"Euroculture makes it possible to see a lot in a short period of time"
The opportunity of studying one semester here and one semester there got me really enthusiastic when I learned about the Euroculture programme. I spent time in Sweden, the Czech Republic and in Mexico in less than two year. It’s a different experience when you are in actually living the country, and not just studying it in class. Euroculture was a great experience, both for what you learn and through the personal experience.
Why did you choose to study the programme Euroculture in Uppsala?
I liked the opportunity to study abroad, because I’ve been used to doing that. Before the Euroculture programme I studied in Spain (bachelor), worked in Ireland for a year and started a MA programme in the U.S. When I read about Euroculture and saw that students could study one semester in one country and one semester in another country, I got really enthusiastic. I also wanted to go more in-depth into the course contents of European Studies, because I found it really interesting.
Did the programme meet you expectations?
Yes! Sometimes I felt that one semester was too short to really go in depth into specific aspects of the course. But that’s the way it’s set. Sometimes it was also challenging to adjust from one education system and country to another. After Sweden I moved to the Czech Republic, and they had very different ways of teaching and learning. But after a while you get used to it. I did my third semester in Mexico, and that was also very different.
What is your best memory of the education?
I don’t really have one best memory in particular. But I really appreciated learning more about the history and culture of the countries we were studying in. It’s a different experience when you are living in the country, and not just studying it in class. I’ve kept a lot of friends I met during my different times abroad, and I’m really glad.
Why did you choose to study in Uppsala?
I was interested in going to Sweden because I started learning Swedish the year before and I thought it would be a good opportunity to practice and have a first-hand experience. Also, I was very intrigued by the Scandinavian countries, as I’d heard a lot about the ”Swedish model”.
Best memory of Uppsala?
It was really nice to learn more about Swedish culture, and I also had time to travel in the country with classmates and friends. I had the chance to be a part of the annual Uppsala Short Film Festival as a volunteer, and it was nice to have some local experience.
What knowledge and experiences from your time with Euroculture is the most valuable for you today?
In the programme we were a lot of different people from different origins and backgrounds. And most of all, the people skills I acquired then are useful for me today in my work; dealing with people with different backgrounds, experiences, methods or even way of thinking.
Is it something you had wished to know as a student, things you do know today?
Maybe the fact that I expected to have more insight into what the working world would be after my studies. But with a broad programme with a lot of different job opportunities it’s difficult for the teachers to really prepare us.
When I talk to people from the programme, I see all kind of different works of line. Some people went into journalism, others into culture, politics or marketing. That is the beauty of the programme; you can do a lot of things and are not stuck with one singular skill.
What do you work with today?
I moved to Brussels after I graduated from the Euroculture programme. After two internships (one for a network of European cultural institutes and the other for a European affairs’ think tank) I started to work for a network of local cultural centres in Brussels. It is a really interesting job. We are just three people in the office today, so we have to deal with a lot of different things and we can do a broad range of activities. I like the fact that not every day is the same, you meet interesting people and really have a chance to develop partnerships and build projects together with them.
Do you have tips or advices to students who wish to study Euroculture?
I would tell them go ahead and do it! It was a great experience, both for the contents (what you learn) and the personal experience.
Euroculture programme alumni
Name: Béatrice Minh
Residence: Brussels, Belgium
Nationality: French
Student at Euroculture in: 2010–2012