Do long-distance relationships ever work? Suggestions...?

I'm moving to Geneva in September for two years to do a postgraduate degree at a great school with a really nice scholarship. the problem is that I started seeing someone 6 months ago and I really like him - we're in love and he's perfect. I applied for the masters degree before I started going out with him. The opportunity for me is too good to turn down, but it means that I'll be away from him for 2 years. He lives in London at the moment, but he is Brazilian and he's finding it impossible to find a job here in his area - banking and finance. He wants to start setting down roots somewhere as he is 31 and I think that he'll find it equally hard if not harder to find a job in geneva. He is thinking about possibly going back to Brazil, but I don't know what will happen to our relationship. do you think it's possible to ever have a long-term relationship? do you have any suggestions about compromises we could explore. I want to be with him and he wants to be with me, but it seems as if we're in completely different places in our lives at the moment, both geographically and career-wise. Help!!!