International student mobility and attitudes towards inequality: essays about the Brazilian case

This dissertation contributes to the literature on student mobility and inequality attitudes, focusing on the Brazilian case. Employing a quantitative approach grounded in economics and higher education literature, the study's three essays examine two key dimensions: student mobility's potential to change people's worldviews, specifically their inequality attitudes, and its role in improving human capital. Among its conclusions, it shows that: 1) in Brazil, race and education are significantly correlated to inequality preferences; 2) going abroad does not change students' preference to reduce within-country inequality, yet international mobility impacts the perception of current inequality, with mobile students perceiving less disparities; 3) that the timing and duration of mobility have substantial effects on students' academic performance. The essays presented in this dissertation provide information to inform better policymakers concerned with the effects of international student mobility on students. It also provides updated information about inequality preferences in Brazil.