In March 2007, the DePaul University School of Computer Science, Telecommunications and Information Systems (CTI) hosted its graduate-level study abroad program in Brazil. Associate Professor of Information Systems Olayele Adelakun accompanied 18 students to Rio de Janeiro for one week of company visits and cultural exchange. In all the class visited 8 organizations of all types, profit and non-profit, private and government-owned, and enjoyed a slice of Brazilian life that included great food, incredible music, magnificent natural views and even play-off soccer.

Study abroad is one of many ways DePaul University connects students to the world at large. The objective of this program was to expose CTI graduate students to the reality of information technology (IT) in an economically emerging country through visits with various IT stakeholders in the organizations. This process allowed the class to learn about IT usage, management, development and policy with a focus on how the companies utilize IT to gain strategic advantage.

Brazil provided a particularly interesting backdrop for this study due to its diversity and extreme contrasts. In this trip, we gained a lot of experience regarding IT. After coming back to the U.S., we were grouped into four teams to conduct some analyses and researches about what we saw and learned in Brazil. Through this website, we are glad to share what we learned in Brazil with you. Hope you can enjoy it!