Are you considering going on exchange during your studies? ESSB has over 60 international partner universities where you can study a semester or even a year abroad. The School of International Relations of Fundação Getulio Vargas in São Paulo is one of our newest partner universities. Oliver Della Costa Stuenkel, associate professor in foreign policy and international officer at the university, tells us about his hopes and expectations for this new partnership. Growing up and studying in different countries, Oliver's mission is to enable the next generation to engage with internationals and have international experiences themselves.
How did Fundação Getulio Vargas and ESSB become partner universities?
A few years back, dr. Michal Onderco came to us as a visiting researcher. Over lunch, he and I discussed the key skills that international relations students need in today's world to succeed internationally. His perspectives were very thoughtful, and he told us a lot about how other universities in Europe deal with these kinds of challenges. The partnership followed from this connection and his activism to make this happen.
In September, the first students from São Paulo are coming to study in Rotterdam. What are their motivations for coming here?
I think in addition to the university's reputation and its academic excellence, they also seek to be in a place that's very internationalized, and the Netherlands is seen, in Brazil, as a very welcoming country with a diverse society. Rotterdam is a city that is a gateway to the world and a global hub in terms of trade. They are also excited to meet the international student body at the university. And from a Brazilian perspective, it's a great opportunity that while living in Rotterdam, you can easily travel to many different European cities like Paris, London or Amsterdam just for the weekend.
What do you hope students gain when they go on exchange?
I think going on an exchange just transforms people, and this transformation goes well beyond academia. At first, arriving in a new country where you don’t know anyone can be a great challenge, but overcoming this challenge tends to make students far more confident and willing to accept new challenges throughout their career. Whenever you work as a diplomat, for an international organization or a multinational company: moving elsewhere, having to adapt to a new culture and finding new friends in the process is a key element for many of our graduates. In addition, living abroad allows students to look at the world, including their country of origin, from a new perspective. And, finally, the vast majority returns from their time abroad more tolerant of cultural difference and a greater capacity to act as a bridge-builder between different opinions and worldviews.
How do you think exchange students experience the courses at Fundação Getulio Vargas?
FGV’s School of International Relations is an incredibly vibrant environment where exchange students will have the chance to engage with students from across Brazil as well as other international students from many countries around the world. Professors hail from several different countries including Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Turkey and discussions in class range from theoretical discussions to very hands-on debates about contemporary political affairs. I believe that, for exchange students from Rotterdam, it can be tremendously enriching to study subjects of global affairs from a different geographical perspective. For example, when we discuss topics like development aid, you look at that topic from the perspective of the global south. The IMF might be an institution praised by the Western world. Still, many politicians in Brazil blame the organization for the economic difficulties that the country faced over the past decades, and grasping this reality can help make ESSB students more successful international operators. In addition, exchange students can engage with FGV students from across Brazil, with highly diverse professional goals: some aspire to become diplomats, some plan to join the UN, and others are already planning to run for political office upon graduating!
How is life on campus in São Paulo?
We have an urban campus, and most students live in shared apartments that are only 5 to 20 minutes away from the classes. Our Brazilian students love interacting with internationals, so you can choose from a series of shared apartments as an international. Students really get the chance to mingle with Brazilian students. At the same time, they also get in contact with other international students and build an international network.
How do students experience living and studying in São Paulo?
São Paulo is a huge bustling city that represents the diversity of the entire continent. It's also home to one of the largest diasporas of Lebanese, Japanese and Italians, making it very much a global city. I think it offers an enormous amount of opportunities for students social lives. It also provides professional options such as internships and opportunities to volunteer in social projects. After you have lived in São Paulo, you can be confident you can live in any big city in the world, such as Tokyo, Lagos or Jakarta. São Paulo is also great hub from which it is easy to visit famous tourist destinations such as the Iguazu Falls, and Rio de Janeiro is only a short, 40 minutes plane ride away. There is always a big rivalry here, which state has the better beaches, São Paulo or Rio. Most students get to experience both and can see for themselves!
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Watch this short video about Fundação Getulio Vargas.