In the recently concluded term break, a total of 77 Thomasian students from various disciplines participated in different mobility programs offered in UST’s partner universities in Europe, North America, and Asia.
France. From June to July, 13 of the students studied the French language combined with technical courses in engineering, social sciences, and business at the Catholic University of Lille. Aside from the intensive classroom activities, the students were able to participate in educational trips organized by the host university. Some of the interesting trips included guided walking tour of the historical heart of Lille; visit to the Musee des Beaux Arts, which is considered as the second largest Fine Arts Museum in France next to Louvre; visit of the memorial sites of the Great War and Ypres to know more about the battles that took place in the region, and explore traces of WWI; and a weekend in Normandy where the students experienced touring Le Mont-Saint-Michel castle, and walking on the nearby beautiful beaches.
About the same period, two junior marketing students from the College of Commerce went also to France for a month-long study abroad opportunity at ESSCA Ecole de Management in Paris. Every week, there were identified days after class that the students explored the heart of France via guided walking tours at the Vieux Marais, Bastille and the Faubourg, the Passage couverts, and Montmartre.
Spain. The Universidad Catolica de Avila hosted three students from the Faculty of Arts and Letters for a month of Spanish Language and Spanish Culture Program. The program taught by internationally recognized professors likewise involved blended classroom activities and historical excursions to other parts of Spain such as Alba de Torres, Avila, Madrid, Salamanca, Segovia, Todelo, and Valencia; and Portugal like Fatima, and Nazare.
Canada. Students under the programs of medicine, science, engineering, rehabilitation sciences, education, accountancy, and business joined the Vancouver Summer Program (VSP) at the University of British Columbia in Northern America. The first batch of eight students joined VSP from June 4 to July 5, 2016, and the second batch comprised of 15 students attended from July 16 to August 16, 2016. Students who enrolled in health science courses were able to conduct clinical observation, while engineering students went on plant visits. As part of the exposure trips, all participants of VSP were provided with a city tour, and weekend day trips at Whistler, and Victoria.
Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, and South Korea. Seventeen students from the College of Science spent their special term for six weeks of research internships in Japan, and Taiwan. Fifteen junior students of applied physics went to Nagoya City University in Japan, two went to Academia Sinica, four visited the National Central University, one from the National Dong Hwa University, and six from the National Taiwan Normal University in Taiwan. These interns focused on experiments involving cellular physics, informatics, photocatalysis to name a few. At Chung Yuan Christian University in Taiwan, two junior chemistry students were able to conduct synthesis experiments.
From the Faculty of Engineering, a total of 21 students went abroad for a month of internship in Thailand. Eleven took their internship at the Thammasat University; and two went to Chulalongkorn University. Eight students attended the one-week international summer camp hosted by the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology in Taiwan. An Engineering student was a recipient of 2016 GKS Scholarship, and was able to study at the Chonbuk National University in South Korea for a month.
One of the many benefits of studying abroad is that the students get the opportunity to study in a foreign land and take in the charm and culture of a new place. It is through this type of experience that students enhance their cross-cultural awareness, and adaptability.
