Brazilian students at Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT ) gave their fellow students a sample of Brazilian life and culture with carnival celebrations on campus on February 11.
Events including Brazilian food tasting, forro dancing, samba dancing, and a table quiz on South America took place at the AIT Students Union hub. There are currently more than 40 students from Brazil studying at AIT this academic year.
Professor Ciarán Ó Catháin, president of AIT, said “Carnival at AIT is a fantastic celebration of Brazilian music, food, sport and life. It is a great way for Irish and other international students to become familiar with Brazilian culture, and so far the reaction has been fantastic.”
In autumn 2013, AIT welcomed the first group of 99 students from Brazil to study in Athlone under the Science Without Borders scheme. Science Without Borders is an initiative of the Brazilian government to send students overseas to study at the world’s best higher education institutions. The Athlone-based students are undertaking a variety of programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate level, including civil engineering, forensic toxicology, nutrition, and nursing.
The initiative to attract Brazilian students to study in Irish HEIs is supported by the HEA, Enterprise Ireland, the Embassy of Ireland in Brazil, and the Department of Education and Skills. AIT has participated in a number of education exhibitions and events in Brazil with the support of government agencies and departments.
