Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina

Luzia Maweza shares her experience with the project. Photo: UFSC

Difficulties with language, challenges adapting to the classroom and feelings of exclusion from her peers were some of the obstacles faced by Luzia Maweza, a migrant student from Angola, when she joined the Social Work program at UFSC and began her new life in Santa Catarina. Things began to change when she became involved with the UFSC sem Fronteiras [UFSC without Borders] project – an outreach initiative that promotes the integration and retention of international, migrant and refugee students at the university.

Like Luzia, many other students face similar struggles. According to a survey conducted by the Prorectorate for Undergraduate Studies and Basic Education (PROGRAD) on 13 May 2025, UFSC currently has around 73 undergraduate students enrolled through the Brazilian government’s mobility program Programa de Estudantes-Convênio de Graduação (PEC-G) along with 583 international undergraduate degree-seeking students. Many of these students arrive in Brazil without institutional support and experience difficulties adapting – challenges similar to those reported by Luzia.

Elisa Schemes, PEC-G representative at UFSC and a staff member at the Office of International Relations (SINTER), explained that the UFSC sem Fronteiras project originated from existing support initiatives for PEC-G students. The PEC-G is  a Brazilian government program that offers free places in undergraduate programs to students from developing countries that maintain educational and cultural agreements with Brazil. According to Schemes, the project aims to expand the support already provided by SINTER and the Institutional Program for Educational Support to Students (PIAPE) to include all international students at UFSC.

The project is coordinated by Janaina Santos, who also coordinates PIAPE. Santos holds a doctoral degree in the field of ​​migration and refuge and has collaborated with various groups and organizations that support migrants and refugees. She was part of the UFSC committee that implemented a specific undergraduate admission process for refugees, asylum seekers and humanitarian visa holders. This special admission process has been in place at UFSC since 2022 and offers 10 undergraduate seats per year.

According to Santos, UFSC sem Fronteiras brings together migrant, refugee, asylum-seeking, and international undergraduate and graduate students to carry out welcoming activities, support academic integration, monitor student trajectories, and promote cultural and artistic engagement.

How the project works

Discussion group with UFSC international, migrant and refugee students.

The project operates through two main branches: one focused on the internal university community and the other on external audiences.

For students already enrolled at UFSC, the project aims to build a support network and offer academic and pedagogical assistance. Activities include discussion groups with international, migrant and refugee students to hear their experiences, understand their backgrounds, and support their academic integration and retention.

These students also receive guidance on academic life, information about PIAPE’s educational support services and the university’s Psychological Care Service (Sapsi), as well as assistance on immigration procedures with the Federal Police. Additional support includes information on opening a bank account, accessing public healthcare, and navigating other UFSC services.

For the external audience, UFSC sem Fronteiras works to disseminate the specific admission processes for refugees and migrants. The project also seeks to raise awareness about human rights, the importance of inclusivity, and to combat misinformation around migration and refuge, making society more welcoming. It also aims to build connections with the students’ countries of origin, providing guidance on how to study at UFSC.

Janaína Santos presents the UFSC sem Fronteiras project during a tour through academic schools. Photo: UFSC

The implementation of the specific admission process for refugees and migrants in 2022, UFSC has opened 30 seats (10 per year), but only around 20 students are currently enrolled.  Santos explains that many dropped out due to a lack of academic and institutional support. “The project is precisely intended to combat this dropout, ensuring that students feel supported once they enroll”, she says.

According to Santos, international, migrant and refugee students face specific challenges that make support essential. These may include separation from family and country of origin, previous experiences of violence, language barriers, cultural differences, and academic difficulties stemming from different educational backgrounds. Many also struggle with organizing their studies, experience isolation, and have trouble understanding academic codes and integrating into university life.

Luzia Maweza now works as an intern with the UFSC sem Fronteiras project. She arrived in Brazil in 2022, first settling in the state of Bahia before moving to Santa Catarina. Luzia describes her own challenges in becoming a UFSC student and adapting to the new environment. She observed that African students tended to group together, while she often felt the need to “prove she was good enough” to be included in other groups. She also criticized some instructors for overlooking the language and integration difficulties faced by international students, often leaving them to manage group work on their own. In addition, she pointed out cultural differences in food and explained that the prejudice she experienced in Santa Catarina, though more subtle than in Bahia, ‘hurts more’ because it isn’t spoken aloud—but is still clearly felt.

Participating in UFSC initiatives such as the Antiracist Praxis Project and the UFSC sem Fronteiras, was a transformative experience for Luzia. Initially hesitant to express her knowledge, she gained confidence and visibility through these projects, which helped her better understand Brazilian society and race relations, and develop a more critical perspective. This shift helped challenge the prejudices held by some classmates—such as the belief that she lacked the ability to contribute academically—and changed the way she was perceived.

One of the key points emphasized by both Santos and Luzia is the need for wider dissemination of the project. Many migrant and refugee students are unaware of where to seek support within the university. Luzia, who felt lost when she first arrived on campus, underscores the importance of informing other students about the project, which exists to ensure they don’t feel alone—and to help them realize that their challenges are shared, and that there is a welcoming space for them at UFSC.

Learn more about the project in their official website.

Translated by SINTER/UFSC.

Read the original article here.