Universidade Católica in Porto Campus welcomes new mobility students
Universidade Católica, Porto Campus, welcomed mobility students from various nationalities, for another edition of Welcome Week. During their first days at the University, the new international students had the opportunity to get to know the campus and the city, meet other students from different backgrounds and discover some of the most iconic elements of Porto’s culture and identity.
The programme combined team-building activities and social moments, including a cruise along the Douro River passing under the city’s six bridges, a visit to the Calém Port Wine Cellars, a surf lesson at Onda Pura Surf Center in Matosinhos Beach and a Welcome Cocktail featuring a performance by the Tuna of Universidade Católica Portuguesa - Porto. The initiative also involved IL@C – International Life at Católica, the student association that supports the reception and integration of international students throughout their experience at the University.
Paula Gillessen, an Economics student at WU Vienna, sees her semester at Universidade Católica in Porto as an opportunity to “experience a different culture and step out of my comfort zone, meet new people and be close to the ocean.” Across the international group, students share the expectations of meeting people from different countries and discovering Porto and other regions of Portugal. For some, the experience is also an opportunity to explore new academic and personal challenges, such as “studying in English – for the first time”, “learning more about different subjects” or “taking the opportunity to learn Portuguese”. “Everyone was very welcoming! After the welcome days, I’m even more excited about the semester ahead!”, Paula concludes.
Welcome Week took place from 2 to 4 September, marking the beginning of a new chapter for the mobility students at Universidade Católica in Porto Campus. These first steps in a new university and a new city also represent an important opportunity to become part of an academic community enriched by students from different countries and backgrounds.