Becoming a Global Innovator in Milan 

I’ve always wanted to do an exchange program to experience life in another country and play ‘grown-ups’ living independently. However, a year or even six months is a little too much grown-up time for me. 

My Global Short Program, studying Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Milan, was the perfect balance between personal growth and getting back to my busy life in Australia! 

Before the 2-week course started, I didn’t know what to expect. The university didn’t have student housing, so I was alone in an Airbnb in a foreign country where I barely spoke the language. Luckily, Australian accents are very easy to identify, so at the orientation day, I listened out and found some Aussies to cling to for the day while I got my bearings. 

As for the actual classes? Wow. Our teacher was the most impressive woman who told us stories of her global adventures while undertaking academic research for innovation models. We studied businesses and innovation frameworks – some that I have done before at UTS and some completely new. 

It was a fast-paced course with a lot of material covered in each class, but our teacher always gave us restaurant and bar recommendations in between topics! 

In terms of wanting to experience life in another country, I learned a lot about Italian culture. 

• My coffee order (a Mocha) is completely unacceptable, and it’s shameful even to ask (so is takeaway coffee) 
• Eat late, drink early 
• Dogs on trains! 

It was also Men’s Fashion Week while I was literally in the world’s fashion capital. Although I didn’t realise it at first – I just thought there were suddenly a lot of tall tourists with very chiselled cheekbones. 

It sounds cliché, but I grew a lot in those two weeks (and in the three weeks after solo travelling). I feel more independent and appreciative of the world around me, in both how it’s different and similar on the other side than it is here. Yes, it’s lonely at times being isolated from family and friends, but I made new friends from all over the world. 

Jessica Rasker
UTS Business School
Global Short Programs – Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Italy
Global Short Programs Travel Scholarship recipient