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Doing Business in Brazil
University of Illinois at Chicago and Fundacao Getulio Vargas Escola de Admistracao de Empresas de Sao Paulo
http://www.fgvsp.br/dbb/ Program Location Although occupying just three percent of the Brazilian territory, the state of Sao Paulo has almost a quarter of the country’s population. With an industrial base, which has existed from the beginning of the twentieth century, this state produces 51% of Brazil’s total industrial production. This industrial base not only supplies the internal market but also participates actively in the export economy; approximately 42% of all industrial output is exported via Sao Paulo. Sao Paulo is one of the fastest growing cities in the world. It is already the most populated city in South America and the continent's leading industrial center. The city was transformed architecturally at the end of the 19th century when wealthy landowners began to invest in Sao Paulo as a financial and residential center. It now covers more than 1,500 square kilometers, making it three times the size of Paris. Its citizens, Paulistanos, are proud of the city's skyscrapers, well-lit streets, and especially the new subway system. The New York City of Latin America, Sao Paulo is home to more ethnic communities than any other city in the region. About one million Paulistanos are of Italian descent and another million of Spanish or Spanish-speaking origin. There are large immigrant communities of German, Russian, Armenian, and Japanese origins as well. Brazilian Business With a population of over 163 million and a Gross Domestic Product of over US$558 billion, Brazil has one of the largest economies in the world. The Council on Foreign Relations reports that "Brazil's economy is more than twice as large as Russia's, almost as large as China's, and twice India's." Today, Brazil is one of the world's leading recipients of direct foreign investment. In 1999 alone, just one year after widespread global economic volatility, FDI inflows to Brazil amounted to US$31.4 billion. The Brazilian economy of the 21st Century finds itself entering a period of significant growth and stability. The opening of the economy to increased foreign trade and investment in the early and mid 1990's, combined with the deregulation and privatization of the oil & gas, power and telecommunications industries, contributed substantially to this growth and stability. There are presently over 2,000 United States firms in Brazil. Approximately 212 of those belong to the Fortune 500. Large or small, there is a growing awareness amongst them that significant long-term opportunities in Brazil abound, whether those opportunities be in traditional goods and services, economic infrastructure or "new economy" ventures, such as Brazil's exploding information technology and communications sectors. UIC Exchange Partner Escola de Administrao de Empresas de Sao Paulo (EAESP) is the largest of the schools that make up the Fundacao Getulio Vargas (FGV). In 1989, after 15 years of doing research and offering graduate and undergraduate degree programs in Business Administration, FGV-EAESP introduced a graduate degree program in Business Economics. FGV-EAESP has seven departments, whose heads are faculty members elected by their peers. Department heads and program coordinators are responsible for course design. Perfectly Good Reasons to Study Portuguese 1. One in three South Americans and one in five Americans speaks it. 2. Spoken by over 200 million people, it is the seventh most widely spoken language in the world, well ahead of German (10th), French (11th), and Italian (15th). 3. It is the official language of seven countries in Europe, Africa, and South America and an unofficial one in numerous linguistic islands in China, India, and North America. 4. Since it is so important and so rarely studied, knowledge of Portuguese is actually a marketable skill, especially in commerce and banking. Academic Program The program consists of 45 contact hours of class discussion and lecture taught in English by FGV professors and Brazilian executives plus field trips to a successful Brazilian company, a well-known multinational corporation, and a financial institution. FGV recommends that universities award 3 elective credits for participation in the program. The final course grade is based on weekly assignments and a final examination offered on a grade basis (1-10). All the participants will receive a transcript with the final grade and attendance. Courses 1. Socio-Cultural Environment: an Overview (6 hours) 2. Brazil and the International Economy (6 hours) 3. Ethics in market relations in Brazil (3 hours) 4. Human Resources Management: the Brazilian tradition and emerging trends. (6 hours) 5. Foreign Trade (6 hours) 6. Finance and Banking (6 hours) 7. Legal Aspects (6 hours) 8. Brazilian Organization & Management (6 hours) Accommodation “Doing Business in Brazil” participants may choose to stay with host families, student apartments, or in hotels. FGV will provide details on the offerings. Rates vary; average housing would approximate US$450 for a homestay or a student apartment, and between $700-$1400 per person for a two-week hotel stay (meals not included). Homes and apartments are usually located close to the school and provide excellent opportunities to experience Brazilian culture. Additional cost of living while in Brazil would be an estimated $450. Program Eligibility Junior, senior, or graduate standing, cumulative GPA of at least 2.8 / 4.0. Transfer students must complete one semester at UIC before applying. No prior knowledge of Portuguese is required.
Application Procedures
The deadline for application submission is March 1st. Please contact the Office of International Affairs for more information. Program Costs Students pay regular tuition and most fees to UIC and do not pay tuition at Getulio Vargas, but are responsible for living expenses and the FGV application fee. For more information contact the Office of International Affairs. Student Exchange Program Office of International Affairs 509 University Hall, M/C 590 601 S. Morgan Street Chicago, IL 60607 (312) 996-5455 kkutella@uic.edu http://www.oia.uic.edu or http://www.fgvsp.br/dbb/
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