Covid 19: Why I Decided to Stay in France During the Containment

Max Leblanc is a French-Brazilian student from São Paulo, Brazil, where he studies International Relations at the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo. He began his exchange at ICP in January and decided to stay in France during the containment, instead of returning to Brazil. Here is his story:


Since the beginning of this year, I have been studying as an exchange student at ICP at the Faculty of Social Sciences & Economics. When I arrived at the Catholic University of Paris, I received a warm welcome from the International Relations Office and the TANDEM association. We learned a lot about the university and its fascinating history. In addition, we had the chance to meet many different students during the first week.
 

The welcome at ICP was no doubt essential to start the semester off right.


Attending the courses, discussing with professors, observing their different course methods and topics has greatly enriched me. It wasn't only the academic aspect but also the cultural experience which attracted me a lot - living in a global, multicultural city and having the privilege of studying at ICP, located in the historic center of Paris.

Since the announcement of the state of health emergency by President Macron and the closure of the universities on 17 March, it hasn't been easy to live in containement and learning from home.
 

Fortunately, ICP quickly took measures to ensure the continuity of online courses, and the courses have taken place online without any issues. 


The professors communicate with us by e-mail, for coursework and information on the exams. My university in São Paulo offered to allow students to come back, but I chose to stay here, since conditions in France are better.
 
Published on April 23, 2020 Updated on April 27, 2020

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