From July 15 to August 13, 2024, FEA-RP held the seventh edition of the Brazilian Business & Culture Program—FEA-RP Summer School. The Summer School is an intensive Program focused on the Brazilian Economy, Culture, and Agribusiness.
Reception Day
The 2024 event, which had the theme “Economics, Business Administration & Accounting in Brazil”, was attended by 29 students, 26 of whom were from the University of Surrey / UK.
The event planning was developed jointly between the International Office of FEA-RP, coordinated by Professor Alex Luiz Ferreira and Marcelo Sanches Pagliarussi and the International Mobility Officer of the University of Surrey, coordinated by Alice Gidman.
The Summer Course included several activities, including classes, seminars, short talks, cultural visits, and workshops, where students could interact directly with FEA-RP professors.
The course was organized into six main topics (Agribusiness, Economics and Brazilian Economy, Brazilian Accounting, Doing Business in Brazil, Portuguese, and Project Development).
The course focused on the Brazilian market, providing students with insights into the Brazilian economy, its unique accounting practices, and the intricacies of conducting business in Brazil. Participants gained a deep understanding of Brazil from economic, administrative, and accounting perspectives. The course also offered expert insights into the regional economy, focusing on agribusiness. Portuguese classes were included to enhance students' immersion in the Brazilian experience and to reveal fundamental aspects of the country's culture.
The event was attended by 15 FEA-RP professors from economics, administration and accounting, and 1 invited external professor, indicating a broad engagement in welcoming the students. Were presented 15 main lectures to participants:
- Brazilian Agricultural Economics
- Economic and Social Aspects of the Brazilian Economy: An international comparison
- Brazilian Economy: Current Challenges and Future Scenarios
- Brazilian Economy: Foreign Direct Investments and the Challenges in Doing Business
- Reforming Brazilian Federalism: Challenges and Prospects
- Accounting and Financial Management in Regulated Sectors
- Overview of the Brazilian Tax System
- The Financial System and Accounting in Brazil
- Accountability in the Public Sector in Brazil
- Management Control and Brazilian Culture
- Brazilian Innovation System
- Brazilian Culture and State Redefinition: Administrative Reforms and Public Partnerships
- Neuromarketing for Place Brands: A Study of Brazil’s Destination Country Brand
- Exploring Business Process Management: Innovation and Efficiency in Organizations
- Introductory Course in Brazilian Portuguese for Foreigners
The course met his expectations for Christopher Chua, an Economics student at the University of Surrey. He said the program covered the right amount of breadth and depth of topics, providing insight into Brazil’s economic, political and business environment. The trips and classes in Portuguese were other positive aspects mentioned by the student, who would recommend this experience to other students.
One of the event organisers, Professor Marcelo Pagliarussi, said the event was extremely positive, having received good feedback from students and the partner university. For future events, the intention is to extend the partnership with the University of Surrey beyond providing short courses.
Participation in cultural visits
Participants were able to take part in a variety of activities as part of the Summer School program, getting to know personally various economic and cultural activities in the region and the State of São Paulo:
Visit to Cooxupé - Coffee Cooperative
The students visited the Cooxupé Cooperative in Guaxupé, Minas Gerais. Cooxupé is the sixth-largest cooperative in Brazilian agribusiness and the largest individual producer and exporter of coffee globally, accounting for 15% of Brazil's coffee production. The cooperative has over 20,000 members, 97% of whom are small producers. The students had the opportunity to visit the cooperative's grain sampling and pricing centre, as well as the coffee storage and processing warehouses at the Japy Complex, the largest coffee storage and processing centre in the world, with a storage capacity of 1.5 million bags and an unloading capacity of 4,000 bags per hour.
Visit to Ethanol and Sugar Cane Factory
During the Summer School, students had the opportunity to visit a sugarcane and ethanol production plant in the Ribeirão Preto region (Usina São Martinho). They observed the production process, from sugarcane planting to milling and sugar and ethanol production. This experience is particularly relevant in the Brazilian context, as the country is the world's second-largest ethanol producer and the largest sugarcane producer.
Visit to the Ipiranga Museum
The students could visit the Ipiranga Museum in the city of São Paulo. The Ipiranga Museum, part of the University of São Paulo, was completely renovated in 2022. During the visit to the museum, the students were divided into two groups, with guides who explained some historical works, permanent exhibitions and the museum's construction. In the end, the students went to the terrace, where there was a panoramic view of São Paulo, and took many photos.
Visit to the Portinari’s House Museum
The introductory course in Brazilian Portuguese culminated in a visit to the hometown of Candido Portinari, one of Brazil’s most prolific and best-loved painters. Students spoke Portuguese to guides and got a glimpse of rural life in the last century at the extended family home, now preserved as a museum. Against the backdrop of his origins, Portinari’s early sketches and murals provide context for the artist’s 5000+ works on diverse aspects of Brazilian life.