UDP Internacional

1 September 2023

For four weeks and thanks to a scholarship granted by the General Directorate of International Relations (DGRII), the students Alejandra López (Journalism), Renato Bravo (Industrial Civil Engineering), Valentina Calquin (Dentistry) took an intensive English course at the University from Dalhousie, Canada.

The exchange took place between July 17 and August 11, a period in which the students were able to put their English into practice through a rigorous program that included language classes and instances to deepen their specific knowledge, according to their own disciplines.

Renato Bravo, a student of Industrial Civil Engineering, appreciated the completion of the course and stressed: “The highlight of my trip to Canada was the fact that I had improved my skills to start conversations in English with students from different parts of the world, generating friendships and strengthening my personal confidence”.

“The completion of this course has a significant contribution in various aspects, not only in the CV, but also in the future vision of professional development and personal growth. Improving and acquiring a new language like English opens doors to continue learning about the areas of my interest and expands the work field”, added the student.

For her part, Valentina Calquin, a Dentistry student, highlighted different aspects of this experience and thanked the sociocultural exchange that took place with people of different nationalities. “Seeing differences in our way of expressing ourselves or living life as students, for example, encourages me to understand and respect others even more. Another thing that I found extremely significant is the importance given to reparation for indigenous people in Canada.”

“During our stay, we happened to be in Halifax at the same time as the Native American Games, which includes the participation of both Canadian and American Indians. What I was able to observe is this constant of not wanting to hide how these towns have evolved over time, but they continue to appreciate customs that have been passed down from generation to generation. Crafts, music, sports, etc. they are appreciated and valued much more in this type of instances, which made me think that these are things that we should do more as Chileans”, reflected the student.

On this occasion, the intensive course was also carried out by two UDP academics (Bárbara Gutiérrez and Solange Liempi), an alumni (Javiera Salinas) and the Business Engineering student, Javiera Sepúlveda.

It should be noted that this program seeks to promote internationalization and the development of language skills in the university community. This, for the overall development of their work, both in labor and research terms.