Students from Universidade Católica of different nationalities explore Sintra on a cultural exchange day

On 10 October, Sharon Maria Van der Smit from Namibia, Milagrosa Ndjive from Mozambique, Serigne Saliou Sylla from Italy, Sabahat Rahimbaig from Pakistan, and many other students from Universidade Católica, coming from all continents, gathered for the 11th International Student Meeting — a unique event that celebrates the 113 nationalities present at Católica.

Sharon studies at the Faculty of Human Sciences at the Universidade Católica headquarters in Lisbon. From the north of the country, Milagrosa, a social work student at the Universidade Católica campus in Braga, Serigne, a dental student in Viseu, and Sabahat, from the Faculty of Law, Porto campus, travelled to the event.

They share a desire to get to know Sintra and make new friends. ‘I am very excited to meet everyone, I hope to learn a lot about different cultures and find out more about this fantastic university,’ says Sharon Maria Van der Smit.

For the first time at Católica Medical School, the day's programme included a health check-up organised by the University's future doctors, as well as a fun presentation entitled ‘The Fun Science of Alcohol’, promoted by the Student Association.

Marked by multicultural interaction and friendship, the day also included a relaxed lunch, followed by a visit to the National Palace of Sintra. Newly arrived in Portugal, the students had the opportunity to explore the streets of the village and discover various icons of Portuguese cuisine and culture, from pastel de nata to the main tourist attractions in the region.

Launched by the Universidade Católica in 2015, the event is organised annually by one of the University's campuses and is a unique opportunity for students to learn about Portuguese culture.