The International Fair, organized by the Student Mobility Office, took place for the second year in a row. The purpose is to show the different countries and active agreements the UFRO has with higher education institutions on the five continents.

Nowadays, it is possible to study abroad, but the decision about where to go might be difficult and confusing for a student. Therefore, the International Affair´s Office and National and International Student Mobility Office at the Universidad de La Frontera organized the second version of the International Fair together with the exchange students.

This initiative started last year with the idea to show the different agreements and scholarship programs the UFRO has with different higher education institutions around the world and which allow the students of this University to spend a semester abroad. But also to show the international students who come to this University.

The particular aim is to create a space where the students can exchange experiences and important aspects of their cultures, to bring traditions together and to present the world as they see it. The idea for the future is to carry out this fair each semester and to offer activities that inspire the students to participate and to strengthen relations.

The director of the National and International Student Mobility Office, Antonia Espinoza, said that “the purpose of this event is that UFRO students who have been abroad and students from other countries come together and present the different cultures and food of their countries in one place.”

The confluence of flavors, cultures and languages has been presented at 13 stands that included Belgium, Rumania, Lithuania, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, Spain, Peru and Colombia. The sponsors also created a stand with information about the sponsor program and the incorporation into the university community.

Waffles with hazelnut cream and apple strudel (Germany), cepelinai (Lithuania), eggplant humus (Rumania) and stierenkloten (Belgium) were only some of the dishes the students prepared to offer a little tasting menu to the visitors of the fair.

STUDENT EXPERIENCES

One of the main desires of the students who want to study a semester abroad is to get to know traditions and people with other perspectives. The Mexican law student, Ariadna López, also had this dream when she took the challenge of studying at the UFRO for a semester.

“I came to Temuco two months ago and the reception has been excellent. The Universidad de La Frontera gave me all the support I needed, on my arrival and during my stay. And also for the integration with the other students. I came here with the idea of learning as much as possible in order to make this experience absolutely worth it.”

This first semester 40 students came to the UFRO and 30 went to study abroad. Both groups mobilized via the National and International Student Mobility Office.

There are different alternatives for undergraduate students. For example, the ERASMUS scholarship was the option the civil engineering student, Gabriel Davidson, chose. “I went to the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain for a semester. My experience was positive because I was obliged to develop my English skills, since I had friends from Belgium, Germany, Ireland and Norway. The English language was a fundamental tool for being able to communicate with them.”