RIO DE JANEIRO is an exciting city perfectly situated between a lush tropical forest and the Atlantic Ocean. Rio provides its residents and visitors alike a majestic realm of colors, sounds and smells.

 

 

 

With an intense cultural life, RIO DE JANEIRO is the perfect place for those who want to immerse themselves into the South American reality: plays, shows, concerts, exhibitions, street performances, scientific conferences, cultural debates - everything happens in Rio.

 

 

Rio de Janeiro is a strategic place right in the heart of the best of Brazil:

• PETRÓPOLIS: the Imperial City located in the mountains (1 hour by bus);
• BÚZIOS: a resort town with amazing beaches and crystal-clear water (3 hours by bus);
• SÃO PAULO: the number one industrial center in Brazil (40 minutes by plane);
• SALVADOR: the birth place of Brazil's colonization and now home to axé music, the Brazilian reggae (1 ½ hours by plane);
• OURO PRETO: one of the United Nations' Monuments of the World (3 hours by plane and bus).

 

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PUC-Rio

PUC-RIO is a private non-profit Catholic University. It was created in 1941 by the Jesuit Company in order to develop knowledge based on humanistic values.

Now with approximately 13,000 undergraduate students, 2,500 graduate students and 7,000 extension students, PUC-RIO is internationally recognized as one of the top five universities in Brazil and one of the two best in Rio de Janeiro.

ACADEMIC CENTERS:

Interdisciplinary courses: Architecture/ Urbanism, Environmental Engineering

PUC-RIO also has independent research institutes and/or projects, including: the Telecommunications Center - CETUC, the Institute of International Relations - IRI (Summary), the Institute of Business and Administration - IAG and the Portinari Project, among others.

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The Campus

PUC-RIO is located in Gávea, a charming neighborhood near the forest and beaches of the Zona Sul area of Rio de Janeiro. Its campus is beautifully situated within a tropical forest, surrounded by lush trees and with a small stream running through it. Visitors and students can often see small monkeys and squirrels jumping among the trees.

A large number of city bus lines make it easy to get to campus.

There are four libraries on campus including the CENTRAL LIBRARY and a specialized library per academic center.

RIO DATACENTRO (RDC) is the computer center. The first internet provider in the country, the RDC has a state- of -the-art multiprocessor computer and a graphics-computing center, among other equipment and programs. All PUC-RIO students, including international students, benefit from free access to the Internet from numerous terminals located in various microcomputer laboratories on campus.

SOLAR GRANDJEAN DE MONTIGNY, PUC-RIO's Cultural Center, displays numerous visual arts exhibitions year-round.

In the PILOTIS, the ground floor of the Kennedy Building, many cultural events take place throughout the year, including political debates, shows and fairs. The "Festa Junina," a traditional folkloric festival occurring each June, showcases typical food, costumes and traditional dances which bring to life an old-fashioned way of living in Brazil.

The "Mostra PUC- Rio" is an internship fair that brings industrial and commercial organizations into close contact with the students at the university. It takes place every August.

The PUC-RIO campus also offers restaurants and service centers, including: Three restaurants with complete meals ranging between US$4,00 to US$10,00 coffee-shops, 1 pizza-parlor; a bookstore and an office supply store; three copy centers; three bank branches; a post office; a newsstand and several ATM machines. Close to the campus, students also have easy access to a great number of shops, banks, specialized bookstores, restaurants, a movie theatre and a shopping mall. The beautiful Botanical Garden and Leblon beach are also only within walking distance from campus.

Through some of its specialized centers, PUC-RIO also provides social assistance to its staff, students and the outside community. The Center for Assistance to Homeless Children (NEAM), the Training Office for Law Students (EMA), the Applied Psychology Service (SPA), the Campus Ministry and a First Aid Center also serve an important function on campus.

The Department of Social Work runs a considerable number of community projects in which PUC-RIO international students are invited to participate.