On 17 January 2022, SKEMA Brazil organised an orientation day to welcome international students. More than 500 students of 22 different nationalities chose to study in Belo Horizonte this year and experience the Brazilian ecosystem.
The opening ceremony was inaugurated by Genevieve Poulingue, dean of SKEMA Brazil, who spoke about the campus, staff and general instructions for students to follow. Additionally, essential academic information was also presented, such as key dates and activities that will take place throughout the semester, as well as health and security procedures.
Gabriela Sampaio, student life coordinator, introduced the students to social and extracurricular activities, such as sports training and student clubs. Filipe Dias, BBA student and member of SKEMA Júnior, presented the junior entreprise and invited students to participate and expand their professional experience.
To end on a high note, the students attended a Brazilian cultural event: capoeira. Grupo Abadá performed a special show for them, showing a little more of the Brazilian culture and celebrating the students' arrival on the campus.
Throughout the week, several workshops will be held related to tourism, Brazilian cuisine, Portuguese phonetics, and so on.
"As always, welcoming young students in their early twenties is a real challenge that SKEMA decided to take on . Why? They will have the opportunity to experience a new culture. We will help these young talents to understand a new context, respect this new environment, and adapt. At the same time, we will help them enrich their knowledge, skills, and have a positive impact on the country where they study," said Geneviève Poulingue.
"We have many examples where we can see the involvement of students in entrepreneurial projects or local associations. Very often, they leave Brazil with a better knowledge of themselves because they are confronted with new cultural codes and can see that the population is very welcoming and expects respect and responsible behavior. It is a great motivation for SKEMA's Brazilian team to coach these students," she added.