DILI, 23 june 2022 (TATOLI) – The Brazilian Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Maurício Medeiros de Assis urged Timorese students to study hard and improve their Portuguese skills to apply for Brazilian scholarships.
Assis said through the Brazilian Student Graduation Agreement Program (PEC-G), the Brazilian government annually offers 900 places for students from Portuguese Speaking Countries to pursue higher education in Brazil without paying tuition fees.
He said young Timorese people with good Portuguese skills can apply to study various courses at 113 higher education institutions, including federal, state, and private universities in Brazil.
“The Brazilian PEC-G program offers more than 900 places for students from CPLP countries to study at Brazilian universities. But, the number of applicants from Timor-Leste is very small due to the Portuguese skills of the Timorese candidates which is very low. Therefore, Timorese students need to study and improve their Portuguese skills to be able to apply and study in Brazil,” Assis told TATOLI, in Dili.
He said Timorese students have the possibility of attending the so-called ‘Year Zero’ at the university, a period in which they will be fully dedicated to studying the Portuguese language: “Students need to write thesis completely in the Portuguese language. But, before that, the candidates need to demonstrate good Portuguese skills to pass the test, including the interview.”
Assis provided that since 2002, around 320 Timorese students have completed their studies at Brazilian universities under the PEC-G program: “There is a lot of room for us to expand these numbers.”
“We need to develop a mechanism to help Timorese students to have access to Human Capital Development Fund to facilitate them pursue higher education in Brazil,” he said.
The Student-Graduation Agreement Program (PEC-G) is one of the instruments of educational cooperation that the Brazilian government offers to other developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges
