“I thought everything would be different there”: representations of Brazil and foreign countries among students from Universidade Federal de Viçosa in the scholarship program Ciência sem Fronteiras

Abstract

The program Ciência sem Fronteiras became known worldwide for providing Brazilian students with scholarships that promoted international academic mobility into various countries, which enabled them direct contact with different cultures and customs. This paper analyzed the representations built by students in the scholarship program Ciencia sem Fronteiras, linked to the Agrarian Sciences Center of the Universidade Federal de Viçosa in its campus at Minas Gerais (MG), regarding their experience abroad and Brazil’s future. The methodology used was the qualitative approach, developed through bibliographical and documentary research, and online questionnaires. Results show that the participants expected to find abroad a better security, infrastructure, and quality of life, regarding both the cities and educational institutions. It was verified that they confirmed some of their expectations about the foreign countries, and situations occurred during the exchange that caused students to reassess the current Brazilian scenario. However, despite all the problems, some of which also present in other countries, Brazil is still represented as a promising country able to promote economic and social development, even if projected in the future.