Dr Andreza de Souza Santos’ module on Contemporary Brazil was a journey through the country’s history and politics: from its colonial past and independence, to the years of military dictatorship, and into the present with Lula’s economic and social policies, Bolsonaro’s presidency, and Brazil’s current role in global climate and environmental debates. Over the semester, I discovered just how fascinating Brazil was, and how much I enjoyed studying it. This also led me to attend events organised by the Brazil Institute, such as a talk on the future of Brazilian democracy in the context of growing political polarisation, Bolsonaro’s presidency, and the attempted insurrection on January 8th in Brasília.
In my second semester, I took the Comparative Politics of Latin America module, which explores the political economy of Latin American countries both historically and today. This further deepened my interest in the region, and when the opportunity arose to apply for a summer school program on Brazilian studies at UFMG (Federal University of Minas Gerais) in Belo Horizonte, I jumped at the chance. After submitting a letter of motivation, two other students and I were fortunate to be awarded scholarships for the program.
The summer school took place during the last two weeks of July. It was my first time in Brazil, and I was excited to finally experience in person the country I had been studying for two semesters. The scholarship covered tuition, meals, and housing near the UFMG campus. Each morning we attended lectures covering a wide range of topics : Brazilian politics, economics, foreign affairs, law, geography, history, culture, and music. In the afternoons, we had Portuguese language classes. By the end of the programme, I could hold conversations and write short essays in Portuguese, which added an extra layer to my academic experience. Outside the classroom, we went on field trips to historic and cultural sites, including the beautiful city of Ouro Preto.