Anyone heard of it? I hadn’t before I looked at UTS’ exchange partners. I decided to go to the Netherlands because I wanted to travel on exchange. Here’s a quick list of the pros and cons from my first two weeks here. (more…)
-
-
Lets get some things straight. Coming to an Asian country, whose language that you cant speak is hard. You cant communicate the way you want to, you cant ask how peoples days are, nor can you say you don’t want mustard on your chips.
The language is the greatest barrier and when you arrive at your new school there will be quite a few administrative stuff to do like opening a bank account, an alien registration card, buying living items, changing classes etc
But its all worth it. This is literally once in a life time opportunity to live and breath in another country for 4+ months. (more…) -
I never expected to fall in love with traveling so easily! This study trip to the countryside of Japan offered not only valuable knowledge that i can use in my study as well as future career, but also unforgettable memories and experiences with strangers who i can now proudly call friends.
Saga University Summer Program (SUSP 2016), or Creating Innovation for Sustainability in Young Leaders was a short term study program that helped a group of students from various countries understand about a diverse range of contemporary issues. The aim was to develop our leadership skills in tackling sustainability challenges, locally and internationally.
We started most days with a Japanese language class in the morning. Even though the content was simple and basic due to the limited amount of time, it was enough for us to appreciate some of the intricacies and beauty of Japanese language. Thanks to the classes, our daily lives during the trip were much more convenient, and we also got a good glimpse into the Japanese mindset.
In the afternoons were excursions to many places, such as Saga historical tour, Institute of Ocean Energy (IOE), Arita Ceramic Museum… We learned so much about Saga and Japanese culture, energy, environment, and technologies through these very hands on case studies. To preserve these heritages, sustain current ways of life and develop solutions for current and future issues, a basic level of understanding of what we have built and achieved is the start. In this regard, the excursions enlightened me and made me become appreciative of what we have accomplished, as well as my responsibilities as the young generation. One particular example was IOE’s innovation on using temperature differences in the ocean to generate energy, which truly impressed me and is something that i would love to work on in the future.
The learning experience was much more beyond what was planned in the program. We had a lot of time outside the schedule to freely explore, and to try living like the locals. Plans and ideas that us as a group came up allowed us to try amazing cuisines, visit unique locations, and experience lively local events (such as the biggest firework show i have ever seen!). As usual the unexpected also joined in the fun, as we stumbled across a wonderful Sake shop while getting lost in the city at night! More than just being insightful regarding the Japanese way of life, these experiences to us were incredibly exhilarating and brilliant.
Often, the people you meet matter even more than what you do or see on a trip. Except one unfortunate misunderstanding incident (taken as another learning experience), the local people we met were brilliantly welcoming and friendly. They were accommodating and patient despite our apparent culture gap and language barrier, especially considering a culture so unique such as Japan’s. Finally last but not least, the students from Thailand, Cambodia, Taiwan, Canada, Hong Kong, Australia and Vietnam who came together to make a big melting pot of culture. Different backgrounds, different personalities, but somehow we just meshed so well together. We could learn from each other, share our different perspectives, thanks to which every moment was so much more rich and memorable. If i could travel to anywhere in the world with the same people again, it would always be worth it given all the joy and fun we had!
All the doubts i had before the trip were completely blown away, now replaced with new knowledge and mentality. These experiences have ignited me, as I’m eager to go out there again to challenge myself in a new environment. Returning to the beautiful far east country and seeing the friends i have made again are no doubt high on the priority list though!
Jaa, mata!
Nghiem Xuan Hieu
Global Short Programs Student
-
Unfortunately I haven’t started my exchange just yet, nevertheless, there’s still things I’ve taken notice of being here for almost a week.
Paris is a really wonderful city, and if you can ignore the all too common dog turd on the ground (picking up your dog’s poop doesn’t seem to be thing here), it really does look like what’s shown in the movies. I’ve been to Paris before in 2009, and yet I was still in awe when I arrived, realising that I’m going to be living here for the next four months. (more…)
-
If you’re not a fan of meeting people from across the world, swimming in wide open lakes, exploring forests, living in a town rich with history- I’d recommend avoiding Uppsala. Otherwise, this is the place for you! (more…)
-
I had been told that the first fews day of Global Exchange are tough – being in a new country, finding your way around and making new friends is always daunting. My first days in Uppsala, Sweden were no exception. I’ve been here almost two weeks now and how things have changed! I’ve made the obligatory trip to Ikea to deck out my room with colour and warmth, and I’ve made a great bunch of friends from all around the world. (more…)
-
The week prior to arriving in the Netherlands a lot of doubts were beginning to form – was I doing the right thing? Will I make friends? Can I afford it? As a mature age student I was quite worried that being older people would be less inclined to want to be friends with me. Needless to say, now that I am here and settled (somewhat!) it seems that my fears were for nothing. (more…)
-
Attending a two week course in Paris to study global conflict and diplomacy was definitely not how I envisaged my winter break at the beginning of the year. Yet halfway through the semester, the opportunity arose through BUiLD to spend two weeks immersed in culture, history, long summer days and crepes!
My pre-departure into Paris was frantic, I had the trip to organise, people to see and final exams to prep for. Yet, departure came swiftly and before I knew it I was on a plane bound for Paris!
All my apprehensions regarding Paris were dissipated within arrival. I spent my first weekend before school started soaking in the rich history of Paris, as well as consuming my body weight in food!
My experience at the Paris School of Business was unlike one I’ve ever had before. The staff are always kind and willing to help, the friendships and connections you make with people from all around the world are priceless and the content of the course itself is something that can only be understood if experienced firsthand. The courses were intensive, as they were conducted in 4-hour blocks, and were taught by world renowned professors in their field of international relations. Professors included directors of the NGO Doctors Without Borders, a director in the French foreign ministry, a director at UNESCO and many more! However, the French system was unique in that despite the intensive theoretical filled mornings and debates, all afternoons comprised of field trips around Paris that complemented the theory learnt. Over the two weeks, we had guided tours of UNESCO, visited the Opera Garnier, went on a day trip to Reims, visited the Notre Dame cathedral, the Louvre Museum, the Palace of Versailles and the French military museum where Napoleon Bonaparte’s museum is located, to name a few!
The decision to go to France was one that is unregrettable, as not only did I leave my comfort zone, but my enrolment in the Paris School of Business allowed me to meet so many new and amazing people that I made instantaneous friendships with. The friends I made at the school not only aided me in class, but we also all genuinely enjoyed each other’s company and chose to spend the rest of the day after school together exploring the city as well as during weekends!
Global Short Programs Student
-
Bonjour from Reims
After 36 hours in transit, I eventually arrived at my final destination. Although I will be studying at the Paris School of Business, I will be living with my girlfriend in Reims (which is a city in the Champagne Region, 45 mins from Paris). During the semester, I will commute between cities via the TGV, which can reach 300KM per hour. (more…)
-
In the past two years, I have been away from home several times. I have travelled alone twice for a month, and another two times with friends. In total, I have been away from home for about 5 months. This time, however, before departing, I was overwhelmed with emotion. I was excited to explore the world and experience independence for several months, something I had been waiting for since I was 12 years old. Yet I felt scared, (more…)
