Interrupted lives and suspended futures

experiences of Brazilian students in Portugal during the COVID-19 pandemic

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-85852503880003203%20

Keywords:

international students, Portugal, Brazilians, transnationalism, mobility

Abstract

This article presents an investigation into the challenges faced by Brazilian students in Portugal during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using online survey data and interviews, the study highlights the significant impact of the pandemic on these students' mobility, financial stability, and mental health. Despite the challenges they faced and the uncertainties about their career prospects, Brazilian students demonstrated resilience and adaptability. The support they had from their contact networks and their temporal expectations played a relevant role in their agency. The study underlines the importance of a transnational perspective in understanding the social, economic, and emotional factors that shape international students' experiences. The paper offers valuable insights into addressing human mobility challenges in a complex global context and the results can be used to inform the development of policies and programs that meet the needs of international students in times of crisis.

Author Biographies

  • Adelia Verônica Silva, CEG, Laboratório Associado Terra, IGOT, Universidade de Lisboa

    Doutora em Geografia Humana. Investigadora efetiva do Centro de Estudos Geográficos (CEG), Instituto de Geografia e Ordenamento do Território (IGOT), Universidade de Lisboa | Laboratório Associado Terra, Portugal, Lisboa. Email: adeliasilva@edu.ulisboa.pt - ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4081-2575.

  • Juliana Chatti Iorio, CEG, Laboratório Associado Terra, IGOT, Universidade de Lisboa

    Doutora em Geografia Humana. Investigadora associada do Centro de Estudos Geográficos (CEG), Instituto de Geografia e Ordenamento do Território (IGOT), Universidade de Lisboa | Laboratório Associado Terra, Portugal, Lisboa. Email: julianaiorio@campus.ul.pt - ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3606-2492.

  • Maria Lucinda Fonseca, CEG, Laboratório Associado Terra, IGOT, Universidade de Lisboa

    Doutora em Geografia Humana. Professora Catedrática de Geografia Humana e Estudos das Migrações, no Instituto de Geografia e Ordenamento do Território da Universidade de Lisboa (IGOT), coordenadora científica do grupo de investigação MIGRARE - Migrações, espaços e sociedades, do CEG -Centro de Estudos Geográficos e Diretora do Programa de Doutoramento em Migrações da Universidade de Lisboa. Portugal. Email: fonseca-maria@campus.ul.pt - ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8867-8910.

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Published

2024-09-27

Issue

Section

Research-article

How to Cite

Interrupted lives and suspended futures: experiences of Brazilian students in Portugal during the COVID-19 pandemic. (2024). REMHU, Revista Interdisciplinar Da Mobilidade Humana, 32, e321837. https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-85852503880003203

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