Day 4 - Deborah's Reflections on Brasília

Reflections on Brasília - it's either the most boring ugly city in the world or else it is a visionary, beautiful peek into the future, depending on your point of view; our group has expressed a wide range of views across this spectrum! As someone who had expected to find not much to be pleased about I have fallen for it. The big skies with fantastic cumulus formations soften the angles and sharp points of the architecture and the cathedral is really a must-see.

The Cathedral in Brasília.

We have a late meeting with University of Brasília (UnB) today and had an interesting briefing from the British Council before a reception with the Ambassador last night. The main message was that Brazil's imminent appearance on the world stage as the hosts of the 2014 World cup and the next Olympics in 2016 will offer new opportunities for collaboration and a higher profile for the country in the UK. We also discussed the School system in Brazil, which is seen as a higher priority for development than the already very good public HE sector, the position of graduate women in the labour market - maternity rights are rudimentary, and why UK students in general don't tend to venture out of the English speaking countries too often when choosing interational placement destinations.