Our Digital Design student Elizabeth Romero, thanks to the Uni Scholarships, had the opportunity to make an international stay at the DHBW University (Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University), in Ravensburg, Germany.
When you entered Uni did you know there were international programs?
Yes, my sister -who is a Uni graduate- had also told me that there were many internationalization programs with a great variety of calls to apply for scholarships, and that being a good student there were more opportunities to go on exchange.
When you entered your career, did you think you would go to live and study abroad?
No, I was never interested in any program because they were more related to communication than to my digital design career and also I was afraid of being 6 months out of my country away from my family, when I had never done anything like this before. I had never thought about it until I saw the perfect opportunity with DHBW University.
Have you ever lived or studied outside of Mexico before?
No, I didn't even have my passport by the time I applied for the scholarship. I never thought I would go on exchange with the UNI program.
What prompted or motivated you to study in another country?
Many of my classmates from UNI had already gone on exchange to Korea and Colombia, they told me about the incredible experience they lived and how it made them grow to be better people and try a little how it feels to be independent for a little while. And from one semester to the next, I decided to try my luck and apply to see if I could win the scholarship. And I did.
Why did you decide to study in that country?
The educational program that DHBW University has is incredible and it is totally oriented to Media Design, unlike the other programs in other countries that UNI offered to go on exchange. So choosing the DHBW program was perfect for me.
How did you feel when you arrived in the new country?
I was very excited, Germany is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited and the people are very friendly and not at all cold as they say. I think the whole process I went through from the day before I got on the plane, the adventure of leaving the country alone, arriving in Germany in the middle of winter, making layovers and so on for the first time, had me in shock. It took me a couple of days to process what I was going through, plus I left for Germany on the last day of December and it was kind of sad for me not to be with my family in the new year, but this whole experience was definitely the most amazing to start the year.
How have you been received at the university where you arrived?
DHBW University is an amazing place, everyone in the international office and all the teachers I met in my exchange are great people, they always try to help and support you in everything you need to adapt and they were always incredibly kind. I learned a lot with my new international friends with whom I did teamwork and learned new techniques to grow as a professional.
What will you miss most about Mexico and UNI?
When I was on my exchange I missed my friends, my teachers and my Uni very much. At the beginning it was a bit difficult to adapt to the English and German classes. I also missed the weather in Mexico, the long sunny days and definitely the Mexican food, especially the tortillas.
What is the most exciting thing you have experienced so far in this experience?
I had the opportunity to go to a hot air balloon festival with my international friends in Switzerland, I visited beautiful places like Lauterbrunnen and Montreaux. And it was definitely one of the best experiences I have ever had. I also visited the impressive Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, a must-see. Meeting new people of other nationalities, getting to know their culture, their customs, living together on trips, going to festivals and concerts, seeing incredible landscapes, living alone for a while and learning many new things, is an incredible experience.
And the hardest part?
The return from Germany to Mexico was the most chaotic thing I have ever experienced. Thanks to COVID things got complicated, they changed our classes to online, then the borders in Europe started to close and flights were cancelled. So I had to live a couple of adventures, like sleeping in the Munich airport to be able to return to Mexico a few weeks earlier than planned. I also couldn't buy presents, nor say goodbye to my friends, so it was very difficult and sad for me.
What do you expect as a person and as a professional from this experience?
I really didn't expect to have such a great time, but it was one of the best experiences I have ever had. Meeting new people, the intercultural exchange and living in another country really changes your perspective and gives you a lot to learn as a person and as a professional.
Do you recommend these opportunities provided by Uni to your colleagues?
Of course, there are many opportunities, it is not difficult to apply for scholarships nowadays, it is just a matter of being prepared, being encouraged and taking the opportunities that come your way. And I can confirm that it is a totally worthwhile and life-changing experience, especially for me, I lived an incredible DHBW experience in Germany.
Thank you so much Uni for this amazing opportunity!
Our student David Velázquez, from the Communication and Audiovisual Media degree program, shares with us the experience he lived during his stay at the University of Oviedo, Spain.
When you entered Uni did you know there were international programs?
I was unaware of the internationalization programs until before entering the career, it was in my first semester when we were introduced to the internationalization opportunities offered by UNI.
When you entered your career, did you think you would go to live and study abroad?
The possibility crossed my mind when I first heard about the experiences of the students who traveled before me, but frankly it seemed like a distant dream.
Have you ever lived or studied outside of Mexico before?
No, this is the first time I am out of the country.
What prompted or motivated you to study in another country?
The curiosity to know something new, to continue my studies using another approach, to meet new people and cultures; to be able to travel the continent aboard a train and to add tools and possibilities in my development while I know.
Why did you decide to study in that country?
Choosing the country was not difficult, I had always wanted to know Spain and travel around Europe. The hard part was choosing a university since there were 3 universities offered for CMA; in the end Oviedo was my first choice because of the academic program offered, and fortunately I was accepted.
How did you feel when you arrived in the new country?
At first I couldn't believe it, everything was so new, but I was excited.
How have you been received at the university where you arrived?
They gave me a warm welcome, when I arrived in Oviedo, the university brings you closer to the Erasmus (which is an EU student exchange program), they made sure to make me feel welcome, they also do a lot of activities so you can socialize with other exchange students.
What will you miss most about Mexico and UNI?
I miss my family, my friends, my teachers, and also how easy the exams were there (believe me, they are much harder here).
What is the most exciting thing you have experienced so far in this experience?
I can say that the greatest emotion has been falling in love and living with my partner, but I also find great satisfaction in having directed my studies in another current of thought. I had the opportunity to study within the Faculty of Philosophy and take a semester of Art History and Music. I really loved taking these classes, I think this will help strengthen the pillars of my professional and personal future.
And the hardest part?
You could say it was the Covid, isolation in a foreign country is hard. Besides, it was not a very good idea for me to take subjects in the last semesters of a different career than mine.
What do you expect as a person and as a professional from this experience?
As a person I think it has already changed me, leaving your country and seeing things from outside, listening to other cultures and exchanging ideas really changes your perspective. Professionally it also helped me to find new perspectives, I hope this can lead me to a better professional development.
Do you recommend these opportunities provided by Uni to your colleagues?
Totally, I believe and hope that all UNI students (or at least most of them) can have this kind of experience. I recommend you to be aware of the different calls for internationalization and do your best to meet the requirements. I was irregular, and yes, it was difficult, but in the end it was worth it.
The University of Celaya participates in the Plan promoted by the Department of Economic Development of the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States and Kolau for the economic reactivation.
On April 21, 2020, Dr. Cuauhtémoc González, from the Virtual University of the University of Celaya, participated, together with academics from the Rafael Landívar University of Guatemala and from the group of universities of Hispanoamerica, Foundation for Strategic Analysis and Development of Small and Medium Enterprises (FAEDPYME), in an event attended by political authorities with the objective of finding solutions to mitigate among MSMEs the negative economic effects of the pandemic caused by COVID-19.
This event was part of the plan promoted by the OAS in which Kolau, a Silicon Valley company, is leading the technological and operational part.
The launch of the plan in Mexico took place on March 30, 2020 and was widely covered by the media. Since the launch, more than 50 secretaries of economic development in the country have joined, both at state and municipal level, as well as more than 10 universities in the republic. At the continental level, more than 1,200 entities have joined to date, 50 of which are universities and higher education institutions.
Through simple-to-use technology and advanced functions, the company can create its website completely free of charge and very simple. This plan is open to all businesses in Mexico, regardless of their current regularization or formalization status, as well as to companies from all sectors and industries.
The municipal government of Celaya joined The event took place on June 11, 2020, in what has become the largest public-private alliance in the Americas to promote e-commerce and the digitalization of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.
Through the alliance of the Universidad de Celaya with the MiPyme Digitalization Plan, benefits will be extended to the programs carried out by the University in favor of entrepreneurship and digitalization. Likewise, the University will participate in digital training sessions organized within the framework of the plan, leading the academic part.
The SME SME digitalization sessions are the accompaniment of technology, since they provide the audience with practical knowledge with which to strengthen their presence on the Internet. Among the digital training sessions or courses are those focused on visibility in Internet search engines through specialization to adapt to the way consumers search for the product, those that deal with the conversion of visitors into customers and finally those that deal with customer retention in order to multiply the benefit and value they bring to the company.
The participation of the student community of the University of Celaya, as well as companies, is completely free of charge, and no previous digital knowledge is required to take advantage of the plan.
In November 2019, the 10th Research Forum of the University of Celaya was held, in which 81 research papers were presented by students from all undergraduate and engineering programs.
The objective of the event is to disseminate the research protocols and reports carried out by undergraduate students of the University of Celaya in their search to generate solutions to problems in an ethical and successful manner.
Each student team presents both a poster and a short presentation of the results of their research work. At the end of their presentation, the teams receive feedback from the Evaluators Committee made up of research experts in different disciplines of knowledge. This experience strengthens learning and encourages students to put into practice the skills of socialization and dissemination of the scientific knowledge they have generated, in addition to having developed the necessary skills to design, implement and evaluate a scientific research project.
In this way, the cycle of research subjects closes each year with all our students. This contributes to the formation of people who research and interpret their environment and thus generate ethical and successful solutions to local, regional, national and global problems.
This year, the Biomedical Engineering students, in addition to their poster and oral presentation, presented the prototypes of the innovative technology they developed and evaluated with their research, some examples are: technology for color detection, scanning and digitalization of organs, Measure Tracking System (MTS) and distance from one point to another with LabVIEW.
The works carried out are also the beginning or continuation of projects developed in other subjects, thus contributing to transversal learning.
In addition, the papers evaluated as the most significant are selected to receive support and to be presented at specialized congresses in their disciplines.
Congratulations to all student researchers, see you at the next Forum.
Our student María Fernanda Paz from the Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition, shares with us the experience of her international stay at the Faculty of Nutrition and Dietetics of the University of Lleida, Spain.
When you entered Uni did you know there were international programs?
Yes, since UNI is very well known for this, in fact, it was one of the reasons why I decided to study at the University of Celaya.
When you entered your career, did you think you would go to live and study abroad?
It was not something I had clear, the reality is that I saw it as a dream, however, I always tried hard to do it; but I have to say that when I applied for the call my parents were not aware of it and when I was selected to do my international stay I had to talk to them, but I never doubted that they would support me.
Have you ever lived or studied outside of Mexico before?
No, this was my first experience outside my country.
What prompted or motivated you to study in another country?
I can say that I had many motivations, I wanted to grow as a person, I have always lived with my parents so I wanted to live the experience of doing it alone and what better way to do it in another country, academically I wanted to expand my knowledge, I loved the idea of learning about other cultures.
Why did you decide to study in that country?
In my career we had three options, but for me Spain was always my only option, it was my dream country, I liked its architecture, its accent, the lifestyle, the university, knowing that the language would not be a problem since Spanish was spoken or at least I thought so since in Lleida practically everything is in Catalan, which is now a language that I love and I want to continue learning. Besides, it is another continent so life is totally different and the nutritional education is very different from ours.
How did you feel when you arrived in the new country?
Endless emotions, I was always super excited, but I traveled alone so the nervousness started from the moment I had to board, flying for 12 hours, arriving at an airport that is huge, El Prat, not knowing what to do and no one waiting for me was super difficult, arriving in Lleida I fell in love with the city, it was hard to get used to the schedule, the climate that is super radical, but it is a process that I had to live and one more learning.
How have you been received at the university where you arrived?
Super good in all aspects, all the directors and teachers have been super understanding with me, there is one person that I have to mention because I will always carry with me, Enric, a guy, also a student of nutrition, who has introduced me to my career director, I was lost the first day and he has helped me to do everything related to my load of subjects, He has explained me everything about the university and has also shown me the whole city, he is a friend that I will always cherish, the university is super nice, I have taken subjects with the three courses so I have had many classmates and I have to thank them all for their support, they have been super nice and have received me as one of them.
What will you miss most about Mexico and UNI?
I can say almost everything, my family, who I count the days to see and hug, my friends, my teachers, my gym, my patients, food which is something I have done quite a bit here and now value quite a bit, my university in general.
What is the most exciting thing you have experienced so far in this experience?
I can not choose something specific but my first trip was to Barcelona, it was a dream for me to know the city and go to Camp Nou, Barcelona's stadium, when I entered I felt one of the best feelings of my life, but also to live and meet many cultures, luckily I have had to live with an Italian, Brazilians (now I understand and speak a little Portuguese), Mexicans, Colombians and I have met people from all over the world, the unforgettable parties of erasmus, more than friends I take brothers from this experience, for all this has been so exciting.
And the hardest part?
The first has been the surprise that I have taken at the university to know that they would not speak to me in Spanish, but that all my classes would be in Catalan, it has been difficult because I did not understand anything so studying has been complicated at the beginning, but now I understand and I can speak some Catalan.
And second, the covid-19 situation has been very complicated, we saw in the news all about this, but we never imagined that it would come to us; the most difficult thing about this is that in Spain everything has been very drastic, we were in a normal day and we are warned that classes are suspended, that we enter in a state of alarm and that we can not leave anymore, it has been just over two months in which the situation was uncertain, where we saw how many erasmus returned to their countries, see our travel plans canceled but good bad things, it is an experience and a lot of learning.
What do you expect as a person and as a professional from this experience?
My mentality has changed a lot, I think that as a person I have grown too much, I am no longer afraid to travel, live or anything I have to do alone, in my career I have broadened my horizons, now I value my family more, so I expect a lot from myself, I want to keep looking for opportunities because there are many! And I want to be prepared.
Do you recommend these opportunities provided by Uni to your colleagues?
I say to all Uni students: if you have the opportunity to do an international stay, do not hesitate, fight for it, it is an experience that will mark you in your life and you will not want it to end. Take advantage of the great opportunity that our University offers us.
