Reasons for a Latam Term and Brazil
The Term typically takes place after the 5th semester of studies. We strongly encourage applicants who wish to write their Bachelor thesis and/or develop their Capstone projects on a Latin American topic to apply to the Latam Term in order to obtain direct academic guidance and first-hand access to the subjects they are interested in.
As the courses are taught in English, students should demonstrate proficiency in this language. No prior knowledge of Portuguese or Spanish is required. However, we encourage you to get acquainted with Portuguese as soon as you are accepted to the Latam Term, as speaking the local language can open more doors socially and professionally, possibly leading you to a first work opportunity.
Testimonials of our former term students provide a glimpse of the experiences and opportunities linked to a stay in Brazil.
The Latin American region has a long track record of important technical and social innovations which have made huge contributions in products and practices that changed our modern world (ranging from the aeroplane, the automobile gearbox, the Walkman, the colour TV, voice-recorded radio transmissions, to conditional cash transfers, participatory budgeting, and bus rapid transportation systems).
Much can be learned from Latin American creativity, as often initiatives take place with few resources and opportunities at hand. A Brazilian engineer changed the lives of millions of poor people with little more than a plastic bottle, water, and a bit of bleach. This has also been seen in the richness of local responses and Latin American solidarity in the face of the global pandemic.
São Paulo, being one of the largest metropolises in the world, encapsulates the challenges and opportunities found in Brazil and Latin America. While sustainable and equitable development is a major challenge, it also represents immense learning and business opportunity. Economic hurdles are answered by a bustling informal economy, spaces of the city are appropriated by street art and music, and mobility under pressure is alleviated by multi-modal transport systems in combination with ride-sharing and delivery apps, to name a few of the out-of-the-box solutions.
The School of Business Administration (or Escola de Administração de Empresas de São Paulo of Fundação Getulio Vargas), where the Latam Term is embedded, is one of the ten FGV Schools. FGV EAESP has had a long tradition of preparing leaders for academia, businesses, government, and non-profit organizations, offering business management and public administration undergraduate and graduate programs. The School currently has 3'700 students, 245 faculty members, 100 employees, and over 40'000 alumni.
The Latam Term courses follow a straight-forward common quest: how can we transform scholarly knowledge into grounded applications? Many course assignments and extracurricular activities are co-developed with institutional partners ranging from civil society, governments, businesses, to international organizations.
Credits successfully obtained by the participants during the Term face minimal bureaucracy. ECTS corresponding to core subjects, core electives and free-choice electives from the different HSG Schools may be acquired through the Latam Term. Students who complete the Latam Term also receive a certificate jointly signed by the partner university.
If you want to impact lives and leave your mark, the Latam Term provides the perfect framework to write your thesis hands-on on a topic related to Latin America (not obligatory), using this immersive time and GIMLA's guidance to further enrich your first extensive academic work.
On the social, cultural and professional levels, Latam Term students, deepen their interpersonal and intercultural capabilities through direct interaction with FGV students who come from all over the world. Additionally, the Latam Term offers enough freedom and opportunity to experience the place and its people. The Term is well-connected to the HSG Alumni community and supports extra-curricular activities. These include social networking events, volunteering and internship opportunities, consultancy-like experiences, as well as study trips to other Latin American countries. Such opportunities are not only culturally enriching but also add value to the CVs of engaged young professionals.
