Brazil stands for joie de vivre, sun, soccer, samba and so much more. At the same time, many negative headlines are associated with this country, be it corruption, environmental destruction or poverty in the favelas. As the only Portuguese-speaking country in South America, it often has a more difficult standing than its Spanish-speaking neighbors when it comes to study exchange ambitions, but that doesn't have to be the case!

With the "Partner Country of the Month" campaign, we want to shine a spotlight on the wide diversity of countries, regions and partner universities of TU Dresden that our students can explore during a semester abroad.

General facts and figures about Brazil

Capital: Brasilia
Population: 211.8 million
Official language: Portuguese
National holiday: 7 September
Currency: Real (BRL)

You can find further facts, figures and information on Wikipedia or Visit Brazil.

Language matters

• Hello - Olá
• How are you? - Como você está?
• My name is ... - Meu nome é...
• Thank you - Obrigado/a

(Brazilian) Portuguese is the only official language and also the mother tongue for at least 97% of the population in Brazil. The indigenous languages are only spoken by about 0.1% of the population (e.g. Guaraní, Makú, Tupi and Gês). In total, 188 different languages and idioms are spoken in Brazil. Up to 1.5 million Brazilians speak German as their mother tongue. This makes German the second most spoken native language in the country.

For most universities in Brazil it is essential that you arrive with a knowledge of Portuguese, although there are also more and more courses offered in English. Please check what the exact requirements are before applying. The PUC Rio, for example, also offers a wide range of courses in English and compulsory participation in Portuguese courses.

You can learn Portuguese at the LSK or additionally study Regional Sciences Latin America (ReLa) independently of your field of study at TUD!

© Julia Paternoster

Did you know that ....?

• Sao Paulo has the largest community of Japanese outside Japan in Brazil? The wave of immigration began more than a hundred years ago. Today, 1.5 million Brazilians of Japanese descent live in the country. The Liberdade neighborhood in Sao Paulo is considered the center of Japanese culture in Brazil.
• Brazilian prisoners can reduce their prison sentence by four days for every book they read and summarize in a report?
• voting is compulsory in Brazil? Non-voters face a fine.
• there is no outdoor advertising, such as billboards, in São Paulo? A strict ban on outdoor advertising was introduced in the Brazilian city in January 2007. The "Clean City Law" removed 15,000 billboards and 1300 giant posters. There are no more giant billboards, posters, neon signs that eat up electricity, or advertising on vehicles.
• there are around 70 uncontacted tribes in the Brazilian Amazon? In 1988, the Brazilian government founded the special unit Coordenação Geral de Indios Isolados (CGII) to protect these peoples. The CGII is supposed to "accompany" newly discovered groups unnoticed from a great distance and is only allowed to make contact if, for example, there is a threat of danger from illegal loggers or gold diggers.

Cooperation with TU Dresden

You can find an overview of all cooperations of TU Dresden, which you can use for the exchange, in our database. It is also often worth asking professors in your own faculty who might have direct contact to the desired partner university.

Centrally coordinated exchange with Brazilian partners:

• Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC Rio)
• Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Sao Paulo
• Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC)

Don't miss...

© Julia Paternoster

a trip to the Tijuca national park: The Tijuca Forest is a man-made reclamation of land within Rio de Janeiro and one of the largest urban forests worldwide. It offers plenty of opportunities for hiking trips, beautiful attractions like Christ the Redeemer or the Cascatinha Waterfall and amazing wildlife and plants.

© Julia Paternoster

Açaí na tigela (Açaí bowl/juice/smoothie): Açai, a small purple berry that comes from palm trees in the Amazons, is considered a super food with amazing health benefits and is a staple item in kiosks and juice bars along the northeastern coast and comes in all varieties and with all kinds of toppings.

© Julia Paternoster

Museu de Arte de São Paulo (MASP): Well known for its headquarters, a 1968 concrete and glass structure whose main body is supported by two lateral beams over a 74 metres freestanding space,  it is considered a landmark of the city and a main symbol of modern Brazilian architecture. The museum is internationally recognized for its collection of European art which is considered the finest in Latin America and all Southern Hemisphere.

© panthermedia/anyaivanova@gmail.com

the Iguaçu Falls: They are located on the border between Brazil and Argentina. The waterfall system consists of 275 falls along the Iguazu River. The most impressive of them is the Devil's Throat, a U-shaped gorge 150 meters wide and 700 meters long.

Brazil is incredibly large and accordingly has a huge variety of fantastic places, natural wonders, cities and history to discover. If you want to get to know typical Brazilian culture in Dresden, how about Capoeira or Samba (sometimes also offered as a course at the DHSZ)?

Let's get cooking...

As diverse as the country is also its cuisine. But since we don't want to overwhelm you or bore you (Caipirinha? ;), this time we opted for airy little puffs with cheese that taste like a fluffy piece of pure happiness when freshly baked: Pão de Queijo. These little cheese rolls or balls are a popular snack and are also often sold at small street stalls in Brazil. It is a traditional Brazilian recipe that comes from the state of Minas Gerais. It originated, like many other Brazilian dishes, from African slaves in the 18^th century. Ingredients such as milk and cheese were added later. Today, there are many different varieties.

© panthermedia/dpcrestock (toru uchida)

Ingredients:

• 4 cups tapioca flour
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 tablespoons oil
• 1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese
• 1 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons salt

Method:

• Preheat oven to 400F degrees (200°C).
• Combine the milk, water, oil and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat.
• Add the tapioca flour to a bowl and, once the milk mixture boils, pour it over the flour. You can either use your standmixer or a regular one will do as well. Mix it well. The texture will be fondant-like, really white and sticky.
• With the mixer still on, add the eggs, one at a time.
• Once the eggs are incorporated, add the cheese, a little at a time, until fully incorporated. The dough is supposed to be soft and sticky. However, if you're worried it's too liquidy, add some more tapioca flour. Just don't over do it or your cheese bread will be tough and not too fluffy.
• To shape the balls, wet your hands with cold water and, using a spoon, scoop some of the dough to shape balls that are a little smaller than golf-sized.
• Place the balls on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and put it in the preheated oven on medium rack.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes or until they are golden and puffed. Serve them warm!

(Thanks to https://www.oliviascuisine.com/authentic-brazilian-cheese-bread/)

Contact

Have you had a great time Brazil? Did you attend the carnival? Spend a successful semester abroad in São Paulo? Do you have tips for places and experiences that are not to be missed? We would be happy to share your experiences here, on social media or, if you want, in information events for other TUD students. Get in touch with us:

© Sven Ellger/TUD

Advice on studying abroad

Name

Ms Federica Serra

Infocenter/ Study abroad; TUDworldwide: America

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Contact Information

Organization Name

International Office

International Office

Address work

Visiting address:

Fritz Foerster Bau, Office 161 Mommsenstraße 6

01069 Dresden

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Address postal

Postal address:

TUD Dresden University of Technology International Office

01062 Dresden

work Tel.

Office hours:

Tuesday:

09:30 - 11:30

12:30 - 14:30

Thursday:

09:30 - 11:30

Please register at the SCS (FOE, floor 0).

Office hours by phone:

Keine Sprechzeit zwischen 14.07. - 08.08.2025

Looking for first-hand information?

Would you like to know more about Brazil? Ask our alumni ambassadors - TUD alumni who are active in many countries around the world and can give you information and advice for your stay abroad.

Getting in touch is very easy: On this interactive world map, markers indicate the cities where our alumni ambassadors live. There is a short profile with contact information for each ambassador.

Partner Countries Archive

Have you missed a partner country? No problem! Here you can read up on all articles.