Getting involved and getting to know a different culture

Citlali, a student of International Commerce, tells us about her experience as a Uni scholarship holder in Brazil.

When you entered Uni did you know there were international programs?

Yes, when I was admitted to the University, it was one of the many opportunities offered to me.

Did you think you would go to live and study abroad?

Yes, I worked hard during my career to have the possibility.

Have you ever lived or studied outside of Mexico before?

No

What prompted or motivated you to study in another country?

To get involved and get to know a culture different from my own, meet people and grow professionally and as a person.

How did you feel when you arrived in the new country?

I was very excited to get to know everything and learn about the new language. I was very nervous but very eager to learn.

How have you been received at the university where you arrived?

Incredible, they are very attentive and kind to the needs of all foreigners.

What will you miss most about Mexico?

My family, friends and food

What about the Uni?

The classes and the pace of life there.

What is the most exciting thing you have experienced so far in this experience?

Exciting and stressful to be able to communicate with new people in another language, also to live in a university house where you get to live with 60 people, all thinking completely different and with different cultures from 15 different countries. We created a huge family.

And the hardest part?

The language

What do you expect as a person and as a professional from this program?

As a person I grew a lot, having to see for yourself without help and professionally I gained knowledge about another country and grew a lot in that aspect as well. Besides that my resume will do well with a certificate in another language.

Do you recommend these opportunities provided by Uni to your colleagues?

Yes, it helps you in an inexplicable way and you enjoy it a lot!

Thank you very much!

Gracias por la oportunidad

Luz María Martínez de Comercio Internacional, obtuvo la beca Uni para estudiar el semestre pasado en Brasil.

When you entered Uni did you know there were international programs?

Si lo sabía.

Did you think you would go to live and study abroad?

La verdad desde siempre estuvo en mis planes tener una experiencia de intercambio.

Have you ever lived or studied outside of Mexico before?

No, never.

What prompted or motivated you to study in another country?

El conocer personas, culturas y tradiciones, el aprender un nuevo idioma y  nuevos lugares, también por el peso que esto podría tener en mi CV y en mi formación personal y profesional.

Why did you decide to study in that country?

Por el idioma y por que en la escuela que elegí llegan muchísimos extranjeros.

How did you feel when you arrived in the new country?

Al principio no me lo creía, aún no me hacía a la idea que ya estaba en Brasil, pero sentí muchísima emoción, mil nervios y muchas muchas emociones de saber cómo sería esta experiencia.

How have you been received at the university where you arrived?

Me gustó muchísimo como nos ha tratado la escuela, siempre muy amables y nos apoyan en todo lo que llegamos a necesitar, nos organizaron varios viajes y experiencias únicas.

What will you miss most about Mexico?

A mi familia, la comida, mis amigos

What about the Uni?

En un principio creí que la UNI era muy grande y me daba flojera caminar largas distancias pero aquí me di cuenta que en la UNI todo es más cerca.

What is the most exciting thing you have experienced so far in this experience?

Los viajes y las personas, los viajes por que he conocido lugares increíbles y las personas por que me han alimentado emocionalmente, me han llenado de risas y vivencias.

And the hardest part?

El estar lejos de mi familia y la comida

What do you expect as a person and as a professional from this program?

El estar abierta a nuevas cosas y en lo profesional a que este nuevo idioma que estuve aprendiendo me ayude a crecer y me de nuevas oportunidades

Do you recommend these opportunities provided by Uni to your colleagues?

Lo recomiendo 100% .

¡Gracias por la oportunidad!

 

 

UniChallenge 2018 culminates

As part of the inter-institutional collaboration that was experienced in UNIChallenge, today December 3, 2018, two proposals for solutions to academic challenges linked to real issues as well as to the Sustainable Development Goals were presented. The themes were Land Mobility and Decent Housing.

Congratulations to the students, teachers and participating institutions: Universidad LaSalleBajío and Universidad de Celaya that are part of the Northwest West Zone of FIMPES!

Cumplí uno de mis sueños.

Luis Héctor es estudiante de Ingeniería Automotriz y gracias a la Beca Uni realizó una estancia semestral en Río Grande del Sur en Brasil.

When you entered Uni did you know there were international programs?

Si porque tengo amigos que estudiaron en la UNI y ellos ya se habían ido de intercambio

Did you think you would go to live and study abroad?

Si. Desde el principio fue una de mis metas al entrar a la universidad.

Have you ever lived or studied outside of Mexico before?

No

What prompted or motivated you to study in another country?

Conocer nuevas culturas y saber cómo es que se estudia en otras partes del mundo, mi familia ya que sabía que tendría un crecimiento escolar como personal.

Why did you decide to study in that country?

Para aprender un nuevo idioma y porque vi en internet que es una de las mejores universidades de paga a nivel nacional.

How did you feel when you arrived in the new country?

Alegría al saber que cumplí uno de mis sueños a corto plazo y también un poco de tristeza por mi familia. Pero con el tiempo esto cambio al conocer a más personas con las cuales hice una gran amistad al paso de los días.

How have you been received at the university where you arrived?

Muy bien, desde los primeros días con los cursos de portugués. Me sentí apoyado por la PUCRS, con sus actividades de integración y despedida.

What will you miss most about Mexico?

Mi familia, mi novia y la comida

What is the most exciting thing you have experienced so far in this experience?

La integración de todos los alumnos de intercambio, conocí a muchas personas de diferentes partes del mundo (España, Francia, Colombia, Alemania, Bolivia, etc) y también a otros mexicanos que vienen de otros estados o municipios de Guanajuato.

And the hardest part?

El extrañar Celaya.  

What do you expect as a person and as a professional from this program?

Tener más conocimientos del entorno educativo en otras partes del mundo y como persona mejorar aprendiendo a valorar lo que tengo y que a veces por tan cotidiano que es lo vemos muy normal, pero al estar solo se valoran muchas cosas.  

Do you recommend these opportunities provided by Uni to your colleagues?

Si!! Bastante, porque a veces uno cree que es muy fácil pero al estar del otro lado no lo es…. Y eso te hace crecer.

¡Gracias por la oportunidad!

To know the importance of interculturality.

Omar Ulises is a student of Tourism and completed a semester at the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana in Medellin, Colombia.

When you entered Uni did you know there were international programs?

Yes, it was one of the reasons why I entered the Uni.

Did you think you would go to live and study abroad?

Yes, I thought so..... but I didn't think it would be at this time.

Have you ever lived or studied outside of Mexico before?

No

What prompted or motivated you to study in another country?

I was interested in learning about another culture and I saw a very good opportunity to study in another country.

Why did you decide to study in that country?

The culture was very similar to Mexico's and it was the country I had yet to see in Latin America that I was interested in.

How did you feel when you arrived in the new country?

I was very excited.I was very excited, very motivated and eager to get to know everything.

How have you been received at the university where you arrived?

Everyone was very kind and attentive.Sarah, who is in charge of internationalization here at UPB, was there to answer any questions I had.

What will you miss most about Mexico?

Undoubtedly its food.

What about the Uni?

My group and the way we conducted the classes, here at UPB the way of evaluation is very different.

What is the most exciting thing you have experienced so far in this experience?

I don't have a specific one because there were many, but meeting wonderful people, sharing with different cultures and knowing how important interculturality is.

Of course traveling within Colombia and falling more and more in love with that country.

And the hardest part?

It may sound silly but it takes me a while to get used to the food.

What do you expect as a person and as a professional from this program?

Of course I grew as a person, and the experiences were what taught me the most, I take many ideas applied to my career for Mexico.

Do you recommend these opportunities provided by Uni to your colleagues?

Totally, thank you for this opportunity!!!!!

There is a lot of learning and enjoyment.

Isaac David, a student of Automotive Engineering, is doing a semester with BECA UNI at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

When you entered Uni did you know there were international programs?

Yes.

Did you think you would go to live and study abroad?

Yes, it was one of my goals to achieve during my career.

Have you ever lived or studied outside of Mexico before?

I had lived outside of Mexico for a couple of months, but not studied.

What prompted or motivated you to study in another country?

The idea of developing myself as a person, getting to know another culture and another language, showing myself what I am capable of doing outside my comfort zone, as well as complementing my studies with new methodologies.

Why did you decide to study in that country?

The main reason was to learn another language that will surely be helpful in the future in the workplace.

How did you feel when you arrived in the new country?

A mixture of emotions, a lot of joy and satisfaction for experiencing something different, but at the same time uncertainty for arriving to an unknown place with a different language.

How have you been received at the university where you arrived?

The best way the whole team of the mobility area is super attentive and friendly.

What will you miss most about Mexico?

Without a doubt, my family and the food.

What about the Uni?

To my group and friends, the study environment.

What is the most exciting thing you have experienced so far in this experience?

I met people of different nationalities and ways of thinking, from whom I learned a lot.

And the hardest part?

At the beginning, the language and class schedules.

What do you expect as a person and as a professional from this program?

Learning and development.

Do you recommend these opportunities provided by Uni to your colleagues?

Without a doubt it is an opportunity to develop as a person and as a professional, if you have the opportunity to do it you should not hesitate to do it, you learn and enjoy a lot.

Grateful for the opportunity.

Brasil, una experiencia increíble.

Sanjuana Elizabeth Aboytes, estudiante de Gastronomía, realizó una estancia académica en Brasil.

When you entered Uni did you know there were international programs?

Sí, por que había escuchado a varios amigos de su experiencia en el extranjero.

Did you think you would go to live and study abroad?

Sí, ya que cuando entre esa fue una de mis metas poder hacer un intercambio y vivir la experiencia

Have you ever lived or studied outside of Mexico before?

No

What prompted or motivated you to study in another country?

El conocer una gastronomía diferente, así como su cultura, sus tradiciones una nueva lengua, tener una mentalidad diferente.

Ya que el estar en un país extranjero me ha ayudado a crecer en el ámbito profesional porque es un reto en el que demuestras qué es lo que realmente sabes; también me ha ayudado a crecer como persona.

Why did you decide to study in that country?

Porque Brasil tiene una gastronomía muy interesante, el querer aprender un nuevo idioma y porque la universidad de destino es una de las mejores.

How did you feel when you arrived in the new country?

Mucha emoción, nervios, nostalgia, pero muy entusiasmada porque estaba cumpliendo una de mis metas a largo plazo. Fue muy entusiasmante el llegar a otro país sin saber lo que te espera ya que día a día era un reto. Sentí nostalgia por mi familia, pero sé que vale al mil por ciento la pena ya que es una experiencia única.

How have you been received at the university where you arrived?

¡!Increíble!!!, vinculación académica de PUCRS siempre ha estado al pendiente de cualquier necesidad, al principio tuvimos actividades de integración en nuestra clase de portugués así como en las actividades de despedida.

What will you miss most about Mexico?

Mi familia y la comida, aquí en Brasil la comida es muy diferente.

What about the Uni?

Mis maestros, mis amigos ya que la UNI para mí es como estar en casa.

What is the most exciting thing you have experienced so far in this experience?

El conocer a los alumnos de intercambio, el conocer nuevas culturas, hay alumnos de intercambio de diferentes nacionalidades como: Francia. Inglaterra, España, Colombia, Chile, Corea.

El poder viajar y conocer varios sitios turísticos.

And the hardest part?

Extrañar a mi familia y mis amigos.

What do you expect as a person and as a professional from this program?

Como profesional el conocimiento de una nueva cultura, una nueva lengua, una nueva experiencia gastronómica.

Como persona el valorar el esfuerzo que hace mi Papá para darme esta gran oportunidad, el valorar a mi familia y todo lo que tengo en casa.

Do you recommend these opportunities provided by Uni to your colleagues?

Al mil por ciento, una experiencia increíble ya que te ayuda a crecer tanto personal como profesional.

It is a unique and totally enriching experience.

Ivonne Sánchez de la Barquera Vendrell, Digital Design student, tells us about her experience with the Uni Scholarship in Medellín, Colombia.

When you entered Uni did you know there were international programs?

Yes, it was one of the things that motivated me to enter college.

Did you think you would go to live and study abroad?

Yes, I had thought about it, but I didn't think I would do it so soon.

Have you ever lived or studied outside of Mexico before?

No, this is the first time.

What prompted or motivated you to study in another country?

Getting to know new cultures and traditions, what the society of South American countries is like, and knowing what my career is like in other places, in order to expand my knowledge.

Why did you decide to study in that country?

Because I had already been told positively about Colombia, its culture, people, biodiversity and education; since the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana de Medellin (which is the university where I arrived) is one of the best in that country and in Latin America, with a high level of education and very well prepared teachers.

How did you feel when you arrived in the new country?

At first everything is very strange, because you have to get used to the change of currency, the streets and lifestyles: as some customs and I felt a little disoriented. But at the same time I was happy, because stepping on another part of the world different from yours, being in a place you do not know and knowing that you have a lot to learn from that country, was very exciting for me.

How have you been received at the university where you arrived?

Very good, really. Sarah, who is in charge of internationalization, and her team were always looking after the exchange students and organized excursions and events for us. Also, all the teachers always welcomed me in a good way and supported me and helped me when I needed it, as well as my classmates, all of them were very kind.

What will you miss most about Mexico?

To my parents, but also, definitely to the food, there are no flavors like those of Mexico.

What about the Uni?

Everything. My professors, who always support me and with whom I have good communication, my classmates, the cheerleading team of which I am a part, and the university spirit that is lived at Uni with all the activities they do.

What is the most exciting thing you have experienced so far in this experience?

Meeting new people, both from Colombia and from other countries around the world, since we share our customs and lifestyles, we learn other languages and beliefs and they are people with whom we share unique experiences. Also to be able to travel and get to know new places and different from my country, since Colombia is very beautiful and has a great biodiversity.

And the hardest part?

Being far away from the people I love, some cultural shocks and living alone, because you have to learn to be self-sufficient. Because living alone in your country and being independent is different than being abroad, because here you don't have someone close to you to turn to if something happens to you or you need something and everything depends on you.

What do you expect as a person and as a professional from this program?

To expand my knowledge in the design area, learn to work under different circumstances than the ones I am used to and generate professional links that will help me in my future as an entrepreneur; as well as to be more responsible and independent, more autonomous and easier for me to solve problems and overcome challenges by being out of my comfort zone.

Do you recommend these opportunities provided by Uni to your colleagues?

Of course it is, as long as it is something planned in advance and it is part of a life project. If so, I think it is an opportunity that should not be missed and that everyone should try it at least once in their life; it is a unique and totally enriching experience, from which you learn a lot and grow professionally as well as personally, and that, in addition, you enjoy and have fun in the process.

A semester in Colombia

José Manuel, a Digital Design student, spent a semester in Medellín, Colombia.

When you entered Uni did you know there were international programs? 

At the beginning of the semester when they sent us an email about the exchange programs.

Did you think you would go to live and study abroad?

If I was somehow accepted, I did get it.é to think.

Have you ever lived or studied outside of Mexico before?

Nunca.

What prompted or motivated you to study in another country?

To get to know things from another country.<b></b>

Why did you decide to study in that country?

Price, culture and locations.

¿Quhat did you feel when you arrived in the new country?

Excitement to see everything I didn't know about that country.

How have you been received at the university where you arrived?

Very good, explaining everything in detail and very attentive in case we needed help.

¿QuWhat is the most importants extras women in Mexico?

Food.

What about the Uni?

Friends and teachers.

¿Quhat is the most exciting thing you have experienced so far in this experience?

Meet people from different countries and visit places.

And the mosts diffdifficult?

Having to return to Mexico......

<b></b>¿Quhat do you expect as a person and as a professional from this program?

To be able to learn more by being in a different place and get to know as much as possible about the people who live here and gain new experiences.<b></b>

Do you recommend these opportunities provided by Uni to your colleagues?

One hundred percent recommended.

UniCelaya and Harvard will promote innovation in the region.

The University of Celaya in collaboration with Harvard University will initiate a program that will generate an innovation ecosystem in the region, so that young people, parents, entrepreneurs, leaders and the general population will be able to carry out their business ideas or innovation projects by obtaining the necessary advice to obtain the necessary funds to materialize these plans.

This will be a trigger for the whole of the Bajío region to exploit all the talent and human potential it has, and through collaboration networks, generate an ecosystem that will produce jobs, patents, new companies and, above all, promote sustainable development that will have a positive impact on future generations.

An evaluation has already been carried out and the results were presented to the educational community of the University of Celaya and some regional leaders and businessmen, which will be integrated into this work plan that will begin to yield results in the next five years.