UTS Think Global

HejHej from Uppsala!

March 17, 2015

Arriving in Sweden 2 months ago from sunny Sydney was definitely a shock to the system. With thick layers of snow everywhere it was nothing like I’d ever experienced. Although the snow is mostly melted now, Uppsala is becoming even more beautiful as spring arrives and there are a few things about Sweden, and Uppsala in particular that you should know…

Sweden is an expensive country, luckily in Uppsala there are student nations where you end up spending most of your time. They are essentially clubs that represent the different regions in Sweden. Each nation runs a pub, restaurant and club so food and drinking is a lot cheaper. Uppsala University is also really old, founded in 1477 – the main building is pretty impressive.

Uppsala University Main Building

I live in a suburb called Flogsta, where there is a housing complex of about 10 buildings and has about 2000 Swedish and exchange students living there, so there are always lots of parties going on. Built in the 60’s (but renovated in the 90’s), Flogsta is nick-named the student ghetto, and your fruit-fly infested kitchen will reinforce that – but it’s definitely the best place to live in Uppsala for the proximity to most of your friends, the corridor parties and the rooms themselves have their own bathroom and are quite spacious.

Flogsta has two main traditions…at 10pm every night there is the Flogsta scream, where students scream out their window for a full minute. You’ll always know when it’s 10 o’clock and it’s quite liberating to scream at strangers across the road. The second Flogsta tradition, although slightly less common, is throwing things out the window. If your corridor doesn’t have a TV, it’s likely some students from the corridor next door threw it out the window last semester. There are even stories of a flaming couch being thrown off the roof!

The view from my room in Flogsta

Fika is one of the best Swedish traditions, it basically means having coffee, cake and catching up with friends. There are plenty of great cafes in Uppsala for Fika and Sweden is famous for their Kanelbullar (Cinnamon Scrolls) and delicious cakes.

Fika – the Swedish Tradition of coffee, cakes and catching up

Although Sweden isn’t exactly a travel hub to the rest of Europe, there are lots of trips you can still go on. Being on exchange in Scandinavia, seeing the Northern Lights was a must-do. We recently went on a trip to Swedish Lappland and went snow mobiling, husky sledding and saw the Northern Lights!

Husky Sledding in Swedish Lappland

Watching Aurora Borealis in Swedish Lappland

We’ve also managed to do a couple of other trips. The Swedish government has a monopoly on alcohol so people often go on weekend trips to Finland, Estonia and Lativia to buy duty free alcohol and see a different city. Our ‘booze cruise’ went to Helsinki, Finland. I’m currently in Dublin for St Patrick’s Day and am going to Copenhagen, Berlin and doing a road trip around Sweden before the semester is over, so there is plenty of time to see the rest of Europe!

At Helsinki Cathedral

Being a small town relative to Sydney Uppsala felt like home pretty quickly. Everyone in Sweden speaks fluent English too, so if you are worried about the language barrier, Sweden is a great place to go. Uni classes are pretty relaxed, especially if you take ones that are specifically for exchange students. Although there are over 100 aussies in Uppsala, there are still plenty of students from Sweden and around the world to meet. There is always something fun going on but plenty of time to chill out and watch Netflix too. Overall, Uppsala is an amazing city and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else!

Laura Gin

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Pass the Dutch

March 17, 2015

This is my first time in Europe, I have landed here in The Netherlands, a country associated with unlimited freedoms and well established infrastructure. I must say that the latter is definitely true, the Dutch do have great infrastructure.. As for the notorious laws associated with Holland and it being legal to consume drugs as an individual, I have come to realise that this is something that many Dutch people are hesitant to associate with. For a country that has made it admissible to sell and consume Marijuana, it is still seen as a socially unacceptable practice by the majority of the population. It is even considered low class or anti-social to do what the Dutch government has instated laws to allow.

The first thing I noticed when I arrived in Amsterdam en route to my University here in Delft, was just how filled with tourists the city is. Numerous times people from a vast array of nationalities would come and ask me the way to central station or where they could buy weed from, as if I was some sort of local authority. This was definitely not yet the case and I felt a little uneasy after my first exposure to Amsterdam culture. It is however nice to see a city alive and even nicer to be somewhere where people are allowed to stay out and do as they please till whatever time suits them. When I inform Dutch people of the lock-out laws that have recently been impose in Sydney the general reaction is shock and confusion, they may not particularly exploit their freedoms to indulge in drugs but they do hold their freedom to party.

As for Delft, well it is a quite University town with a strong student culture. Being relatively isolated from any major cities, there is a strong fraternity and sorority contingency here, which I initially found a little difficult to assimilate with. This is apparently something that TU Delft is notorious for throughout the rest of the country, a fact that I was unaware of before arriving here. I have been enjoying getting away during weekends as it is super cheap to fly basically anywhere in Europe from here in The Netherlands. So far London, Berlin and Budapest have provided me with insights in to just how much variety Europe has to offer without travelling even half the distance from Sydney to Melbourne.. I am looking forward to visiting Milan next in early April for the International Design festival and having the chance to catch up with some UTS alumni there. For now back to the windy shores of Holland to hit the books and make the most of this A grade Dutch university and it’s facilities.

DIGBY BOLGER

My Faculty Building at TU Delft

Typical Dutch Landscape and Homes
An Australian in Shanghai: First Impressions

March 17, 2015

China may not be high on the lists of many students considering exchange, but I think/hope that will soon change. I’m a UTS final-year MBA student who has just arrived in Shanghai. I thought I’d give some initial thoughts on the city and hopefully inspire fellow UTS students to consider China as a Global Exchange destination!

Why you should consider China:

– It’s now the world’s largest economy, having recently taken over the USA

– It’s Australia’s largest trading partner

– It’s an amazing country to visit, a unique contrast of traditional values and history with rapidly developing technology and consumerism.

– There are opportunities through UTS and the Australian Government to receive support (OS loan support as well as scholarship programs).

There are challenges, as with any country. Shanghai and Beijing are extremely crowded cities, and require some patience (particularly on the metro!). There are some language challenges but overall you can comfortably survive with English: the city has a large and supportive expat community. There are also chances to study Mandarin while you’re here.

I’ve already met a great group of friends here, am enjoying the first weeks of University, the travel, day- and night-life!

I’ll be back to update after a few more weeks at Uni (I’m studying at Tongji University, not far from downtown Shanghai). Always happy to answer any questions potential exchange students might have, you can reply to the post or contact Raffaela Costa in the International Office for my contact details.

Andrew Demetriou
To all the people who wondered why

March 16, 2015

It seems that ever since I began contemplating this exchange people have been asking me, “but seriously, why Austria?”, everyone including friends, family (especially my own Austrian Grandma) , the Austrians I meet and occasionally even myself. And of course I don’t need to justify such decisions though I would like to nevertheless.

First of all, the country has not failed to live up to it’s reputation of being incredibly beautiful. I have been lucky to catch the end of the winter wonderland phase of the year with snowy mountains and rooftops, thick mist settling between dark icy pine forests and the snowy blue hue of mornings and evenings…oh and of course the ski fields that can be pretty much seen from my window. The cold is sharp but not unpleasant, rather actually quite energising… I never thought i’d find myself going for runs in temperatures under 10 degrees and I certainly never thought i’d be sad that winter is ending. But so i’ve been told spring time bike rides and trips to the lakes are still ahead and to be looked forward to.

Secondly, Austrian people are pretty cool. The most unpleasant interactions i’ve had with people have been at Hoffer or Lidl supermarkets where the checkout is some sort of ridiculous race, even when there is hardly a line. People on the street are helpful and friendly and local students at uni are in no way closed off to the idea of interacting with exchange students. Things like having Corina join myself and the two Maddie’s for dinner, occasional trips to the mensa and Sarah using our cinematography lesson to tell me all the top things to do in Voralberg make the uni experience all that much nicer.
And while Dornbirn is no bustling city the life here is balanced and suits me well. If I had to describe it I would say people here are easy going and relaxed but still interested and motivated about what they do, and I on that note I am quickly finding myself getting into a handful of reasonably labour intensive assignments which I will have to somehow manifest some time for…but hey i’m here to learn so why not.

Then of course as I mentioned before, yes I am technically part Austrian, a part of me that I have never really managed to identify with. And yes, it’s taking a lot of will power for me to detach myself from my love of Italia (did I mention i’m going there twice in the next three weeks). But I think as I start to get a feel for what Austria is and what they do here I’m growing a certain fondness of my other genealogical parts. And of course as I have mentioned in previous posts, the pretty houses. Ok, maybe I am more excited about this than most people, but to me they are nice. Here the landscape is spotted with big and little structures just like that one solitary house which sits on a grassy windswept hill just out side Katoomba. They are remarkably private buildings though with many windows, it feels like you should be able to look in but you never can. I find them interesting and unlike many things worthy of the effort of buying some 7 euro paints.

Anyway I hope I have settled the ‘why Austria’ question once and for all. And of course you all welcome to read lots more at http://cargocollective.com/entrada

Isabella Sanasi
Stockholm, Sweden

March 16, 2015

Upon arriving in Stockholm mid-January, I was not prepared for a Swedish winter which seemed to leave me knee deep in snow. The city was covered in a blanket of snow and the sun would begin to set in the early afternoon. Fortunately, my student housing is conveniently next to Stockholm University and has its fair share of surprises. For example, every Tuesdayat 10:00pm sharp – the whole of Lappis would erupt with screams out of every window for a few minutes by students relieving stress. Or, behind the housing, long trails through the woods would lead you to a beach that would be frozen during winter.

Frosty Stockholm

Now, I am almost halfway through my exchange at Stockholm University. After 2 months of fewer hours of light and an abundance of snow – Spring has finally approached and the temperature rising to 10 degrees, Stockholm seems like an entirely different place. The BBQ pits in the centre of the student housing was finally fired up last weekend on Stockholm’s first clear skies and sunny day. There hasn’t been a dull moment in this city even in the gloomy days because the cityhas much to offer.

The classes at Stockholm University for exchange students are quite different from I am used to back at UTS. Here, we take 1 class at a time and they would run for approximately 2 months before a 5 hour final exam. There would be 2 to 4 classes in the 1 semester depending on the study load. It can be intense at times but it allows you to focus on the one subject and not worry about trying to juggle a few subjects.

Kiruna

Stockholm is a convenient place to travel to and from due to its major airport. At the end of February, we were able to travel to Kiruna, northern Sweden, to try catch the Northern Lights. We were able to see it on most of the nights that we stayed. During the day, we had the opportunity to go snowmobiling and husky sledding.

This has definitely been an experience of a lifetime and I hope the remainder of my time here doesn’t fly by too quickly.

Bryan Do
An Australian in Austria

March 16, 2015

In all honesty, I was hesitant to go on exchange. Life in Sydney is so good and Austria is so foreign. I’d partaken in one in high school to Berlin and had loved that so I don’t know why I was so skeptical. Maybe it had something to do with the fact I’m not the biggest fan of the Sound of Music.

I broke all social boundaries, Facebook messaging people I’d read about on this blog, hoping they’d convince me to pack up my life and move to Dornbirn, Austria for 5 months. Somehow they did and I’m now here. It’s a small, super picturesque town on the western side of the country, very close to Switzerland (to the point a friend accidentally cycled there late one night instead of going home), very close to Germany and very close to Italy. It’s defined by the surrounding mountains, cyclists and baked goods. Oh my goodness, to not have come would’ve been a regrettable mistake. (On a side note, if you’re in the same position, you’re more than welcome to message me. The least I can do after all the help I received. Additionally – bit of a self plug – but I have a blog which goes a little more in-depth about Austria http://www.madeleinevontrapp.com which may help.)

Although it’s only been three weeks and time has flown by incomprehensibly fast, I feel like Dornbirn is a home away from home and I’ve know my classmates for ages – whether that be the quiche-making French boys, the Chilean girl who shreds on the slopes, the Polish boy on my floor who always gets locked out, the Belgian who only eats pizza and drinks beer or the Americans who are the only ones who understand Australian sarcasm and can trump it. There’s a group of 39 exchange students are we’re honestly almost inseparable. Many of us have our own little kitchens in our rooms but each night we’ll eat dinner together, catch up on the day and laugh. Of late, local students have started to join us as well – a testament to how friendly and welcoming they are. They’re happy to drive us round, show us the town and help out with homework.

There’s no shortage of things to do in Dornbirn either, despite being a small town (which I was nervous about having lived in Milsons Point for the past 15 years.) Weekends and afternoons are filled with ski trips up nearby mountains, hikes, eating out, pub crawls (sometimes even organized by the school), thrift shopping (#studentlife), cooking together, watching movies, hiring vans and going for weekends in Munich/Innsbruck/Neuschwanstein Castle or even using the 24 hour facilities of FHV. They’re a fantastic, small university, with really in-depth teaching and a practical outlook on the design degree. My animation stream has 6 students and 4 industry professionals as tutors which is preeeetty awesome. We’re so well looked after here with 5D Mark III’s able to be borrowed, Phantom cameras, FREE printing even at A1! They’re so happy to help and always go above and beyond.

All in all, I’d seriously recommend coming here – you don’t have to speak German, you don’t even have to like small towns. You’re right on the border of so many countries geographically, making it easy to travel and you’re living next door to people from so many countries making it easy to scab free accommodation for when you do.

Here’s a few pictures.

Madeleine Dudley,

Visual Communication

Dornbirn, Austria

My Street

T-bar at the local slopes (15 mins bus away)

Making pavlova for friends at a pot luck dinner

The local square

Weekend trip to Füssen

View out the classroom window

Bonfire night

Early morning jet lag run (it was pretty snowy when we first arrived)
The river we walk past everyday to get to school (now has zero ice)

The local farmer’s markets on Wednesday and Saturday where we get a lot of our produce

View from my bedroom window
Summer in India

February 20, 2015

Check out Ellen’s video from their Global Short Program in India:
Shukuriya, Maldives.

January 9, 2015

Eleven Sport and Exercise Science students and one lecturer had an incredible three weeks in the Maldives teaching a range of sports and running health clinics. Below is an excerpt from Josh Dipple on his trip of a lifetime in the Maldives;

“With our trip underway, the 11 representatives from UTS were in full swing of island mode. Island mode consisted of beginning later than the confirmed time, slow service at café’s and scooters pulling out in front of you on the roads, but island mode also includes privileges such as stronger connections with students, in clinics and workshops and luxuries such as snorkelling, fishing, turtle catching, island getaways and local eating. With the locals so welcoming of us foreigners, the transition into Maldivian life was made smoothly.

It was not all smooth sailing though, as anyone knows ups and downs are experienced in life. Sickness rocked the household for a few days and rain appeared in torrential measures for such long periods of time. But when given lemons, we make lemonade! Rain didn’t hold any team member back, with commitment still at full capacity, this signified by riding – to put it nicely – dysfunctional, broken bicycles where chains were falling off, pedals breaking off and seats going places they shouldn’t. Still riding to soccer, netball, swimming and nutrition clinics in monsoonal rain, this would form the identity of this exciting UTS group for the rest of the trip. Strong, determined, committed and passionate.

As all workshops and clinics began to finish up in the last week, it was a sad time for everyone, team UTS, the students and the parents that have ridden this journey with us over the 3 weeks. This was signified on Thursday, the climax to an amazing, life-changing experience with the workshops coming to a close, gifts exchanged and so many photos taken and shirts autographed that team UTS felt like celebrities, even if it was for only an hour or so. Soccer and netball students have team UTS presents in exchange for their commitment and dedication over the time, whilst swimming students provided a picnic after the final swimming lesson on that same Thursday, with some students lucky enough to be recognised with individual gifts from appreciative students and their parents. Coaches also provided gifts of their own, some even coming from their own expense, evident of the connection shared between coaches and students.

It was all coming to the conclusion, with Friday being a day for not only cleaning, packing and reflecting, but making the most of our last day in this beautiful country called the Maldives and specifically the atoll of Addu. Cricket with the locals began the day, with more goodbye photos taken, then a group lunch led into a private island resort for the afternoon. Farewell dinner was consumed and present shopping for the most important people was undertaken directly post-dinner. On arrival at the guesthouse after a long, jam-packed day, the team were finalising packing and getting some much needed sleep.

But this was so incorrect. It started with 2 swimming students offering to take team UTS of whom was awake 50 metres away where her cousins were dancing. Our preconceived ideas were not one of enjoyment or excitement with what was thought to be young kids dancing, but thought attending would be the right thing to do on our last night. Oh how we were wrong. There would have been 10-15 male dancers, aged approximately 20+ working up a sweat that could nearly put the Maldives underwater, yet the passion and enthusiasm which they exerted were sights to be seen. The locals soon caught onto us, offering us to dance, play drums and sing with them. It was absolutely amazing, experiencing a local party.

Team UTS sends out its biggest thankyou’s to Suna, Misbah, Bonda (Shamweel), Anif (Captain), Suni, Saif and Mika. There are many, many more people to thank, including students who attended clinics, food preparers and many more. Team UTS Maldives 2014 would just like to say that even though some faces were never identified, the hard work and effort put into everything running smoothly for what are 11 happy-go-lucky hooligans that loved every minute of their trip hasn’t gone unnoticed, with appreciation evident in spades.

Words aren’t able to sum up the gratitude we as a team have towards these wonderful people and this trip, but memories and experiences last a lifetime, so nothing will be forgotten.

Shukuriya (Thankyou).”
BCII students in Delhi, India!

January 9, 2015

The first Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation (BCII) global studio is underway in Delhi, India. Studying at an MBA college the students are exploring social entrepreneurship as an emerging and dynamic field through a series of lectures, NGO visits and cultural visits. Below is an update from Course Director Bem Le Hunte who is currently with the students in Delhi;

“The course has been really good and the students seem to be getting lots out of it. Today they had a guest lecture from a 24-year-old social entrepreneur, for example, and one of our students, said: ‘During that lecture I felt that I came to India to hear what she had to say.’

Last night they were taken to the Kingdom of Dreams Theatre – an amazing show, filled with dance and drama and exotic costumes. They attend a UN supported conference on responsible management tomorrow. After class today they do a Bollywood dance class and a yoga and meditation class. The programme is really well organised and they’re being engaged almost constantly.”
A UTS lecturer’s experience in the Maldives

December 22, 2014
Nathan (back row, second from right ) with the ten students and two local staff at the soccer stadium

Nathan Renwick was the lucky lecturer tasked with the responsibility of accompanying a group of UTS Sport and Exercise Science students on a three week project in the Maldives. Here he reflects on the first two weeks of the program;

“It’s hard to believe we have been in this beautiful country for just over 2 weeks now. Everyone is having a great time and has bonded very well.

Soccer (Football) Clinics

The sports coaching clinics with the kids from the local schools have been well received to date. The boys all play soccer and most are unbelievably talented. I don’t know why there are not more talent scouts for professional teams in places like this, as we have noticed a handful of kids with amazing natural abilities who I hope are given opportunities at higher levels as they develop.

We have been blessed to have the presence of ‘Bonda’, a former professional footballer who had a full-time career with the Maldives National team spanning over 14 years. In terms of football in this country, there are not many bigger names in the game, and it has been great getting to know him outside of football, plus to see his abilities and talents when playing various games / drills with the kids.

The field used by the boys for the soccer clinics is quite impressive. It is a full size artificial grass surface that was built by FIFA a few years back. The field itself is in good condition, however the surrounds need a bit of maintenance – not that it really seems to worry the kids!

Netball Clinics

The Netball coaching has been well received from the girls also. All the kids started off quite apprehensive and shy, accompanied by very basic skill sets. Netball is only relatively new to this country, so the kids need a fair bit of guidance when it comes to learning the rules, skill development and tactics for games. The girls are now playing Netball games at quite a high standard and we hope that another week of training will continue to see their abilities progress into even higher levels.

Swim Coaching

The swim coaching has been a highlight with everyone who has been involved to date. We have structured these sessions with 3 x groups, where the kids were graded on their abilities on day one (beginner / intermediate / advanced). There is a real sense of achievement after every session, and most days it is a challenge to drag the students out of the water once the teaching sessions have finished. There has been a wide variety of abilities and age groups attending, but it has been pleasing to see everyone grow in confidence and improve their ability to some degree. It still amazes our students how these local people are surrounded by some of the most spectacular waterways and snorkelling opportunities seen anywhere in the world, yet a high majority of the population cannot even swim 10m independently. We hope that this will change as these students progress through our program and future programs.

Workshops

This week saw the students deliver 3 x Sports Injury Workshops to the local sports club leaders. These workshops ran for around 2 hours per session over a 3 day period, and we divided them into the following topics areas:
1. Injury Prevention
2. Acute management of sporting injuries / first aid
3. Rehabilitation of sporting injuries
Again these workshops were well received by those who attended, and it was good to see how the students were able to modify their approaches when dealing with extremely limited resources compared to back in Australia. We have 3 x workshops covering nutrition topics next week.

Meeting With The Mayor

On another day last week, several students (plus myself) were fortunate to be invited to a meeting with the local Mayor and his deputies in his board-room at the local Council Offices. It was very formal but a memorable occasion for all who attended, and he was very warm in welcoming us to his Atoll. He was extremely grateful for the work that we are all doing here, and he wished us nothing but good health and a safety whilst we are visiting in the Maldives.

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