Exchange Report

I applied by submitting a motivational letter and my CV to the program director of the Master's of Economics. There was no interview. Already in May I booked my room in the student dorm in Uliving and went to the Brazilian embassy in Vienna to issue my student visa. Keep in mind that to apply for a student visa you have to present a number of documents, including ticket for going to Brazil, the letter of nomination by the university, bank account statement that you have enough money to reside there, etc. The issue of visa was pretty quick, about 1 week of waiting, and after that I applied for CPF (it is like a personal tax number), which is also required by the Brazilian university so you can complete your registration there. Furthermore, I vaccinated myself against yellow fever (it is recommendable, especially if you are planning to visit the Amazon forest) and refreshed my older vaccines, you can get more info at the Tropeninstitut in Vienna. In July, I left for Brazil by plane. I would suggest arriving 1 to 2 weeks before classes start so you can get used to the time zone there and move in without any problems.

I resided in the student residence Uliving, because it seemed like a good option for students and they were pretty active on social media. I already decided from the beginning that I will apply for a room there and did not search for any other appartments. However, I would advice to not live there. It is pretty expensive and they do not offer something special. Of course, if you want a more social atmosphere, it might be the place for you, but still it was disappointing when I was living there. There were constantly problems with the water and other maintenance issues. I would advice you to try look for a flat with friends or with the other outgoing exchange students, because the rent is pretty cheap in Rio. Make sure you are living in Zona Sul, it is the safest area in Rio and the closest to the uni. Uliving is in the neighbourhood Flamengo, which is very close to the uni area, Botafogo. You can easily go by foot for 25 minutes, catch the subway for 2-3 stops or get an Uber for 2-3 euros.

The FGV EBAPE building is exactly behind the main FGV building and it is very small, it is very easy to get around there. FGV has a cantine in the main building, which we can use as students and it is pretty cheap with good food. The international office at FGV EBAPE is very helpful and they are always there to assist you in any matter, they also organise events at the beginning of the terms. The positive side of FGV EBAPE is that it is quite a small faculty and students are close to professors and staff. Courses take place once per week and are of duration of 3 hours, with a break in-between. They are more management focused and pretty chill. However, usually professors re-schedule classes and the re-scheduled classes take place on Fridays. You are allowed to miss 2 classes per course so be careful with scheduling trips on long weekends. As for the grading, you usually have to submit weekly assignments and prepare a final written report with a presentation in groups. I was taking 3 courses per term, which was very manageable, and had to do a final exam only for one course.

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Getting to the university is quite easy, you can take the metro which stops very near and the ticket is not expensive. You can also use Ubers to get around the city since they are cheap in Rio. However, I’ve heard that traveling with the bus can be sometimes dangerous so I don’t advise it. When you are walking on the streets make sure your phone and your belongings are in your bag and make sure you’re not wearing expensive jewelry. Don’t walk alone at night and always take Ubers if you want to go somewhere. There are many activities around the city, you can visit the beaches during daytime, go on hikes and party in the night. Many people are practicing sports on the beaches and you can join some WhatsApp groups if you want to meet new people or go together to play volleyball/go on hikes. You can never get bored in Rio.

Rio de Janeiro and Brazil in general is the best exchange destination one can imagine. It is cheap, there is always something happening and people are extremely kind and warm. Make sure that you travel around Brazil since it is a very diverse country, which offers different natural landscapes.