Are you looking for a study abroad experience that’s affordable, provides you with relevant work experience in your field and expands your horizons?
Brazilian students look no further – Canada offers all these opportunities and more. The Ciência sem Fronteiras (Science Without Borders) program is the vehicle that can help you achieve your personal and professional goals.
Ciência sem Fronteiras (CsF) is an international scholarship program developed by the Brazilian government and private sector to send 101,000 undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral students abroad for academic study and to gain real life experience.
The aim is to develop partnerships with countries all over the world, especially in areas of research in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Canada’s CsF program is in the top five in the world, pledging to host 12,000 Brazilian students at colleges and universities coast to coast. Currently, close to 4000 students have been placed since Fall 2012. Phase one of the program is currently concluding with the placement of the september 2015 cohort. Phase two of the program will be launched in the coming months for an anticipated first cohort scheduled to occur some time in 2016.
Once Brazilian students have secured a scholarship from their government, they apply through the Canadian Bureau for International Education and choose their top three institutions. Once selected they spend 12-16 months in Canada, gaining language skills if needed, participating in academic study for two semesters then completing a research work placement in the private sector or a research internship at their institution.
Choices of placements are endless – from working with big multinational companies, travelling to field sites to collect data to managing research projects.
Here are CsF participants on their thoughts on their experience in Canada:
“I had the opportunity to travel to Northern Canada to collect, record and synthesize field data as a part of a Brock University Earth Science course. Spending 10 days in the field, speaking in only my second language, learning about Canadian culture and studying geology was amazing. To access our cabins, we had to cross a river by boat every day. That was cool!”
– Guilherme Silveira, Earth Sciences student at the Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto – UFOP, State of Minas Gerais, and CsFparticipant
“I’m immensely grateful for the opportunity that the Ciência sem Fronteiras Program provided for my career and my life, which have been forever improved.
During my internship, I worked on forest preservation and economic development projects. It was a wonderful experience to learn how a country like Canada uses innovation and cooperation between stakeholders, government and communities to overcome market challenges and climate change.”
– Anna Maria G. C. Lyra, Environmental Management student at the Universidade de São Paulo, CsF participant
“My experience at BlackBerry was unique. I don’t think I would have had the same experience in any other place. I had an opportunity to experience how things work in a big company. I was able to see how decisions are made, how they are put into action and how results are analyzed. Overall, I had a great experience working as part of an experienced and dependable team.”
– Flávio de Sousa Ramalho, Computer Science student at the Federal University of Campina Grande, Paraíba
“I worked for the Nova Scotia Crop Development Institute as a research assistant in Truro, Nova Scotia.
My team worked on field trials that involved disease resistance. We ran trials for big companies such as Monsanto, Syngenta and Pioneer, as well as for other regional seed companies and our own research. We were also responsible for management practices, including counting and organizing seeds, weighing out fertilizer for different trials, pesticide applications, conducting disease and pest assessment, and assisting in harvesting. This opportunity provided me with countless experiences – it was just magnificent.”
[This photo was taken in Canning, Nova Scotia and I was in the middle of a wheat field near harvest time. This was a site that we had to travel to 2-3 times a week, approximately 250 km from our office in Truro. It was very tiring, but all the moments spent there were full of learning. ]
– Luiz Augusto Gazotto, Agronomy student at the Universidade estadual paulista, State of São Paulo and CsF participant.
Top Five Reasons to Study in Canada
High Quality Education: Canada enjoys world-class scholarships, top-notch global researchers and first class facilities at its colleges and universities. Many of our prominent institutions are featured in global rankings such as Times Higher Education and Academic Rankings of World Universities.
Four Distinct Seasons: There are plenty of myths about Canada – it’s not always winter here! Canada is an enormous country with differences in weather and temperature throughout the year. You will be able to experience four distinct seasons, each with a set of activities to enjoy, inside or out.
Political Stability & Safe Environment: Canada is a peaceful, stable democratic country with a low violent crime rate for its over 35 million citizens. Natural disasters and political unrest rarely happen.
Bilingualism: Did you know that Canada is a world leader in language training? This is because Canada has two official languages – English and French – and both have been taught throughout our provincial education systems as second languages. Brazilian students have the opportunity to learn a new language and improve their language skills.
Multiculturalism: Fun Fact – 1 in 5 Canadians are born outside Canada. Like Brazil, Canada is a country of immigrants. Immigrants from all over the world have been a big part of building Canada to the country it is today. You’ll find dozens of languages spoken in cities big and small and people of all faiths and ethnicities sharing their cultures with their communities through festivals and public events.
How to Apply to CsF program
Let’s get you started on your study abroad journey to Canada. We hope to see you at one of our dozens of colleges or universities soon.
1. You have to apply for a scholarship to the Government of Brazil. Visit these two links for more information :
http://www.cienciasemfronteiras.gov.br/web/csf
http://www.cienciasemfronteiras.gov.br/web/csf/graduacao4
2. The next call for applicants is expected to be launched in the next few months for the first cohort of CsF 2.0. Remain in the know! Keep monitoring the Brazilian CsF website and stay tuned for the next major annoucement.
3. Once you are granted a scholarship, CBIE staff will respond by inviting you to select your top three Canadian institutions and proceed to place you afterwards.
Contact CBIE at csf@cbie.ca for any questions.
Good luck!