Marco Alberto Zapata Solís, Industrial Engineering, made his stay at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil, thanks to the international scholarship program Uni. Porto Alegre, Brazil, thanks to the international scholarship program Uni.
When you entered Uni did you know there were international programs?
Yes
When you entered your career, did you think you would go to live and study abroad?
No
Have you ever lived or studied outside of Mexico before?
Yes
What prompted or motivated you to study in another country?
Learning new languages, cultures and meeting people from different countries.
Why did you decide to study in that country?
Brazil is a country that I have always liked, so having a new opportunity to visit a country that I love and being able to live for a few months and learn more about the culture was what motivated me to come to Brazil.
How did you feel when you arrived in the new country?
A little uncertain about the language, but at the same time I was excited.
How have you been received at the university where you arrived?
It was amazing, very attentive and always friendly and willing to help us with anything.
What will you miss most about Mexico and UNI?
To my friends and teachers.
What is the most exciting thing you have experienced so far in this experience?
The joy that people have, the impetus they get from meeting new people and especially foreigners.
And the hardest part?
Learning the language took me a short time, I started speaking well in less than a month, but learning a new language from scratch when I was already living in this country was a bit difficult at first.
What do you expect as a person and as a professional from this experience?
As a person, to enjoy the experiences I lived here, to remember the friendships I made in this international experience and as a professional, to continue learning everything within my reach and also to continue practicing the language because it is something I would like to continue improving, to learn different languages to help me in my professional training.
Do you recommend these opportunities provided by Uni to your colleagues?
Of course I did! I thank all the people who supported me to be able to live this great international experience PUCRS - UNI!