USP – Universidade ,

FEA – Faculdade de Economia, Administração e Contabilidade

Exchange Semester: August 2014 - December 2014

Student: Leif Sandhop

During my master year I decided I wanted to do another exchange, in a Latin American country to learn the language, culture and business environment. With its friendly people, fun loving culture, wonderful weather and reputable University, Brazil is a great destination for a study exchange. It does come with its fair amount of challenges and requires preparation, but it is well worth the efforts!

Preparation:

Visa

Brazil is a very bureaucratic country as you will notice as you get serious in the preparations for the exchange. Most importantly start well in advance with you Visa application. The website of the Consulate in Rotterdam1. Provides an extensive list of documents required (criminal record, proof of residence, proof that you have the financial means to support yourself in Brazil, insurance, 2 way flight ticket, etc.). From my experience at the consulate in Rotterdam, they take the requirements of documentation very serious. So do make sure you start collecting your documents well in time as you will have to request some from your municipality who will also require some working days (14 days) to process your requests. To not run into any conflicts my advice is start the application process 3 months in advance.

Accommodation

I was lucky with the accommodation as I had friends in Sao Paulo that helped me arrange a room in advance, so I did not have to worry. But from other exchange students I saw different approaches. Some used student websites to find accommodation. For example on Facebook at the USP exchange students group or easyquarto.com.br. In the beginning I stayed at a hostel for a few days until my room freed up and I could move in. At the hostel I met many exchange students that stayed for a week or so looking for rooms—in the end everyone found a place to stay which suited their needs and preferences.

I stayed in a neighborhood called , which was well situated as it was 25 minutes by bus to University but also I could walk to (popular student place for nightlife) or take the metro to anywhere in the city. It is a relatively expensive neighborhood (rents for a room average 300 Euros to 500 euros) but I deemed it worth the money as the location where you are situated makes life in Sao Paulo considerably easier. Other popular student areas are Butanta, which is really close to the University with a lot of students living in the neighborhood. Rents are also low compared to other neighborhoods, but at night it is not safe to walk around and when going out at night one will have to

1 http://roterda.itamaraty.gov.br/ take taxis. Other good and safe neighborhoods are (expensive), Vila Madalena (expensive), around . Sao Paulo is one of the largest cities in the world so there are countless more neighborhoods. But these are some of the more central areas to where you will most likely spend most of your time as a student.

Practical Things

 Safety. Like any other large city, one has to take care in certain areas. Use common sense and it will be alright. Avoid walking alone in certain areas—locals will make you aware, don’t wear flashy accessories. Personally, my phone was pickpocketed while I was out at night on one of the first nights and I did not notice a thing. Many of my friends had a `nice phone` which they left at home at night, and one `going-out phone` which did not hurt so much if stolen.  At University most people speak good English, and I was allowed to do presentations and reply to test questions in English. Generally, courses are in Portuguese. So I do advise to learn some Portuguese in advance. Also in day to day live when arranging things, very few people will be able to speak Portuguese.  Money. I unlocked my ING debit card for World use for my exchange period which was very handy. In Sao Paulo it is very common to pay everything by card which is very handy as it does not make it a requirement to carry a lot of cash around.  For the beginning a well situated and, in my opinion, nice hostel is Garoa Hostel2. Very close to the bus that goes straight to the FEA campus (25 mins) and right next to Faria Lima Metro Station. So it is a place where it is quite easy to get around from.  Sao Paulo is not only sunshine. Weather can change 4 times a day from hot to cold, to rainy, to windy. It is quite messy at times. So do bring a sweater and a raincoat. In August it is still quite `cold`, but then it starts getting very warm in October.  The university campus is huge and has a lot to offer! There are always student events organized. Sports facilities are freely accessible, along with swimming pool, football fields, and gym. Also, there are restaurants with lunches for around 7 Euros per lunch and there is a cantine that is subsidized which costs round 1 euro(main course, salad, dessert and drink!).

Arrival:

I travelled around Brazil prior to the start of my exchange so I arrived at the city airport named Congonhas, which was a 10 euro taxi ride away from the hostel I stayed at. Coming from an international destination one will arrive at the International Airport Guarulhos. By taxi into the city it will be around 50 euros, but there are plenty of shuttle buses that will cost a lot less. Common is to take a bus to metro station Tatuape and from there take the metro into the city (this will cost around 3 euros).

Also, in my year there was a buddy system where a Brazilian USP student ‘adopts` a foreign student and helps tremendously with day to day things. A lot of my exchange friends were picked up by their buddies and introduced to the city of Sao Paulo.

2 http://www.garoahostel.com/en/index.php The University has an introduction session, and everything for your daily life will be explained really well. Most importantly is that within 30 days after your arrival you have to register at the Federal Police to get yourself as an international staying for an extended period in Brazil. Everyone has to go through the process. University will help you filling out the forms you need.

Courses:

From my experience, organization of courses is not as we are used to from Rotterdam. It can be somewhat disorganized and you may not get your preferred courses as there are limited spaces. My advice is: you will receive a list of courses and a form to sign up for courses prior to the start of the semester. Fill out the form as soon as you get it as courses were in my case allocated on a first come first serve basis. As mentioned before, most courses are in Portuguese; however, in my year there were 2 English taught courses designed for exchange students to learn about Brazilian economy and business.

Course Code: Name: USP Work Credits* Hours EAC0522 Gestão Internacional e Negócios no Brasil 2 (3.5) 60 EAD0615 Gerenciamento de Projetos 2 30 EAD0780 Administração de Organizações no Brasil 2 30 EAD0667 Logística e Cadeia de Suprimentos 2 30 EAE0504 Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social 4 60 *12 USP CREDITS= 30 ECTs

EAC0522 Gestão Internacional e Negócios no Brasil (taught in English) Course Objective: Course is taught especially for the incoming International students of USP. It revolves around the Brazilian business environment and Brazilian businesses in a globalized world. It is objective of the course to become proficient in discussing Brazilian business topics, to learn to work in international groups, to present in front of an audience.

Content:

Class 1- Compared Cultural Differences in Management - Case of Brazil Class 2 - Doing Business in Brazil - Major Regulations and Characteristics Class 3 - Managing Information Systems in Transnational Companies Class 4 - Managing Information Systems in Transnational Companies - Research data sources Class 5 and 7 - Corporate Governance in Brazil Class 6 and 8 - Managerial practices in Brazil Class 9 and 10 - Business Education: changes and advances in technology, teaching and learning Class 11 - Management and Decisions Class 12 - Management and Decisions Class 13 - Practitioners Presentation

Difficulty: Grade is determined by group works, class presence, a quiz and a final exam. The course is quite doable, and as long as assignment are completed in time and diligently one can expect to get a good grade in this course. Teaching Method: Course is taught by the head of the International office, almost exclusively by him. He presents powerpoint slides to the class. Invites guest lecturers. A field visit to the Sao Paulo stock exchange. And from presentation of fellow student.

EAD0615 Gerenciamento de Projetos (Project Management) Course Objective: To develop competency in the basics of project management, based on Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). The lectures of this course are in Portuguese; however, assignments were allowed to be done in English.

Content: Follows closely the outline of the course textbook (PMBOK)

Overview of PMBOK - Project Management Body of Knowledge

· Concept design, program, and system subproject · Project Life Cycle · Life Cycle Management · Project preparation techniques: scope management, time, cost, quality and risk · Project scheduling: activities, precedence diagram and schedule · Budgeting · Organizational systems project management · Organizational Structure · Project Manager Role · Project Trading

Difficulty: Moderate. There is no final exam in this course, the grade is based on a final project. The goal is to deliver and develop a project plan of your choice using the techniques and tools taught in class. The project is a group assignment.

Teaching Method: Powerpoint presentation to the class by the professor, group assignments.

EAD0780 Administração de Organizações no Brasil Course Objective: Present to students unfamiliar to the Brazilian realities, the institutional and business environment and the characteristics of the management of organizations in Brazil. This course is taught in English.

Content:

Environmental characterization of Brazilian organizations: political-institutional environment, aspects of the Brazilian economy and its global integration, market structures and business Organizational studies in Brazil Strategy, forecasting and scenarios for Brazilian organizations Finance in Brazil Marketing in Brazil People Management in Brazil Culture in organizations Project Management in Brazil Technological Innovation Management in Brazil Information Management in the Brazilian organization.

Difficulty: If all assignments are done in time, and one does the reading for the course it is possible to get a high grade. Grading is based on a written book review, a group presentation, and a quizzes that are done at the beginning of each lecture about the reading materials. Teaching Method: The students of the course provide presentation on a given weekly topic. The students teach the students and the professor moderates and starts discussions during the lecture. There are also guest lecturers.

EAD0667 Logística e Cadeia de Suprimentos Course Objective: Present concepts and techniques of the administration of logistics and supply chains.

Content:

·Logistics and Supply Chain: concepts, functions and associated costs · Location and use of multiple units (quantitative models based on mixed linear programming): System with 1 product manufactured in several factories, system with various products manufactured in different factories, manufacturing systems in different units (needs calculation / mix) · Inclusion of aggregate production planning decisions in location models · Serial inventory systems Planning · Handling and storage of materials · Deliveries Routing · Buying methods

Difficulty: Moderate. Exam is based on two tests counting 50% each. One exam is quantitative and one qualitative.

Teaching Method: Powerpoint presentation of concepts to the students by the professor as well as classes done in the computer lab.

EAE0504 Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social Course Objective: This course aims to analyze the most significant contributions of the literature of economic growth and development, from the perspective of economic theory with oriented implementation of policies and economic strategies. It is taught in Portuguese, but I was allowed to take the exam in english.

Content:

1. Concepts, measures and indicators of social and economic development. 2. Population 3. Growth Theories and economic development 4. Dynamic models 5. Sources of economic development 6. Human Capital 7. Sector specific and limiting factors of development 8. Development and external sector 9. Case Studies 10. Brazil Economic Evolution in its international context

Difficulty: This course takes a lot of reading. There are 2 exams with open questions which require you to apply the concepts one has learned from the reading to the questions given by the professor. Teaching Method: Professor discusses the reading with the students. Classes are not prepared and no visual aids are given. The professor is very good in leading the discussion and provides very interesting insights to the readings. Classes are not reiterative of the readings, the readings guide the discussion.

Finances:

Generally, my impression is that Sao Paulo is an expensive place. But that is also because I have been very active in travelling, and participating in events such as parties, expositions, student trips, dinners at restaurants, concerts. Daily life is definitely comparable to Rotterdam prices. In supermarkets fruits, vegetables, and meat is much cheaper than in Europe; however anything imported is much more expensive.

Flights around Brazil can be bought for 60 euros, and bus travels for around 30 Euros to very diverse destinations. Busses are very comfortable to travel with but distances are very long (the country is huge!) and the road infrastructure is not optimal.

Expenses in Euros:

Total (Stay of 6 Per month months) Visa - 54 Flight - 900 Insurance - 160 Accommodation 450 2,700 Food 150 900 Sports free Study Material 10 60 Transport 30 180 Going out 100 600 Travelling 1,500 Total 7,054 Euros

Daily Life:

I loved my stay in Sao Paulo and I can only recommend it to students contemplating of going on exchange here. The culture is very rich, people are fun and open and take a big interest in you and are interested in what you have to say. Such as what your opinion is about Brazil as a foreigner. It is a very different culture from what one knows from Rotterdam/Netherlands. There are problems that will be encountered but there will always be a solution found, one needs to come with a certain amount of patience and openness for new experiences.

The city itself is massive and it is easy to get lost, traffic is horrendous, I spent considerable amounts of time stuck on the bus on a seemingly short route (think 1.5 hour for a 6 km commute). But these troubles are easily compensated by the amount of sights and activities this city has to offer. It truly is a mega-city, with a diverse culture and any amenity you could wish for. And if one ones to get out of the city for a bit there are beautiful beaches just 2 hours by bus from Sao Paulo.

The university has a very good reputation, there are many events hosted at the University and they receive renown guest speakers. In my semester there was, among others, Alvin E. Roth (nobel laureate) and a game theory conference held, as well as Thomas Picketty (Capital in the Twenty-First Century) who gave speeches.