Achievement

The University of Pittsburgh’s School of Engineering was awarded a grant to support undergraduate students from the United States interested in studying in Brazil and vice versa. The Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) grant through the Department of Education, and its Brazilian counterpart, CAPES allowed for the exchange of four Brazilian students to study at Pitt, and two Pitt students to study at UNICAMP in Campinas, Brazil during the Fall semester 2008. We believe that this exchange program was critical in supporting the Pitt IGERT students (departure date Spring 2009). The interaction between the Brazilian and American students enhanced their language abilities and cultural understandings. The students were able to interact beyond the classroom and establish key links in terms of housing logistics and research collaboration. We have found that the undergraduate link is critical in fostering our relationship with our Brazilian partners.