|
Brazil is the 8th largest economy in the world and the largest in South America. With a land mass larger than Europe, Brazil has a population of 195 million, and a range of diverse cultures and climates. Like other developing economies, the birth rate is falling and the population slowly ageing. The population aged between 15 and 34 is 62 million. British Council Brazil recently commissioned research that demonstrates Education UK has a target market of 14 million people of income level A / B with home Internet access.
The future focus of government expenditure on education is on improving the quality of teaching. Education expenditure is currently 4.29 per cent of GDP. Demand for higher education outstrips supply, leading to significant private sector investment in the sector. In 2000, there were 1,180 higher education institutions in Brazil (60 per cent of them private). Today there are about 2,400 educational institutions, of which only around 260 are publicly-funded. Of the approximately 4.8 million higher education students, nearly three quarters are in private institutions, which employ more than 65% of academics.
English is the first foreign language and is taught in all schools. English is part of the multi-discipline Brazilian university admission examination, and most social classes A and B study English at private language schools to supplement the school curriculum.
The major Brazilian institutions offering courses, training and study abroad programmes are members of BELTA (Brazilian Educational and Language Travel Agents Association). Founded in 1992, BELTA's members represent more than 90 per cent of the international education market in Brazil. The main factors influencing choice of study destination are: costs of fees/living; ease of obtaining a visa; and ability to work while studying.
Demand for distance education is continually growing to fill the supply gap in higher education and reach geographically-dispersed areas. Young Brazilians are better educated than their parents, more familiar with the English language and very keen to invest in international education, as this is highly rewarded in the labour market.
English language courses are in high demand. A study in Language Travel Magazine showed that 48 per cent of Brazilians study English in the UK for further academic study and 37 per cent for professional and career development. At both Higher and Further Education levels, there is particular interest in fields of study where courses are not offered in Brazil, such as oil and gas.
British Council has four offices in Brazil, offering Education UK information to students and organising Education UK activities across the country. The Education UK Team and the Customer Services team are centralised in São Paulo. The other offices are in Rio de Janeiro, Brasília and Recife.
To reach target audiences outside major cities, Brazil was one of the first countries to launch a fully-fledged version of the new Education UK site in local language, including content developed especially for local students, such as scholarships, events and information leaflets. British Council Brazil continues to raise the profile of Education UK as a favourable backdrop for the promotion of individual institutions and programmes, and the different countries and regions of the UK.
Using the internet to do this is a main aspect of the strategy. Social media, blogs and students’ database are part of an online communication plan developed throughout the year. The lack of Higher/Further Education agents in the country makes this online portfolio a useful alternative to direct student recruitment.
| 
