Students highlight ‘cultural exchange’ experienced at T4EU Week
Transform4Europe (T4EU) Week returned for another edition from October 21 to 25, 2024 in Katowice, Poland. It was an opportunity to make friends, network and learn from a community of international colleagues. This is how the students of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (UCP) feel about this week of classes, cultural activities and much more.
Faiza Muneeb, Tolgonai Akimova and António Fazenda are three of the six UCP students chosen for T4EU Week ‘Communication for a Better Future’. For all, this was the first time they took part in a T4EU activity and they recommend that all their colleagues get involved in this type of initiative.
"I would highly recommend taking part in T4EU activities because one can receive a very nice mix between academic learning and cultural exchange", explains Faiza Muneeb, a third-year PhD student in Communication Studies at the Faculty of Human Sciences in Lisbon.
"Interacting with students and faculty members coming from other countries gives a broadening experience of one's horizon, encouraging cross-cultural communication and developing important soft skills that are pivotal for personal and professional development", she concludes.
Tolgonai Akimova, a student in the Master's programme in Communication Studies, highlights "the cultural activities that accompany courses where you can dive deep into a different culture and find similarities and differences and learn from those."
For António Fazenda, a student in the Master's in Applied Management at the Institute of Management and Health Organisations in Viseu, "the experience of learning in an international setting and the opportunity to network with peers from different backgrounds are invaluable for personal and professional growth".
These students attended three courses: ‘English Language Skills for STEM’, ‘Gender Equality in Society - a socio-cultural perspective’, and ‘Ninja: Skills for Business and Personal Triumphs’.
"My favourite aspect of the T4EU week was the interactive and practical nature of the sessions, the hands-on exercises and real-life negotiation scenarios which provided invaluable experience, additionally, the chance to connect with students from different countries and backgrounds was incredibly enriching", António explains.
In addition to their lessons, the students' favourite moments were also the parallel activities offered by the T4EU Week programme.
Faiza highlights the visit to the Silesian Museum and the opening party, which "to get acquainted with new friends from other countries, share ideas, and learn about different perspectives on global issues". Tolgonai refers to the Strategic Assembly, which the UCP President attended, where she ‘learnt more about the Transfrom4Europe Alliance, its strategic objectives, challenges and future perspectives’.
Transform4Europe Week takes place twice a year, in spring and autumn, always in a different city. Students, staff, faculty and researchers from all of the Alliance's partner universities can participate.