In August, FGV Rio Law, through its Office of International Affairs and Global Cooperation, welcomed 38 new exchange students for this semester, from 7 different countries and 16 universities, including Columbia Law School in the United States, IE University in Spain, and the Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Portugal. At the same time, 37 of our own students left Rio to spend a semester abroad. They are currently living a culturally and academically enriching experience in 9 different countries and 19 universities, such as LUISS Guido Carli in Rome, Haub Law (Pace University) in New York, and Panthéon-Assas in Paris.

In this semester, as part of the program to introduce and integrate the exchange students to FGV Rio Law, Rio de Janeiro, and the Brazilian legal system, the Office of International Affairs and Global Cooperation organized, in cooperation with our professors, a series of activities and events, such as an Orientation Day, a city tour, and guided visits to the Centro de Custódia and to the Cidade da Polícia.

Required for all new exchange students, the Orientation Day is a one-day program designed to introduce them to FGV Rio Law’s academic environment, to make them understand how to access campus resources and support services, how to participate in students’ associations and provide them with some additional helpful information. Moreover, in this semester, exchange students also participated at the Exchange Fair, where they had the opportunity to meet FGV Rio Law students, and present their home universities.

Later, FGV Rio Law offered the exchange students a guided walking tour around the historic Rio de Janeiro downtown area. They explored local neighborhoods, such as Cinelândia and Lapa, visiting the Brazilian National Library, the Municipal Theater, the Metropolitan Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro, the Lapa Arches, and the Selarón Stairs. 

Lastly, in partnership with FGV Rio Law Professor Fernanda Prates, Assistant Coordinator at the Brazilian Institute of Criminal Sciences in Rio de Janeiro, the exchange students visited the Centro de Custódia and the Cidade da Polícia, a large complex of specialized police units and divisions. Both tours allowed the exchange students to get a glimpse of Brazil’s investigative and prosecutorial practices.