FGV student that will help you in all what you need
before and during your stay in Brazil. These Brazilian students are part of a “Buddy
Programme”, which is meant to help exchange students to adapt to Brazil and FGV in a smooth
and easy way. You will also be added to a Facebook group where exchange students share
information about all kinds of matters including courses, registration procedures, paperwork,
housing, etc.
Finding a place to live
This is an extremely important issue when it comes to a huge city as Sao Paulo. I recommend
you to start looking for a place well in advance before departure, although there are some
exchange students that decide to arrive and stay in hostels while they look for a room. The host
school does not really provide support on this matter. They give some suggestions of websites
where you can find information, but they do not have any apartments or rooms to offer.
Some of the school recommendations are:
www.easyquarto.com.br
http://sampaflatshare.blogspot.com
Some facebook groups that can help:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/505811382806724/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/158116394252230/
You will also find some housing adds in the school. There are boards in all floors with
information on different matters, and housing has a big space. From experience, I suggest you to
live near by the school. I lived for one month in a neighborhood called “Barra Funda” which is
not very far away from school. However, I had to take metro and walk long distances so it took
me around 45 minutes to get to school. Sao Paulo is a very crowded city, and doing this everyday
takes all your energy. So, if you have the chance to live near by the school, it is better to go for it,
even if you have to pay couple of hundred euros more. After one month, I decided to move to a
shared apartment located 15 minutes by walk to school. Life changed totally, skipping public
transportation really saves a lot of energy, money and time.
2. EXCHANGE STUDIES
There were two academic periods during the first semester of 2014. As Sao Paulo is in the
southern hemisphere, the seasons are the opposite. So, it was the autumn term, with two periods.
The first period started on the 3rd of February and finished on the 4th of April, with exam week
from the 7th to the 11th of April. The second period started just after this exam week on the 14th
of April and finished on the 4th of June, with exam week from the 7th to the 11th of June. There
was also one week off (the holly week in Brazil) but that varies with the year calendar.
About the Programs and courses
There are a great variety of courses to choose from and the offer gets even bigger if you speak
Portuguese. For master’s degree exchange students the program that is popular the most is the
International Management Program because the majority of courses are in English. You can
choose freely from the courses offered and you also have one week after the start of the classes
to drop or add a course. This year, the program had two courses in Portuguese in the second
period, the rest of courses were in English.
You can also choose courses in other programs such as Business Administration that they called
part time MBA, Professional Master in Business Administration MPA, Academic Master, and
Professional Master in Public Administration. Taking a course in these programs is a bit more
complicated. You cave to fill a separate form and in some cases it is necessary to write a
motivation letter and send a CV. The MPA Program requires also at least 5 years of professional
experience. These programs do not have drop and add week and most of the courses are in
Portuguese but there are a few in English.
And just to keep in mind, if you want to take courses in Portuguese, you will have to take a
Portuguese Proficiency test that serves as a proficiency proof for business courses taught in
Portuguese. The exam basically evaluates students´ skills to participate actively in the class room
and to answer a written academic test in Portuguese. The exam is organized but another
institution and I had to pay a fee of 50 Reais. In general, this exam is not hard if you have basic
knowledge of Portuguese and can understand easy texts and conversations. When the university
told us about the exam, they mentioned that “the required proficiency level is UPPER
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL (the last before ADVANCED), a level that the student
should consider similar to a TOEFL level of 90 in English”. However, I consider the test is not as
challenging as TOEFL, so if you are really keen on taking some courses in Portuguese, do not be
afraid of this and go for it!
I did four courses in total: two courses in English and two in Portuguese. Three of the courses
were from the International Management Program, and one course from the Professional Master
in Public Administration. The following is a description of the courses I took:
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NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND SOCIAL INNOVATIONS, 14244-30, Master’s course, 6
credits
Lecturer: MARLEI POZZEBON, Master (production systems) from Federal University of Rio
Grande do Sul, and Ph.D. (Management) from McGill University
Evaluation of the course:
20% Participation to each class (this included a presentation)
40% Social business plan (in teams)
40% Final exam (individual)
In this course we learnt about innovation from a social and sustainable perspective, and we
studied about technologies that might promote a social change. The course had many real-life
cases representing different technologies and innovations. We also analyzed contemporary
dilemmas related with development and sustainability. In addition, we acquired tools to start
thinking on our own social innovations.
I enjoyed very much this course. Every class was very interesting and there were always
different activities to keep the students engaged. There was also opportunity for discussion and
the teacher was very keen on answering questions, receiving feedback, and debating with the
students. The class was really inspiring and I think all students were really satisfied with it.
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BRIC AND THE INTERNATIONAL ECONOMY, 11956-30, Master’s course, 6 credits
Lecturer: Antonio Carlos Manfredini da C. Oliveira, Masters in Business Administration from
Fundação Getulio Vargas - SP (1985) and Ph.D. in Economics from the University of São Paulo
(1992).
Evaluation of the course:
25% Group presentation
35% Term essay
40% final exam
This course analyzed the BRIC countries keeping into account concepts from international
economics and strategy. We studied the political, economic, and social situation of every BRIC
country, going through their history and the major current trends. Global issues were also
discussed and the influence of the BRIC on different issues regarding finance, technology,
environment, energy, population, etc. was also assessed.
The course was really interesting. During classes, there was opportunity to discuss with the
teacher about the different topics presented on the readings and by students. The class was very
interactive and the topics were all relevant. It is only advisable to read the articles provided by
the teacher and to work hard on the other tasks.
The teacher was very demanding with every task and he was also very careful with punctuality.
Compared with other courses, this might be the one that required most of work, but if you like
and enjoy the topics it is really rewarding.
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NEGOCIAÇÃO (Negotiation), 14153-30, Master’s course, 6 credits
Lecturer: Jaci C. Leite, Doctor in Business Administration - FAC. ECONOMY, USP - 1996
Evaluation of the course:
25% Participation
30% Analytical reports
15% Book Analysis
30% Final exam
In this course all students had the chance to develop skills in negotiation. We learnt different
concepts about negotiation and we discussed about the different strategies and methodologies to
be applied when negotiating. The teacher made used of various examples from real life, and we
also got the opportunity to apply the concepts learnt in different group exercises.
This course is one of the best I have ever taken. The teacher was an expert in this topic and he
had lots of experiences and knowledge to share with the students. The class was also very
entertaining and time usually flew rapidly away. In the end, we all took good lessons to apply in
everyday situations and of course in the toughest working related negotiations.
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POLÍTICAS PÚBLICAS E MEIO AMBIENTE (Public policy and environment), 1355830, Master’s course, 6 credits
Lecturer: Mario Monzoni, Doctor of Public Administration and Government - Getúlio Vargas
Foundation - 2006
Evaluation of the course:
40% Participation
60% Exercise
In this course we discussed about environmental issues and their relation with public policy.
During the first part of the course we learnt about basics of environmental management and we
studied the different world developments on this topic. The second part of the course was
focused on the design of public policies to address environmental challenges. Our working area
was Brazil.
This course was very interesting and it gave me the opportunity to get to know students from
other programs at the school. Most of the students in this course were people with extent
professional experience so I learnt a lot from every one of them. The class was very participative
and the teacher was always keen on discussing and using different participatory methods.
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PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE COURSE
The university offered to all exchange students 30 hours of Portuguese for free. These classes
were organized and undertaken by another institution that had an agreement with FGV.
Unfortunately, the course was very disappointing and the teachers did not seem prepared. My
class was very boring, and students lost motivation very quickly. Our teacher arrived late and left
early and did not really make an effort to engage students into the class topics.
I hope this course improves in the future because it is an excellent way to get to learn a bit more
of the language while you are practicing it on the streets. Hopefully the university can find
another institution that provides language classes with better quality.
Just as a general advice, try to take a Portuguese course in advance so you can get along better in
Brazil. English is still not very popular in the country so most likely you will have to do
everyday activities in Portuguese. Life is much easier if you speak at least the basics of
Portuguese, and you will soon notice that it is also very good way to discover new things and
understand the lifestyle and traditions of locals.
3. FREE TIME AND OTHER INFORMATION
Cost of living
Monthly expense
Housing - single room at
student’s apartment
Food
Transportation (bus ticket-R$
3,00 and metro-R$3,00)
Books and Supplies
Other expenses
Total monthly expenses
Real
Euro (exchange
rate 1.7.2014)
1300
700
429
231
150
100
300
2550
49,5
33
99
841,5
Getting to know other students and free time
You will meet lots of people at the school. It is especially easy to make friends among the
exchange students because there are programs organized by the international office for
international students. You will also study with them and most likely travel around with them.
Getting to meet Brazilians is a bit more challenging because they are usually in other programs
and because they have their everyday life activities there. However, the “buddy program” I
mentioned before is a good way to start. You can also meet people in parties, and through other
friends.
There are also student clubs you can try to belong to. The sports club is the most open and the
easiest to participate in. I tried to join another club doing projects on social business and
corporate responsibility, but unfortunately their schedules are sometimes very tight and time
passes very fast for you to get to do something real.
And there are plenty of activities to do during your free time. Sao Paulo is a huge city with
plenty of cultural attractions, parks, restaurants, and neighborhoods to discover. I suggest you
start early going around the city, because it is so big that one semester is not really enough time
to discover it all. Other recommendations for spending free time are to join some gym or martial
arts gym (they are really popular nowadays specially Capoeira and Muay Thai). You can also go
to a Samba school and try few lessons, and you can stay in touch with events and fairs organized
by the city. During my time there, there was a very big entrepreneurship fair, one fitness and
health fair, lots of concerts, and other cultural happenings.
General information for the local area, weather, cultural differences
From my point of view, weather in Sao Paulo is very nice. January and February were a bit too
hot, with temperatures around 35 and 40 Celsius degrees. This was a rare phenomenon for locals,
and they said it is the first time in many years that the city gets so hot. The city started cooling
down in March, and May/June were a bit colder, with temperatures around 15 and 26 Celsius
degrees. It rains quite a lot sometimes, but there is a big amount of sunny, beautiful days.
Paulistas (people from Sao Paulo) complain a lot about weather, but you will soon notice that it
is not that bad for a person who has lived in a country like Finland. The only thing to keep in
mind is to bring some thick clothes for June, July and August. Nights can be chili and there is not
heating system in the houses, so it gets very cold indoors. However, days were still warm
(around 24 degrees) at least until the time I stayed (end of June).
You will soon notice there are many cultural differences between Brazil and Finland. I am from
Colombia so maybe I did not notice then immediately, but I have lived in Finland for quite a
long time to be able to realize some important variances. Next, I will tell some examples that I
consider important:
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Brazilians are much louder than Finns, and living in a city as big as Sao Paulo exposes
you to a lot of noise. So, be prepared to tolerate noisy places where you have to almost
shout to communicate.
Brazilians like personal contact. They have little idea about personal space so you might
feel a bit awkward in some situations. For instance, it is normal to kiss and hug people
when you get into a place, both to say hi, and good bye.
Communicating by e-mail is still not very effective in Brazil. Brazilians take ages to
answer e-mails. So, if you have an urgent matter, you better call or talk directly with the
person.
Brazilians hate conflict so they avoid any situation where they have to be honest and say
“no” or tell their real opinion about some topic. Usually, they support and agree with you,
but then they might start avoiding you or taking long time to answer.
If you are interested in joining a group, or in promoting something at school, you will
need to be very pushy. Brazilians take life at a slower pace than Europeans, so they take
long time making a plan, or taking a decision. So you better insist, and remind them you
are not staying there forever.
Traveling in the host country
Last but not least, book some time to travel around. If you are short on time you can enjoy the
beaches in the coastal area (approximately 1-2 hours from Sao Paulo). If you have a bit more of
time, go to Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Parana, Santa Catarina do Sul. I visited all these places
so I can guarantee, you are going to have an amazing experience. Moreover, if you have at least
3 or 4 days off, try to visit the Northeast or Amazonas.
Do not forget to do sightseeing in Sao Paulo! Sao Paulo is a huge city that offers all kind plans.
Thousands of restaurants, plenty of museums, great business activity, beautiful parks,
astonishing views from the top of many skyscrapers… As a personal advice, pay attention to the
graffiti on many of the buildings in the city. Their style is called “pixaxao”, they are actually not
regular graffiti (you will soon notice about it), and they have a very interesting history behind.
Around Brazil, you can travel by bus or airplane. Trains are not really common in Brazil. Buses
are good and if you take long distance buses you can try the “leito bus” which has much more
space and you can sleep more comfortably. In the south, infrastructure is way much better than in
the north. So, highways are really good, and the whole road experience is very nice. However, be
aware that during holidays (e.g. carnival, holy week) highways can get really crowded, and it can
take double the time that it normally takes from one place to another. Especially the exit and
entrance from/to the big cities can be a nightmare.
Something to keep in mind is the security matters. Brazil is still a country with high levels of
poverty, so criminality is very common in many Brazilian cities. You will be safe if you use your
“common sense” and avoid showing off your valuables or walking on lonely places late at night.
Hear the advices of the locals even if you think they exaggerate! Towns are safer but try to be
always careful.
In general, I really enjoyed traveling around Brazil. Landscapes are breathtaking, food is
delicious, the exotic tropical fruits are exquisite, music is a lot of fun, cities and towns are full of
interesting history, and people are just amazing. You need maybe more than six months to
discover the whole country. However, try to take advantage of your time there, and enjoy the
different places, flavors, tastes, smells, colors… You will soon fall in love with the country!
4. FINAL COMMENTS
Would you recommend the host university to other students?
I totally recommend FGV-EAESP to other students. This school is the best business school in
Brazil. Soon, you will notice the level of the courses and the great qualifications that teachers
have. The premises and academic tools the school has are also excellent and the school has
different spaces where you can study and improve your knowledge and skills. In addition, this is
a good place to do networking because both teachers and students have interesting backgrounds.
The school gives all kinds of support to exchange students, so you will never feel lonely or
“lost”. Finally, the fact that the school is located in the center of the biggest city in the world’s
southern hemisphere exposes you to all kinds of cultural experiences and striking places and
views.
Is there anything you would do differently if you were going to the same university for another
exchange?
I would probably take all courses in Portuguese. It is a very good way to practice the language
and get to know Brazilians; in the end, the Portuguese exam you have to take is not as
challenging as the university portrays it.
I would also try to hang out more with locals. It is natural to end up hanging out with exchange
students most of the time. You share classes with exchange students and you travel and do
hobbies with them. Though, if I went there once more, I would try to get into more courses or
spaces that are more popular among locals, so I could get more of their language and their
culture.
What did you learn during your exchange?
First, the courses I took were really interesting and I learnt a lot about the topics taught to us.
Then, I also improved my Portuguese skills, so I can communicate more fluently now. In
addition, a learnt about Brazilian culture, about their food, music, history and different traditions.
I also acquired knowledge about Brazil’s political and economic system and I could understand
more about their social issues and their challenges as a country.
What did you learn about yourself during the exchange?
I was once an exchange student in Finland, some years ago and I was exposed to many cultural
and academic differences. In this new student exchange, I realized I have actually become a very
tolerant and open-minded person. During this time, I discovered it was easier to interact and
work in teams with people from other cultures and backgrounds. I also noticed I am more
independent, and I am not afraid to ask for help if needed.
Thank you Aalto University, School of Business for such an amazing experience!