Student Spotlight
Alicia reigns from Barcelona, Spain and is currently in her first semester of the HEEM master's programme. She holds a Graduado Superior degree (graduate degree) in International and Intercultural Studies (specialising in Latin America) and a Licenciatura (undergraduate degree) in Audiovisual Communication, at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain with a sócrates-erasmus stay at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, The Netherlands.
What is your professional background?
I worked at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona for the past two years. The first year at the Postgraduate School of Studies (Escola de Postgrau) in the national and international calls unit. We worked with international scholarship holders and took international phone calls for funding HE programmes, such as the Erasmus Mundus and Tempus programmes. The second year I worked at the newly created International Welcome Point office, where we welcomed, assessed, helped, introduced, etc. all the international students studying at the university.
Why did you apply for and choose the HEEM program?
Because of my work, I was familiar with the Erasmus Mundus programmes, and more than once had dreamt that I would someday be able to participate in one. The HEEM programme, was, by far, the most interesting one for me. I really enjoyed working in Higher Education but felt that I wanted to go more in depth, to understand the "whys" of everything that was happening around me, get to know better where the Bologna Process comes from, what it means, where it is leading us to, and why each year we are receiving more international students. But since the EU only offers scholarships for non-europeans, it was merely a dream. One day, I received an email from a colleague informing about scholarships for Europeans for this particular programme! The deadline was just a few days away, but, I did my best and submitted everything, and... got it!
What is your personal goal for the next 2 years?
Learn, learn and learn a lot. I also want to keep on being very active in every sense so as to live this experience as intensively as I can. It is a dream come true and I don't want to miss out on anything.
What has been the highlight (so far) in HEEM/Oslo?
Spending time with our amazing group/class and sharing experiences, ideas, thoughts, fears, study hours, travels... Having such an international environment, where there are hardly two people from the same country is so enriching! As to Oslo, I love the endless sunsets at Vigelands Park.
What was the hardest part about leaving home and moving to Oslo?
There are many things that were particularly hard, probably because I hadn't planned it, it just "happened" in a question of two weeks. Giving up my job was a very tough decision, leaving my partner and having to adapt to a long distance relationship, and missing my family and friends. But all in all, I am happy with my decision, although I have gone through some moments where I wondered how my life managed to change so fast.
What is the most significant thing you have had to adjust to as a HEEM student?
Firstly, learning to manage the many free days with keeping up with the readings since this system is very different from what I have had up till now. Secondly, studying HE is very different from working in a HE institution, it requires a substantial change of perspective and to try to look and analyse it from afar, from a sometimes "outside" perspective which is not always easy.
What are your future aspirations?
Good question. I'm at the beginning of the programme, so although I do have my ideas pretty clear, I know that there is a high possibility that at some point of the experience these ideas may change or re-adjust somehow. Right now, I see myself working in an international office in a university, or in a Higher Education Institution working focusing on HE international issues. I am aware it is a very broad definition and that time will tell where exactly I will be in two years time.