Université Libre de Bruxelles
I experienced a culture shock. However, this did not bother me, I liked talking to local people and learn new cultures.
I liked that most of Peruvians are friendly and do their best to understand and help you but I did not appreciate all those who constantly tried to swindle me (taxi driver, tourist guide, shop keeper, etc.). I also liked the gastronomic culture because I had the opportunity to taste new food, especially delicious fruits.
From the people I met, I learned that you can be happy with very few things. I admire people living in poverty with no electricity and in very difficult living conditions and still being happy to be there and proud of their community.
If I had the chance to change things, I would try to find a room in a house with only Spanish speaking people and if possible Peruvians because I could have improved more and learn even more about Peru’s culture and Lima.
I am happy that I have learned a new language and some interesting economic facts about a new country. In my classes at ULB, we generally learn about the economy in Europe and in UP I have able to learn about the economy in another continent.
If you need more information about Peru and the university you can contact me: sibylle.gilbert@hotmail.com
I had a buddy and I was really thankful to have Sebastian. He helped me every time I needed concerning the university but also the life in Lima. It began with the choice of classes which would have been more difficult without my buddy.
Unfortunately, we don’t get any course descriptions attached with the program but he was there to recommend or not some courses. We had a great relation. We met at least once a week to have lunch together and he always made sure I was ok. He also invited Kevin and me at his home where we had the opportunity to talk with his mother about Lima and Peru in general which was very interesting.
I am happy that I have learned a new language and some interesting economic facts about a new country. In my classes at ULB, we generally learn about the economy in Europe and in UP I have able to learn about the economy in another continent.
I think I learned a lot about Peru, mainly thanks to the trips I did before and during the semester, but also thanks to my culture class “Seminario de cultura, ecologia y desarollo economico”. Peru’s culture is very diversified depending on the region. It has a huge biodiversity and a lot of indigenous populations still practicing their traditions.
My best experiences were my trips in general and especially the two days an Amantani island on the Titicaca lake where I met Fernanda. She told me a lot about her life and about the traditions on the island and she was very nice to us.
Please see below my recommendations about the courses I took:
I took six courses, out of which four were given in Spanish. This was a really great opportunity for me, as it helped me a lot to improve my language skills.
The course “Marketing estrategico” was not new to me concerning the theoretical part but it was nice because it was a quite active class, as we had to regularly do some interesting group projects. I would recommend this course to students who want a great introduction to marketing principles.
The course “Retail & Shopper Marketing” has some interesting parts but I think that the way the teacher is structuring his classes is too passive comparing to the other classes.
The course “Seminario de cultura, ecologia y desarollo economico” was very interesting and I would definitely recommend this class to other exchange students if they want to learn some more facts about Peru. The teacher has very interesting stories and is very nice to exchange students.
I liked the course “E-business and Mobile commerce” because I learned a lot about technology and I had never had a class on this subject before. The teacher is also very nice and comprehensive with exchange students. I would recommend this class because it explains great business opportunities for your future career.
The course “Political Economy Seminar” covers some important subjects but I think it would be great to include new topics which students generally haven’t heard about yet. I only recommend this course if you like reading because the teacher is sending a lot of stuff to read every week. However, I liked the fact that the exam was replaced by essays we had to write at home.
Finally, “Branding estrategico” was interesting because the teacher has a background full of experiences but the theoretical part was very similar to my “Marketing estrategico” class.
The level of the courses was easier than in my home university, because in UP you generally don’t have a big exam covering all the lectures at the end of the semester, which is the case in my university. The main difference is that in UP you regularly have little work to do every week in order to keep you update. This represented an advantage for me, because it helped me to not get lost with the new language.
About the exchange program:
I recommend future exchange student to bring souvenirs from their own country as gifts for local people when travelling. There are a lot of Peruvians who wanted to know more about my country and I regretted not having anything to show/give them. As preparation you should do the yellow fever vaccine in order to have the possibility to go to the Amazon rainforest which was also one of my best experience. Also watch out for the local food/drinks the first week you’re in Peru because you could have some stomach aches 😉 I also recommend future students to stay more than one semester if they have the possibility because one semester is very short.
