Brazil students on the ball with UCC scholarships

Meet the boys and girls from Brazil who have begun a year’s study at University College Cork as part of the world’s largest scholarship scheme.

And some of them have already signed up to UCC’s soccer squad which is sure to strike fear into the hearts of other university teams around the country.

The 29 students — who will study science, technology, engineering and maths — were officially welcomed to the university last night at an event attended by Brazilian Ambassador to Ireland, Pedro Fernando Brêtas Bastos and UCC President Dr Michael Murphy.

They are the first in a wave of international students expected to study at Irish universities under the Brazilian Science Without Borders programme — a scholarship programme funded by Brazil’s federal government.

The largest scholarship scheme in the world, it aims to place 100,000 Brazilian students in overseas higher education institutions over the next four years to study science, technology, engineering and maths. It as part of a major Brazilian government initiative to meet a skills deficit in their rapidly growing economy.

Medical student Paula Amorim, 22, from Bahia state in northern Brazil, left beach culture and balmy 30C temperatures behind her to spend a year studying in Cork.

In her third year of her medicine degree course at Tiradentes University in Bahia, she will spend the next year studying health sciences in UCC.

“Since I was a child, I had a dream to cometo Ireland. I love your culture, music, and nature. I think it’s amazing,” she said.

“And I like the cold, but not the rain. It’s not good for my hair,” she joked.

She researched several universities in Ireland and England before applying for the scholarship, and was offered a place in Trinity and UCC, before opting for UCC.

“The university attracted me in all respects. It has good lecturers, many clubs and societies and interests. There is a place here for everyone,” she said. “I am meeting students from all over the world and making so many friends.”

She is even planning her first parachute jump next month with UCC’s parachute society.

The recently-formed Latin America Regional Working Group, chaired by UCC’s Professor Nuala Finnegan, and which co-ordinates UCC activity in Latin America, is working to make sure the students feel welcome.

UCC expects more Brazilian students in spring and autumn 2014, at both undergraduate and PhD level.

Meanwhile, former Irish rugby coach, and UCC’s new director of sport, Declan Kidney, will launch a major health and wellbeing initiative on campus today. UCC’s Health Matters Day will include student versus staff treadmill relays for charity and free health checks.