PUCRS promotes internalization on campus
Por: PUCRS Magazine
What pops up into your mind when you hear about internationalization? Scholarships for universities in several countries, renowned worldwide researchers, courses in English, seminars delivered by specialists from several nations, courses and lectures featuring global topics, the Buddy Program from Academic Mobility?
Actually, it encompasses a lot more. Exhibits at the Museum of Science and Technology held through partnerships with international organizations, the Festa das Nações, the presentations by the Philharmonic Orchestra featuring special guests from overseas, the international career marathon offered by the Career’s Office, which also relies on a program geared towards international experiences are also features of internationalization. There’s much more to it, though! A technology park, a reference in Latin America, which relies on international cooperations, internal and external communication actions on international activities, inbound and outbound mobility students and their stories as well as visits made by representatives from worldwide universities. Internationalization accounts for all this multiculturalism, experience exchange and relationships.
New possibilities
Montserrat, a Mexican student, came to PUCRS as an exchange student to learn about the Health System in Brazil. Photo: Camila Cunha – Ascom/PUCRS
In 2015, the Academic Mobility Office implemented a series of actions that enlarged the possibilities of inbound and outbound exchanges. Now, international students can also come to PUCRS to do internships. For three months, Montserrat Quesada Rojas did an internship at the School of Medicine, dealing mostly with anesthesiology and urology. As a senior student in the Medicine program of the Escuela Nacional de Medicina of the Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico), she chose Brazil because she wanted to learn about the health system of a large country.
Courses in English
PUCRS’ and international students learning the language in a more dynamic way. Photo: Bruno Todeschini – Ascom/PUCRS
Offering courses in English is among the actions of curriculum internationalization at PUCRS. The following schools currently rely on courses in English: Architecture and Urbanism, Communication, Law School, Engineering, Pharmacy, Nutrition and Physiotherapy, Computer Science, Letters, Business School, as well as the Geography and Social Work programs, of the School of Humanities.
The course on Fundamentals of Digital Entrepreneurship is being offered for the third time and promotes a group dynamics between PUCRS’ and international students, both at the undergraduate and the graduate level. Classes are delivered in groups, which will always include an international student, thus making English the language of interaction. We need to work on the idea of a digital product and validate it to potential clients. So, everyone is expected to tour around the campus and interact with the community. “In addition to the opportunity to speak English, we can exchange our cultures. In such a globalized world, we need to learn an additional language. It makes a difference in the market”, remarks Professor Rafael Matone Chanin, from the School of Computer Science.
Buddy Program
Another action of internationalization around the Campus is the Buddy Program. The university encourages PUCRS students, both at the undergraduate and at the graduate level to take part as volunteers assisting international students during their stay at the university.
Experience and culture exchanges are enriching for both and may result in close friendships. Victoria Herrá Llano came from Spain in 2015/2 to do a one-year exchange in the Advertising and Public Relations Program. She says she likes the University very much, that people are ‘tri legal’ and that she was given a very warm welcome by Raquel Bins, a buddy Public Relations student. “She is the best. We did some courses together and that has helped me a lot. In addition to that, she gave me some general tips about the city and PUCRS. We became close friends and I invited Raquel to come visit me in Spain,” says she.
To find out more about it, please visit PUCRS Magazine 2016 annual issue.
