Economy, Technology, and People

Brazil Today
Friday, February 21, 2014 to Sunday, February 23, 2014

 

Brazil Today


Class times:

5pm Friday, February 21, 2013 to 1pm Sunday, February 23, 2013 (2400 Sennott Square, University of Pittsburgh)

Brazil Today is a one-credit (Pitt)/ three-unit (CMU) mini course, consisting of 14 hours of classes over a weekend, with a major paper assignment to be completed for credit. This course is created for undergraduate and graduate students. However, K-12 educators, business and community members are welcome to attend all or sections of the course for free. The course will open with two keynote lectures on Friday evening on an overview of the issues. This will be followed by instructional lectures on Saturday on the various themes by experts in the fields.  Sunday morning will be a discussion of two case studies and a panel discussion by the speakers on future challenges and some possible projections/ recommendations.

Motivation:

As global citizens, students need to have a working knowledge of other countries, which are important in shaping the corporate, social and political world. As a rising state in the world economy, Brazil’s status in the business and in world affairs is shifting.

Course Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the course, the students will:

1. Have a general understanding of the corporate, geo-political, cultural and social factors that define Brazil's economic, cultural and technological landscape at the present time.

2. Explore one of these factors in depth, through the research paper.

Faculty presenters: Please visit the Speakers and Abstract tab


Textbook:  

TBA

Book is currently available in the Pitt Book Center and Carnegie Melon University Bookstore. 

Description:

This short course will explore how various intersections of economy, society, and identity interact in Brazil and in the perceived position of Brazil as an emerging world economy. It will explore questions such as:

  • How does Brazil's history and diversity reflect in the policies and the economy of Brazil? In the way Brazilians react with the market?
  • What are today’s challenges in attaining equity in quality of life in Brazil? What are some of its greatest needs?
  • What are impediments to Brazil’s economic and business growth?
  • What are the challenges of multinational firms in developing countries and how can those challenges be overcome?
  • What are some of the salient features of the U.S.-Brazilian relations?
  • How have cultural traditions and modernizations integrated in Brazil? What have been some cultural responses to globalization?
  • What lies ahead? What are the opportunities and challenges in Brazil’s immediate future?

Assessment:

Due to the immersive nature of the course, students are expected to attend all sessions on all three days. Further, each student will be required to read the assigned book and develop a research paper on one dimension of modern Brazil that has been introduced in class. The paper should be based on one of the topics covered in the course. The length of the term paper will be 5-10 pages, double spaced in 11 point font. Research papers are due by March 21 at 5:00pm and should be submitted through Carnegie Mellon's Blackboard or University of Pittsburgh’s Courseweb assignment tab for the course.

Sample topics for term papers include:

▪       Historical factors in the development of Brazil’s market economy

▪       Factors that encourage or retard technological innovation in Brazil

▪       The role of education in making Brazil a world power

▪       Financing innovation in Brazil: foreign, multinational, and Brazilian enterprises

▪       The World Cup and the Olympics: Positives or Negatives to the Brazilian economy and culture

▪       Education and innovation in Brazil

▪       Ethnicity and educational opportunity

▪       Can Brazil’s economy sustain its recent growth rates?

▪       Global forces impacting the Brazilian economy

▪       Global forces impacting the Brazilian education system

Audit Option:

Carnegie Mellon students may also audit the course by attending all the sessions, but not writing the paper. You should be sure to process an audit form, both if you are auditing from the beginning or later if you have decided not to do a paper and want your status changed from credit to audit. Pitt students may also audit but students must choose this option before the beginning of the course and it will not appear on your transcript as having taken the course. Once the course has started students will be graded based on how they signed up for the course.

Note: The paper is not a book or chapter review, but an overall analysis that demonstrates your reading and thinking on the subject. First articulate an organizing question that you will attempt to answer, and proceed from there to find sources. The organizing question has to be an exploration on one of the issues or aspects addressed by one or several speakers in the course.

As this is a generalist course, we don’t expect a detailed economic or political analysis, but a thorough literature review on the topic and your synthesis of these readings to answer the question with a critical perspective.

Instructors (responsible for grades and class organization): 

Professors Amy Burkert (ak11@andrew.cmu.edu) and Renee Camerlengo (reneec@andrew.cmu.edu) responsible for grades at Carnegie Mellon University and Larry Feick (feick@pitt.edu), and Veronica Dristas (dristas@pitt.edu) at the University of Pittsburgh, respectively. Please send e-mail to us individually if you have questions regarding grades.

Sponsored by: University of Pittsburgh: Global Studies Center, Center for Latin American Studies, Department of Economics, Katz Graduate School of Business, the Swanson School of Engineering, International Business Center, and College of Buisness Administration
   
Carnegie Mellon University: H. John Heinz III College, Office of the Provost, Division of Student Affairs  

 

TBA

Last updated 1/22/14

Friday, February 21    5:00 - 8:00pm

5:00 pm- 5:15 pm Brief Introductions and Welcome
5:15 pm- 6:30 pm
6:30 pm- 6:45 pm Break
6:45pm- 8:00 pm 

Saturday, February 22    8:30am - 7:00pm

8:30 am- 9:45 am
9:45 am - 10:00 am Break
10:00 am- 11:15 am
11:15 am- 11:30 am Break
11:30 am- 12:45 pm 

12:45 pm - 2:00 pm Lunch
2:00 pm - 3:15 pm
3:15-pm - 3:30 pm Break
3:30 pm - 4:45 pm
4:45 pm - 5:00 Break
 
5:00-pm - 6:15 pm
6:15pm - 7:00pm

Sunday, February 23, 9:00am - 1:30pm

9:00am- 10:15am-
10:15am -10:30 am Break
10:30 am - 11:45 am
11:45 am - 12:00 pm Break
12:00pm- 1:15 pm
1:15pm- 1:30 pm Conclusion and evaluation

 

 

Registration is REQUIRED for University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University students, teachers, business and community members and guests who are not taking the course for credit.

For students only: Once you are registered, you will be given access to the Brazil Today Blackboard/CourseWeb site that is hosted by the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, where you will find information on assignments and resources.

Carnegie Mellon University Registration:

Registration is REQUIRED for Carnegie Mellon University students.  Please register for either 94-820 or 99-332. For anyquestions regarding registration, please contact Catherine Ribarchak at cr2@andrew.cmu.edu.

University of Pittsburgh Registration:

Registration is REQUIRED for University of Pittsburgh students. Students can register for this course up till February 3, 2014. To register please click the following form
University of Pittsburgh students may register the Brazil Today mini course at no additional cost provided that they do not exceed the maximum number of credits for full-time enrollment. Full-time enrollment maximum credits vary with status and School. Students will be billed for credits exceeding their full or part-time allowable credits.

For any inquiries please contact Veronica Dristas at dristas@pitt.edu

Community Registration:

Registration is required for community members and guests who are not taking the course for credit.

Who needs to register?
Registration is for count of attendance only, and is for guests who are NOT taking the course for credit.

How do I register?
Please click the link and fill out the simple form: Community Registration Form

Teacher Registration:

This registration form is for teachers who would like to receive ACT 48 credit. To register please click the link and fill out the simple form: Teacher Registration Form

 

 

 

Veronica Dristas
Assistant Director of Outreach
Global Studies Center
University Center for International Studies (UCIS)
University of Pittsburgh
4101 Wesley W. Posvar Hall
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
dristas@pitt.edu
412 624-2918

Cathy Ribarchak
Administrative Assistant to Dr. Amy Burkert
Office of the Vice Provost for Education
Carnegie Mellon University
5000 Forbes Avenue
612A Warner Hall
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890
412-268-8677 (voice)
412-268-2330 (fax)

Contact the Global Studies Center:

Phone: (412) 648-5085
Email: global@pitt.edu

Mailing address:
Global Studies Center
University of Pittsburgh
University Center for International Studies
4400 Wesley W. Posvar Hall
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
USA