What Does Studying Abroad Mean to You?

Sponsored by University of Lima

Every year, thousands of students make the exciting decision to study abroad. Whether it’s to broaden their global perspectives, better their language skills, gain a sense of independence, take advantage of lower tuition fees, or boost their international career prospects, there’s never a wrong reason to pack your bags for the study abroad experience of a lifetime.

If you’re still undecided about whether studying abroad is for you, we spoke to some students and professors who chose to study abroad at the University of Lima.

‘I wanted an experience that was different from going to the US or Europe’

Elena Spadini came to study at the University of Lima in 2019 for a semester as an economics undergraduate from Bocconi University in Italy.

“I wanted an experience that was different from going to the United States or Europe. I wasn’t just looking for an academic experience but also a life experience. Latin America allows you to do that because it makes you see a reality of life that’s very different from the US or Europe and brings you closer to new cultures and customs,” said Elena.

“I chose Peru because I thought it had everything I was looking for – a rich culture, [as well as] friendly and welcoming people. It seemed like the perfect balance – a developing country that has been dynamically growing in recent years.

“I did some research about Lima and found that the city was also growing rapidly and had a lot to offer young people,” she added.

‘For a long time I wanted to discover Latin America, and Peru was a good option’

Image credit: University of Lima

Thanks to an exchange agreement between the University of Lima and the University of Bordeaux, commercial sciences undergraduate Léo Pailler found himself studying international business in Lima for a year.

When asked what made him decide to study in Peru, there were a number of reasons. Léo said:

“I found out there was an agreement between both universities. I have friends who have already studied at the University of Lima. I talked to them to find out how it was, and they all told me it was a good university for exchanges. It’s one of the best universities in Lima.

“For a long time I wanted to discover Latin America and Peru was a good option with its stable economy and many attractions.”

“The first thing I did [when I arrived] was take a three-week Spanish course, which allowed me to learn the language.”

‘For me, it’s important to know how people work in other countries and learn in different ways’

Image credit: University of Lima

Thanks to an internship agreement signed by the Engineering and Architecture Faculty, Alexis Bibens was able to study at the University of Lima and take advantage of its Digital Fabrication Laboratory (Fab Lab) at the Technological Innovation Center (CIT).

During his time at the university, Alexis had the opportunity to work on two projects – one of which focused on the development of tactile walking surface indicators for people with visual impairments, which he plans to take into a special-education school in the city.

Grateful for the opportunity to work with such innovative tools and insightful professors, Alexis spoke about the quality of education he experienced at the university:

“For me, it’s important to know how people work in other countries and learn in different ways.

“I chose Peru, firstly because of its culture. In addition, I found in the University of Lima the conditions I needed to carry out my projects; my colleagues highly recommended it, and here I corroborated everything they told me about its Fab Lab and the quality of its professors.”

Before coming to Lima, Alexis was a student at the CESI Graduate School of Engineering in Angouleme, France.

‘I found an infrastructure which I haven’t seen in Spain, Mexico or even in the United States’

Image credit: University of Lima

Jairo Toro Díaz, PhD, is a Professor at the Autonomous University of Manizales in Colombia. Through the Pacific Alliance Scholarship, Jairo had the opportunity to come to Lima to further develop his postdoctoral research on financial risk.

Jairo’s initial research focused on Colombia and subsequently the Spanish Stock Exchange. After working closely with the Latin American Integrated Market (MILA), Jairo decided his next study would focus on Peru.

Speaking about his experience in Lima, Jairo praised the university’s infrastructure, academic processes and facilities.

“I arrived and found not only a university with very good academic processes but also other things. I found an infrastructure that, as I mentioned to my colleagues in Colombia, I haven’t seen in Spain, Mexico or even in the United States. In my opinion, it has high-quality facilities.

“In Colombia, I also work as an academic peer for the Ministry in quality assurance processes. I have to visit different universities and for me, this university meets high quality standards comparable with the best Latin-American universities.”

Lead image credit: University of Lima