French Students Experience UFPR and Brazilian Culture at the Technology Sector

In the second semester of 2025, the Technology Sector of the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR) welcomed two French students through an academic mobility program: Rudy Colladant, from the Université de Technologie de Compiègne (UTC), located in the city of Compiègne, and Jeanne Dulou, from the École Nationale Supérieure pour la Performance Industrielle et la Maintenance Aéronautique (ENSPIMA) in Bordeaux.

Both students are enrolled in courses at the Department of Mechanical Engineering and are expected to remain in Curitiba until December 2025.

Rudy, originally from Bourges, explains that he chose UFPR due to his interest in specific courses and the opportunity to experience a completely new culture.

“My university has several partnerships with Brazil, and that’s how I found out about the program. I chose UFPR because the courses interested me and because the required level of Portuguese would not be a major problem,” he explains.

He also admits that he arrived with some preconceived ideas about Brazil, especially regarding safety and climate, but Curitiba surprised him:

“The city seems quite safe to me, and the weather is not always sunny!” he jokes.

Despite the initial language barrier, Rudy says he felt welcomed by professors and classmates, highlighting the learning process and the autonomy he has gained during the experience.

Jeanne, who came from Bordeaux, decided to study in Brazil motivated by her desire to learn Portuguese and to better understand Latin American culture.

“At my school, we have presentations about exchange destinations. I wanted to go to a Portuguese-speaking country, but I couldn’t go to Portugal, so I chose Brazil. I’ve always liked Latin American culture and wanted to discover more,” she says.

She mentions that the language was a challenge at first, but she quickly adapted with the support of the academic community:

“It was difficult in the beginning because I didn’t speak Portuguese and many Brazilians don’t speak English, but I managed and got used to it. The professors and students were very welcoming.”

One of the differences that most caught her attention was the contrast between classroom dynamics in Brazil and France:

“Here, we can leave the classroom during class to go to the bathroom or take a short break. In France, we have to stay until the end of the class, and if we arrive more than five minutes late, we are not allowed to enter,” she observes.

Beyond their academic activities, Jeanne visited Florianópolis and was impressed by the natural landscapes and local nightlife, describing the experience as “how I imagined Brazil.” In Curitiba, however, she was also surprised by the climate, realizing—like Rudy—that the country is not always hot and sunny.

Jeanne emphasizes that her biggest challenge was “breaking the language barrier and adapting alone on another continent,” but she highlights the valuable lessons she gained from the experience:

“I learned that here people live well with what they have and that they don’t need more than that. That it’s important to do what you want without feeling judged.”

Both Rudy and Jeanne agree that international academic mobility is a unique opportunity for academic, personal, and cultural growth, and they emphasize that UFPR has been a welcoming and supportive environment for this experience.