Greetings from Rio de Janeiro

Janina Dill reports on her semester abroad at PUC-Rio Pontifical Catholic University in Brazil

Why did you choose this particular partner university?

Just thinking about Brazil gave me a strong sense of excitement – and that feeling was a clear sign for me. I believe that when it comes to such formative decisions, you have to trust your instincts. Looking back, it was exactly the right choice.

How do you like the university city? How do you experience the culture of the host country?

Rio de Janeiro is an incredibly diverse, lively, and colorful city. It combines breathtaking nature with a huge cultural offering in a fascinating way. Between the beach, mountains, neighborhoods, and music, everything is close together here.

But what really made my stay special were the people. I found the openness, warmth, and hospitality of Brazilians to be very enriching.

Brazilians love their beaches and their sambas – and for good reason. Both are places full of joie de vivre, community, and lightheartedness. At the same time, my Brazilian friends also introduced me to other cultural facets, such as the city's lively jazz scene. That's also part of Rio, and it's what makes the city so multifaceted.

Where do you see the biggest differences between your host university and the MCI?

My first thought was the PUC-Rio campus: the inner courtyard is a small jungle – with lots of lush greenery and even little monkeys and other animals. Even though I really love the MCI's roof terrace with its mountain view, this green paradise in the middle of everyday university life was a very special highlight of my lunch breaks. Apart from these obvious differences in the surroundings, I didn't find the two universities to be that different in terms of content. The teaching, the assignments, and the academic standards were surprisingly similar.

One difference that I really appreciated was the great freedom at PUC-Rio to put together your own study program. From a broad, interdisciplinary pool, I was able to choose courses in sociology, philosophy, and international relations. This immersion in other disciplines broadened my horizons enormously and gave me great pleasure.

Is there anything else you would like to tell us?

One of my absolute favorite places was the little jungle in the middle of campus that I mentioned earlier. That's where I studied, took breaks, and spent many wonderful moments with my fellow students.

Another special place is Tijuca National Park. I was really impressed that a city with over a million inhabitants like Rio could be so green at the same time. In the middle of the jungle, I was able to recharge my batteries and get away from the sometimes very intense hustle and bustle of the big city. I always felt very safe there on my hikes. And, of course, the Christ the Redeemer statue also took on a special significance. No matter where you are in the city, it is almost always visible and reminds you that you are in Rio de Janeiro.

I came to Rio de Janeiro expecting to meet lots of new people, spend lots of time on the beach, try out new sports, and enjoy the Brazilian zest for life. Much of that did happen. But what really made my stay extraordinary was my studies. I am very grateful for the exciting perspectives I gained at PUC-Rio.

Studying in the Global South opens up new perspectives on society, politics, and social issues – and provides insight into other realities of life. I really enjoyed my free time here, but my clear focus was on my studies, which took up much more space than I would have expected from a semester abroad. Even though it was sometimes challenging to devote myself to everyday university life in bright sunshine and just a few minutes' walk from the beach, looking back, this time was incredibly valuable and enriching.

Since my semester ended on December 15, I now have time to travel, explore, and just go with the flow – a nice way to end an intense and formative stay.