UDP Internacional

20 November 2023

On November 15, the General Directorate of International Relations (DGRRII) concluded, with a total of 103 applications, the call to carry out a student exchange during the second semester of 2024.

This figure represents a significant increase compared to previous calls. Furthermore, in this new version, the call had several milestones: for the first time, applications were registered from all the faculties of the University, including Medicine and Education, which in previous versions had been scarce. On the other hand, in terms of gender, 60 people who identified as cis women and 43 cis men applied.

Regarding destination countries, Spain continues to be the number one country with the highest demand, with a total of 63 in its first choice, 45 as a second choice and 42 in its third preference. However, on this occasion, interest in carrying out an exchange in Latin American institutions increased: 13 applications were registered in the first preference and 25 and 25 applications in the second and third options.

Anoek van den Berg, General Director of International Relations, highlighted the results of this call and stated: “With great joy we see that there are more and more students who are enthusiastic about projecting their career internationally through an exchange semester at another university.” .

Likewise, she pointed out that this increase in applications is explained by several factors, among them, the development of alliances with all the faculties of the campus and the implementation of personalized work with the schools. “In this case, we highlight the applications from the Faculties of Education, Health and Dentistry and Medicine that are, due to the nature of their disciplines, more specific when looking for a destination that meets the requirements of the degree at the UDP” , said.

“We appreciate the work we have been able to do together with the study secretaries to study the best options for each of their students in a personalized way,” she commented.

On the other hand, the majors that had the highest number of applications were Journalism (17), Commercial Engineering (11) and Industrial Engineering (10). Along these lines, Marcela Aguilar, dean of the Faculty of Communication and Letters, expressed: “I think it is an excellent sign that our Journalism students demonstrate a high interest in studying a semester abroad. “This open and enthusiastic attitude towards what is new and different should be a characteristic of our profession.”

The Dean also referred to the benefits of carrying out a student exchange and stated that these instances allow “getting to know other cultures, interacting with diverse people, solving the daily challenges of adapting to new scenarios and perfecting a second language,” which is crucial for who are trained as journalists.

After the closing of this call, the DGRII will begin the evaluation of the applications. This process will take place until mid-December. The notification of the results will be made once that instance has ended. However, the general director of International Relations called on students to stay informed about this call and stated that the exchange is only one of the many internationalization alternatives that the UDP offers.

“We recommend that all students inform themselves from their first year of university, so that they can plan ahead (…). Apart from the exchange, you can take short summer or winter courses, professional internships abroad, research stays, among others. We also organize many activities where you can come into contact with international students or visiting teachers from abroad, which we announce and publish on our website and social networks. The main message is: the person who searches and informs himself, always gets an opportunity,” she stressed.