Interview:

Meet Students of the Brazil Scientific Mobility Program

Through the Brazil Scientific Mobility Program, thousands of Brazil’s brightest students in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) are given the opportunity to study at some of the world’s finest universities. Scholarship recipients spend one year of study abroad and then complete their degrees at Brazilian institutions. The United States is currently hosting nearly 2,000 students from the Brazil Scientific Mobility Program. Meet some the students studying in the USA!

Interview:

Henrique Uliana Trentin, from the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, is a senior studying Agronomy at Illinois State University.

Why did you decide to apply for the Brazil Scientific Mobility Program in the USA?

I decided to apply to the Scientific Mobility Program because it was an extraordinary opportunity to know another culture and improve my English skills.

The Brazil Scientific Mobility Program places students at universities. Where were you placed?

I chose Sciences Without Borders because it offers me the opportunity to study two semesters in a foreign university, to do my internship in another country, and gives me financial and technical aid.

For me it [Illinois State University] is a special place because it is in a great agriculture region, and I am majoring in agronomy.

What was your biggest surprise?

People here are very polite. I liked the support that the teachers give to students here.

What are your activities?

We went to Springfield (Illinois), visited the Lincoln Museum, the old and the new capitol there. We also went to David Davis Mansion.

The Intensive English Program also helped us to have access to the university gym. We did some fun, extra-class activities, such as picnics and watched movies.

How is your U.S. education and the Brazil Scientific Mobility Program relevant to your personal goals and to the needs of your country?

I am planning to do a master in pomology or plant genetic breeding. The program allowed me to know another culture, to improve my English skills, and to augment my vision about the world.