An Odette School of Business professor is inviting local business leaders to help open the world to students by supporting a cross-border study abroad experience between Canada and Brazil.
Over the past three years, Francine Schlosser has taken BComm students to São Paulo, where they participate in a week of technical tours with Brazilian business, law and political science students.
"This learning experience has significantly shaped strong intercultural skills and helped them develop an international professional and personal network. It's been eye-opening for the Canadians to travel in a country with unfamiliar safety risks," Dr. Schlosser said.
The students were hosted by Dr. Marcia Carvalho de Azevedo from Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) and her class. They had the opportunity to visit diverse social, cultural and economic parts of São Paulo, after which most Canadians chose to extend their trip to Rio de Janeiro.
Schlosser said that while in São Paulo, students have met with the president of the Tatuapé Samba School, touring their parade warehouse and understanding the cultural and economic benefits of Brazil Carnival.
Additionally, they've visited B3 Stock Exchange, CUBO (the business accelerator affiliated with Itaú Bank), public and private hospitals, Natura, iFood, Port of Santos, Instituto Agronômico de Campinas, Museo Futebal, GE Health, and one year even took a bus to visit Usina São João while staying at Fazenda Araras-Matão (a sugar cane plantation).
Each year, the students also make export presentations to the Canadian consul in São Paulo, and this year, one of the trade commissioners offered to provide mentoring and connections to students through the process of developing future export plans.
"It's important for Canada to diversify and develop stronger trading relationships beyond the United States," Schlosser said. "Brazil is an ideal trading partner for Canada, relatively isolated, and both can benefit in the long term by developing stronger intercultural connections among the next generation of business leaders."
According to Schlosser, Canadian government funding for Canadian students' study abroad trips ends in March 2025. She also noted that there appears to be no funding for a Brazilian class to come to Canada.
Schlosser is looking for potential business partners who might fund part of a trip in 2026 to keep this experience going, either for Canadian students to travel to Brazil or for Brazilian students to travel to Canada on a faculty-led study abroad experience.
