Two of the three Business Engineering students of UFRO, who received the DHBW-Ravensburg Scholarship, shared their international mobility experiences with their peers and gave useful advice to motivate other students to participate in this kind of programs.

The future Business Engineers of the Universidad de La Frontera (UFRO), Pamela Vera Loncomilla, Xeiya Abarzúa Cifuentes and Daniela Henríquez Cruces were awarded a scholarship by the German University Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg (DHBW) and started their international student mobility experience in July.

The Office of Outreach and Community Engagement and the Faculty of Law and Business (FCJE) at UFRO organized this meeting, called “Internationalization experiences: FCJE-UFRO students in Germany”, for information and discussion in order to motivate other students to sign up for the different student exchange opportunities the university has to offer.

At the meeting, Xeiya Abarzúa Cifuentes and Daniela Henríquez Cruces explained the scholarship application process, the importance of the English language and the current health protocols for leaving Chile and entering Germany. They also showed different photographs to present the city of Ravensburg, the campus, their student residences and the different cities and countries they were able to visit in order to get to know different cultures in Europe, such as Austria, France, Switzerland and Belgium.

With regard to the English language skills, Xeiya Abarzúa said: “The English language was a big issue for me at first, because, although I do speak English, my English is not perfect. Obviously, it needs a certain level to understand the classes, but I have also learned a lot during my stay, paying attention all the time. I really want future exchange students to know that they do not have to be afraid if their English is not perfect. Go for it and apply for this or other programs. It is a very enriching experience! We have learned a lot and had a very good time”.

Daniela Henríquez thanked FCJE-UFRO for the opportunity to spend three months at the Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg in Germany and added: “We would like to thank the Faculty for giving us this opportunity. It has been very enriching for me as a person, as a student, and for my future career and projects. We hope that this kind of agreements and projects will continue and give other students the opportunity to apply for scholarships and to live such an international experience as well”.

Dr. Carolina González Suhr, the Director of Outreach and Community Engagement of FCJE-UFRO, pointed out that this meeting was meant to encourage the students of the study programs Public Accountant and Auditor, Law, and Business Administration to participate in one of the numerous international student mobility opportunities offered by the Faculty and UFRO. According to her, these programs and scholarships allow the students to live an extraordinary experience and to learn how to overcome personal and professional challenges. “We would like to invite all of our students to discover the different internationalization opportunities offered by our Faculty and the University, not only for studying abroad, but also for internships abroad,” she said.

It is worth mentioning that this meeting was part of the celebration of the International Youth Day, as an opportunity to prosper and innovate, and to enhance the skills and opportunities of the young students of the Faculty of Law and Business of the Universidad de La Frontera.