Four hundred students from 50 countries have arrived in Faro this week to study under the EU-funded Erasmus exchange programme. Two hundred more are expected to follow shortly.
With classes due to start next week, programme coordinator Isabel Cavaco has been telling RTP how Portugal is seen by Erasmus a country where students “integrate easily”.
Interviewed by the station, a number agreed that even without understanding Portuguese, they were getting help and advice.
“I hope to share experiences with others and I hope to gain many experiences from them”, explained one.
For now, the young people are being taken on trips to get to know their new home – a visit to nearby Ria Formosa being the first outing on the list.
University rectors have long been stressing the importance and money-making sense, behind Portuguese universities opening their doors to foreign students
