Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Universidad Pontificia Comillas

My 2-and-a-half week Global Short Course in Madrid was an incredibly fulfilling experience. I took part in the course in January 2025, from the 8th to the 24th. The course, at the Pontifical University of Comillas, was in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, which has since helped me in my continuing BCII studies. I decided to do the course as I was already in Europe for my Exchange, which I completed in the UK, and I thought it would be a good way to extend my trip, while being able to knock off another subject. I chose Madrid specifically because it was the only free option for a Short Course in the Winter session, and I thought Spain would be an amazing place to spend 3 weeks.

In the course, there were 13 students, with 3 (including myself) from Australia, 9 from South Korea and 1 from China. It was a very friendly cohort and we all got along well. The fraternising with this group was helped by the 1-hour, 3-course lunch we were provided every day in the University’s food court, which we were all very happy with. The course was centred around group work, and we spent most of the 2-and-a-half weeks with our groups. Our final assessment was a pitch for the product we had come up with throughout the course.

While the University did not offer accommodation during the course, it was not hard for me to find accommodation. I ended up staying in a room in an AirBNB, which only cost me around $700 for 18 nights. The place I stayed was about 30 minutes away from the University by Metro, and the Metro was very cheap to use.

During the course, I had plenty of free time to explore Madrid. It’s a really beautiful city, probably my favourite of all cities in Europe. It’s never too busy, and most of the real attractions are within walking distance of each other. I would often go to Retiro Park after class as well as walking to other sights. A couple friends and I also did a day trip to Toledo one day, which was also amazing. Many students within the course did weekend trips, some going as far as Barcelona, as nowhere in Spain is too hard to get to. It’s an amazing country and well worth going around to see places outside of Madrid.

Overall, my time in Madrid was hugely successful and extremely fun, and I’m very grateful for the opportunity. I wish I could go back and do it again!

Rory Kehoe
Bachelor of Business Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation
Universidad Pontificia Comillas, Madrid, Spain
Global Short Programs Travel Scholarship

For more information about the UTS Global Short Program visit: www.uts.edu.au/thinkglobal