1st Edition, December 2019

That seems to be a fair summing-up of

the Erasmus adventure so far, according to the NUI Galway students who have

been abroad during this first semester. We invited them to tell us how they’re

getting on, and their sense of accom-

plishment, wonder and pure enjoyment is evident in their stories.

“I truly feel that I will be a different person when I return to Galway”, says Margarett

Muldoon, who’s studying Law at the Univer-sité Clermont-Auvergne. “This experience

has been maturing, exciting and a change

of scenery that I think was needed.”

Of course it’s not all plain sailing, and it’s

worth mentioning at the start that there are hurdles to be overcome. Perseverance

pays off, though. Elizabeth Hyland is stud-

ying languages in Rennes and describes Erasmus as “incredible, a complete roller-

coaster filled with ups and downs. But through the challenges, I have learned so

much and I have changed so much. It’s made me more patient, more curious and

more understanding of other cultures.”

Maela Ní Choistealbha is a BA International

student in Angers. “Be ready for all the red tape and the administration”, she advises.

“At the beginning it felt like we were just hitting dead ends all the time, it was quite

frustrating. It's hard at first but it does get

easier.”

Coming to terms with the unfamiliar is par

for the course. Emily Keegan, a Creative Writing student in Freiburg, has

“completely fallen in love with the city and the people”, but she does acknowledge

that adjustments are necessary: “Mainland

Europe is so different from Ireland in terms of nightlife, fashion and mannerisms so it

can be a real culture shock at first, but within a few weeks everything settles down

and you’ll feel like a true citizen. It’s so im-

portant to get to know the country you’re living in.”

Rebekah Langdon, another BA International student, describes her surprise on arriving

in her host city of Louvain: “Virtually the entire town is pedestrianised! Even in De-

cember there are people everywhere whizz-

ERASMUS NEWS

As a busy semester draws to a close and Christmas lights bring some much-needed cheer to a damp and cold Galway winter, it seems like a good time to reflect on our Erasmus activities over the last few months and bring you a little round up of “news and views”. What does it really mean to take part in Erasmus? We’ve been hearing from students currently abroad and you can read some of their observations on the following pages. I have to confess that it has all made me quite nostalgic for my own study abroad experi-ence all those years ago. What, on the other hand, do our visiting Erasmus students get up to here in Galway? We shine a spotlight on some of the activities that have been organised for them by the International Office as part of a new social programme aimed at helping them to integrate here and gain an understanding of local life. We also take a look at their impressions of NUI Galway. So much of what goes on in our office revolves around paperwork and number crunching - the infa-mous Erasmus bureaucracy that drives everyone crazy - and it’s inspiring to see what we are actu-ally facilitating and how students are embracing this unique oppor-tunity for personal, academic and cultural enrichment. We bring you also some staff news and a report from Shannon College. We hope you enjoy reading our first newsletter! I would like to wish all our readers a relaxing holiday season and a New Year of hope, possibility and contentment. Merry Christmas! Mary Lyons International Affairs Officer

The Christmas market in Strasbourg (photo: Emily Keegan)

A life-changing experience

2

ing around on scooters, rollerblades

and skateboards.”

Student accommodation is sometimes

quite unlike that in Galway. Maela had no problem securing a room but

“initially the student residence was a bit

shocking. It’s not like Ireland at all. The rooms are small and each kitchen is

shared between twenty-six people. This is standard, and you must buy all of

your kitchen utensils, nothing is provid-ed for you. It seems daunting at first

but I’ve grown to really like the accom-

modation! It has everything I need and the price is so reasonable compared to

Ireland. With time you get used to it.”

Having a truly international experience

entails both integrating into the host

country’s culture and taking advantage of the opportunity to get to know lots

of other cultures too. This can require a measure of courage.

“It can be scary at the beginning, espe-cially if you arrive on your own”, says

Emily, “but I found that the best thing

to do was to join all of the Freiburg Erasmus or International groups on

Facebook, since they always host events which are a great way to meet

people. Don’t worry about turning up to

any event on your own because every-one is in the same situation and they’re

all there to try and make friends”.

University residences can provide inter-

esting opportunities, as Janine O’Con-

nor discovered in Groningen when she and some 40 housemates held a weekly

international dinner: “each of us gave €2 and every Sunday one nationality

would cook a traditional meal from their home country. The Spaniards

made Spanish omelette, the French

made quiche Lorraine, the Italians made carbonara and the Irish made

cottage pie and apple crumble! It was such a lovely thing to look forward to

each week, to get together for a few

hours and taste the different food”.

The ESN in Clermont organises a week-

ly “Café des Langues”, which for Mar-garett Muldoon was a great way to

make friends: “it makes you leave your comfort zone to talk to people that you

don’t know. As I’m the only girl from

my NUI Galway course here, I really needed that. It’s a blessing to have the

opportunity to meet so many people from different countries and walks of

life”.

That global dimension is something many students remark upon: the sheer

diversity of the cultural experience. “My favourite thing about living abroad”,

says Janine, “is all the different charac-

ters that I get to meet every single day between lectures, on different trips and

even just from living in international student housing. I have met people

from all around the world that I would

realistically never get to meet in Gal-way.”

Raminta Kaletkaite has found the same thing in Salamanca, where she’s study-

ing languages. “The best thing about my Erasmus is my two amazing Mexi-

can house mates - we have all became

like a family over here. They are com-ing to celebrate Christmas with me in

Ireland and we are also planning a trip where I will get to visit them in Mexi-

co.”

Finding a foothold in the society of the host country can take a bit more effort.

For Maela, the Gaelic football team in Angers was the first point of social con-

tact and she’s still enjoying the weekly

training sessions, but it was Judo that provided the breakthrough in terms of

integration: “This was more challenging as there is no English-speaking person

in the club. At the beginning it was

scary but now I enjoy the challenge, and my French has also gotten better

as a result.”

For some, it’s a personal passion that

inspires them to connect with like-minded people. Kyra Renaud is study-

ing Psychology in Maastricht and is vol-

unteering at an animal shelter there: “It’s such a good experience to work

alongside people with similar attitudes and values even though we are all from

different parts of the world. It quickly

teaches you how to overcome language barriers as well! You form a great bond

with people as you work with them to help the animals recover and you get to

share the happiness of seeing the ani-

mals adopted to loving homes. I never

really thought much about volunteering while I was on my Erasmus year but

I’m so glad I did. It helps me too, as I miss my pets from home!”

One of the best features of living in

mainland Europe is the proximity of so many interesting destinations waiting to

be explored. Student travel is afforda-ble, even more so when semester tick-

ets provide such good value. “I love how easy it is to travel to different

countries for short day trips or week-

end breaks”, says Kyra. “I can take a 1-2 hour bus journey and be in a differ-

ent country, which to me is pretty cool. Not only am I immersed in a different

culture on a daily basis, but I can go

and sample other cultures for a day or two. It's really fun and helps me to un-

derstand the perspectives of some of my new friends here!”

Students are also adapting to local cus-toms when it comes to getting around

on a day-to-day basis. Cycling is de rigueur in some countries. Janine: “In Groningen the population is 200,00 but

there are 300,000 bikes in the city: that tells you that every single person in the

city cycles so as you can imagine for an

inexperienced Erasmus student this can be quite daunting but also an exciting

way to play a part in their culture.”

For those not inclined towards two

wheels, public transport is generally

cheap and efficient, in contrast to Ire-land. Rangelle Pichay is studying in

Leiden but living in the Hague, which isn’t a problem: “it means I get to ex-

perience two very different cities and missing the bus/train isn't the end of

the world when there's usually another

one in 10-15 minutes.”

Many comment on the cost of living.

Stuart-Patrick McFadden, a BA Interna-tional student, is impressed with the

reasonably-priced student accommoda-

tion in Kassel and especially with the Mensa (university canteen). A main

course with two sides, a dessert and a drink is only €4.20, and the food is

healthy and appetising.

Steak with onion gravy, new potatoes, tomato and basil salad, dessert and fresh apple juice for just €4.20!

3

The cleanliness he describes as unreal

- “everyone, staff or student, takes their tray back, no exceptions - it’s an

absolute pleasure to sit there and eat.”

Erasmus is a continuous discovery of

the picturesque, the striking and the

quirky. Raminta’s lectures are in the Philology Faculty which is located right

in front of the Catedral de Salamanca with its breath-taking architecture.

From the kitchen window in Mar-garett’s residence, she can see the Puy

de Dome volcano, which stands at

1465 metres and which she has al-ready climbed.

Emily lives right beside the Black For-est: “the weather was stunning when I

arrived in October, so I made it my mission to go on a few hikes through

the forest and I found some really

beautiful views”. Elizabeth has been captivated by France: “Where else

could you see giant mechanical ele-phants, a dragon cuckoo clock in the

middle of a town square or chateaux

plucked straight from a fairy tale?”

Stuart-Patrick is impressed at how

green Kassel is, with lots of parks and open spaces that apparently play host

to a community of racoons, “although like the infamous Straßenbahn inspec-

tors, they are rarely seen”. Janine is

“loving every second” of her time in Groningen: “The city and the sur-

rounding regions are absolutely beau-tiful”. Louvain’s enduring impression

for Rebekah will be “the smell of waf-fles that floats through the town on

market day”.

Many have fallen under the spell of the magical Christmas markets. In Cler-

mont-Ferrand, 80 chalets cluster around the beautifully decorated Place

de la Victoire. Margarett met a couple

from Biarritz selling a range of fruit-flavoured wines. “They asked me

where I was from and when I told them I was from Ireland, they were

thrilled and gave me samples of all twelve. I was having a jolly old time!”

she laughs.

Of course we mustn’t forget the all-important academic side of Erasmus.

Here too, the verdict is positive, with students appreciating the chance to

explore new aspects of their studies or

take modules not taught in Galway. Margarett describes a regional studies

course she’s taking: “every Tuesday for two and a half hours we discuss all

the fascinating things about the Au-

vergne region”. She’s also enthusias-tic about her Law courses: “the selec-

tion of subjects I’m doing here has made me more passionate about Law

and studying it well and thoroughly.” Students are also taking in their stride

the different structures of the academ-

ic year. Rangelle remarks that the quarters instead of semesters in the

Netherlands have made the workload less stressful and more manageable.

Do they miss Ireland?

“Of course it’s not all easy”, says Ja-nine. “There are times when you’ll

miss being in Galway but that’s com-

pletely normal and most of the people around are going to be experiencing

the same sort of feelings, it’s all worth it in the end.”

One thing that probably no one misses

is the Galway rain. “The weather is awesome”, Stuart-Patrick says of Kas-

sel. “It’s only rained a handful of times and that in itself is a blessing

compared to Galway. However I do miss the sea air and walks in Salthill.”

Saoirse Glynn is on an Erasmus train-

eeship, teaching at a school in Madrid. She has had “an amazing time on

Erasmus” but she does miss home. “But you start to realise that there are

so many experiences you have to go

through that you can’t go through with your Mammy right beside you all the

way. I have grown as a person while away. I’m looking forward to going

home for a fry, though, and a good rasher sandwich!”

We’ll let Maela have the last word: “I really believe that it doesn’t matter

where you are; what matters most is the company you have and what you

put into the experience. Go into Eras-

mus believing that it will be the best year of your life and it will be if you do

it with a positive outlook. If you are happy to jump in, to get out of your

comfort zone, meet new people and learn about different cultures you will

certainly enjoy yourself.”

Chateau de Chambord, the inspiration for the castle in “Beauty and the Beast “ (photo: Elizabeth )

Sculpture in the Terra Botanica park, Angers

(Photo: Maela Ní Choistealbha)

Have a look also at our In Focus

feature on page 8!

Photo: Elizabeth Hyland

4

Au revoir Gisèle!

It was the end of an era when Gisèle Farrell re-tired at the end of September after some 40

years’ service to NUI Galway and 20 years work-

ing on the Erasmus Programme.

Little did she think, when she came to Ireland

from Brittany in the 1970s to improve her Eng-lish, that she would end up marrying a Mayo

man, settling in Galway and devoting so much of

her working life to facilitating young people’s in-ternational education. Whether it was providing

support and encouragement to homesick stu-dents or chasing up outstanding paperwork in

her own inimitable and colourful way, Gisele will be remembered by many for her kindness and

humour. Her contribution to NUI Galway’s Eras-

mus Programme has been enormous and much valued.

We wish Gisèle and her husband Joe a long and happy retirement.

Bonne retraite, profitez-en bien!

Friends and colleagues from past and present gathered in early October to mark Gisèle’s retirement with a Breton-themed event in the Staff Club.

Pictured are International Office staff, present and past. Front row, L-R: Mary Lyons, Gisèle Farrell, Nigel Collins. Middle row: JB Terrins, Louise Coyle, Jodi Blumenfeld, Anna Cunningham, Orla Naughton, Louise Kelly. Back row: Cyril Reddington, Miriam Moylan, Maureen Walsh, Florinda Green.

… and welcome Jodi!

Jodi Blumenfeld took over from Gisèle in October as International Exchange Coordinator. This is a significant role because it involves assisting the International Affairs Officer with the Erasmus paperwork of about 280 students attending universi-

ty abroad and over 90 on traineeships, thus helping to ensure that student grants are paid on time and that our Erasmus Programme complies with the strict requirements of the European Commission and the Higher Education Authority. Jodi is

also the first point of contact for students who are abroad or who are preparing to embark on their Erasmus mobility peri-

od and who have queries or require support.

A native of Toronto, Canada, Jodi herself had the experience of being an international student in the United States. She

then worked in both Illinois and in New York State, as an archaeologist and a lecturer in biological anthropology, before moving to Galway almost six years ago. Jodi is proud to have recently completed the Dioplóma sa Ghaeilge (Diploma in

Irish) in which she achieved an excellent result.

She is enjoying her new role in the International Office: “I think it’s wonderful that the Erasmus programme gives students

the opportunity to engage across cultures, and I’m happy to be able to play a part in supporting that.”

NUI Galway Students’ European Hurling Success

Mathew McQuaid, along with Colin Curley and Adam Nelson, all B.Comm. Global students currently on Erasmus traineeships with EY Luxembourg, were part of the Luxembourg GAA team that won the European Hurling Champion-

ship in Dresden in October. Mathew recalls a 9-hour drive across Germany for what turned out to be “an unforgettable weekend”.

Interestingly, there is a strong Irish culture in Luxembourg. Mathew tells us that at EY there are quite a few Irish people working as interns, assistants, seniors, managers and partners. “We all have croissants together on a Friday and we get together for nights out and work events. And the internship is going very well: I’m enjoying myself and learning a few things as I go along!”

Photo, left to right: Colin, Mathew, Adam

CALLING ALL ERASMUS STUDENT PHOTOGRAPHERS!!!

We plan to organise an Erasmus photo competition and exhibition in the New Year, with prizes and categories for both incoming and

outgoing students. Details will be announced soon, but now’s the time to start thinking about your entry!

5

Esprit de corps: the NUI Galway International Gaelic football teams who competed at UL Photo: Joe Walsh

Incoming Student Activities It’s been a lively semester for many of the 342 students

who began their Erasmus adventure at NUI Galway in Sep-

tember.

With an expanded International Office Erasmus team of 3 people, we’ve been able to focus more on the integration

of our visiting students into local life, and Nigel Collins,

who joined us as incoming Erasmus coordinator in late 2018, has embraced the challenge with gusto. Alongside

his regular administrative and student support duties, he has been devising a programme of activities to ensure that

an Erasmus semester here provides ample opportunities for students to get acquainted with Irish sport and culture.

Inspired by his own love of sport and by the mission of Go Gaelic - which promotes Gaelic games to international visi-

tors - Nigel organised twice-weekly football training ses-

sions in Dangan for about 30 international students. It

turned out to be a truly global exercise: as well as Eras-mus participants from Spain, Germany, France and Bel-

gium, there were students from India, America, Namibia and Mozambique. Under the direction of coach David

Henry, some considerable talent emerged and the whole

experience proved immensely enjoyable for all. The culmi-nation was a memorable trip to the University of Limerick

on 19th October, with three teams representing NUI Gal-way at the Go Gaelic International Students Tournament.

One of our teams reached the semi-finals of the Cup and another got to the semi-finals of of the Shield.

Of course it would be a pity if the story were to end there, so watch this space in semester 2! Nigel has been suc-

cessful in securing funding under the University’s Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Project Fund 2019 with his pro-

posal “Integration through Gaelic Games”, so no doubt

further international sporting exploits lie ahead.

But there was more going on than just sport. Our stu-

dents were also offered opportunities to get to know the hinterland of Galway City, but not via the usual tourist

trails. Nigel donned his thinking cap again and planned a series of weekend excursions, engaging the services of

tour guide Pádraig Frehan.

The first, “Castles, Towers and Poets”, was a Saturday trip in early October to explore the heritage of South Galway

and Clare, including stops in Thoor Ballylee, Corcomroe Abbey and Dunguaire Castle. Pádraig’s commentary cov-

ered 1,300 years of Irish history: the 38 students learned about ancient round towers, monasteries and castles, and

got an insight into the literary associations of the area.

An unexpected bonus came in the form of numerous friendly and curious cows who happily posed for photos,

to the delight of continental city dwellers fascinated by Irish rural life.

In mid-November, Nigel and Pádraig accompanied a new

band of eager explorers to Ireland’s “Mystic Midlands”. The first stop was the ancient monastic site at Clonmac-

noise on the peaceful shores of the River Shannon in County Offaly. This was followed by a tour of Athlone Cas-

tle, with its Norman, Dutch and Napoleonic connections.

Some of the Erasmus participants got into the spirit of bygone days and dressed up in period costumes before

the group headed down the street to Seán’s Bar to find out about the rich history of Ireland’s oldest pub.

Further trips are planned for semester 2. We’re keeping the itineraries under wraps for now, but let’s just say that

if the plans work out, then there will be lots to discover

about the culture and traditions of Connaught, and lovers of cute cuddly animals won’t be disappointed either!

We would like to acknowledge the financial support of the EU’s Erasmus Programme in bringing about these events.

6

So what’s the craic in Galway?

We asked some of the students who attended NUI Galway

in Semester 1 to tell us about their time here. We’re happy

to say that they all seem to have enjoyed it!

The quality of teaching and the interesting courses were

mentioned by many, and students also praised the kindness

and approachability of academic and support staff.

Outside the classroom there was plenty to do. NUI Galway’s

impressive array of clubs and societies means that just

about every conceivable taste and interest is catered for,

and they provide a great way for international students to

forge friendships. Tatiana Magrey from the Université de

Franche-Comté Besançon joined the Kayak Club: “wonderful

experience, great people - even if the water was really cold

it was totally worth it. I’m looking forward to getting back to

it next semester! Oh, and they also host great parties!”

Water sports also appealed to Lisa Metz from Göttingen: “I

really enjoyed it when we went surfing on the First Advent

Sunday which was also the first of December. I thought it

was paradoxical, because who goes surfing in December,

but we had really nice weather and it was good fun!” Aure-

lia De Santo from Besançon took up Taekwondo: “I'll pass

the yellow belt in March and I really hope I will keep doing

this sport next year! Moreover, it's a really great opportunity

because it's free!” Isabel Sasse from Augsburg became PRO

of the Baking Society, and Amélie Menet from Lille 3 joined

the Choral Soc and enjoyed performing at its Christmas con-

cert in Galway’s historic Church of St Nicholas.

Adrien Mélon from Clermont liked the Erasmus outings: “I

really appreciated the fact that I could visit Ireland thanks to

the bus tours organized by you! These were great experi-

ences and it allowed us to learn more about the culture of

the country thanks to the knowledge of the teachers who

accompanied us.”

Alexandra Stolarski, from the University of Bamberg, took

the module Irish for Beginners. She really enjoyed this, in

particular the opportunity to spend a weekend with an Irish-

speaking host family in the village of Carna in the Connema-

ra Gaeltacht. The highlight of the weekend was a visit one

evening to a local pub where everybody was speaking Irish

and one of the customers performed traditional sean-nós

songs and Irish dances.

Ellinor Ljung from Uppsala, asked what she especially liked

about Galway, immediately said “the people - so friendly

and welcoming”. Loanne Duval from the Université Cler-

mont-Auvergne loved Galway’s Christmas market with its

carousel and big wheel, and the range of food on offer. She

also adored the Galway pubs with their traditional music and

lively atmosphere. Carl William Eliasson from Uppsala en-

thused too about the bars, their open fires, cosy ambience

and medieval atmosphere.

Was there anything they didn’t like? Well, we won’t even

talk about the Galway weather … but who comes here for

sunshine?

Alas, however, the public transport system in Galway does

not compare favourably with those in other European coun-

tries. “Shocked” was how one French student described her

reaction to the high cost of a monthly ticket and the unrelia-

bility of the services; she recalled an occasion where she

waited an hour in the cold for a bus to arrive. While Gal-

way’s infrastructure certainly contributes to the problem,

perhaps our public transport operators should take a leaf

from the books of their continental cousins!

Erasmus for Staff

Did you know that it’s not only students who can avail of the

Erasmus programme to gain international experience? Staff

can also take part in Erasmus, whether it’s teaching visits for

academics or mobility aimed at professional development,

which is open to all categories of staff. The latter has al-

ready been advertised once this year, and we expect there’ll

be a further call early in the New Year.

The scheme is proving increasingly popular as staff recog-

nise the potential benefits of engaging in workshops, job

shadowing or individualised training abroad.

Dr Su-ming Khoo of the School of Political Science & Sociolo-

gy recently visited the University of Applied Sciences Würz-

burg-Schweinfurt (FHW-S) to undertake collaborative train-

ing activities with Prof Dr Tanja Kleibl, Professor of Interna-

tional Social Work. This Erasmus visit included an evaluation

of new curriculum materials connecting human rights, social

work and new challenges of migration, climate emergency

and welfare digitalization. Dr Khoo held a curriculum chal-

lenge workshop with professors in FHW-S and also co-led a

creative human rights methods training event with Prof Dr

Kleibl and the International Social Work Masters students,

and all participated in designing and creating human rights

communication materials (see photo on opposite page).

Dr Khoo intends to apply for an Erasmus+ DELTA digital

badge from the National Forum for Teaching and Learning in

Higher Education. DELTA stands for Disciplinary Excellence

in Learning, Teaching and Assessment and it’s a new

scheme focused on the professional development of staff in

Irish higher education, in particular on the enhancement of

teaching and learning within and between disciplines.

Erasmus+ DELTA digital badges were recently claimed by

some of the staff who took part in Erasmus Staff Training

Mobility in 2018/19: Dr Connie Healy (School of Law) took

part in a course on International Arbitration hosted by the

University of Leiden in The Hague; Dr Éamon Ó Cofaigh

(Discipline of French) visited the Translation Unit of the Eu-

ropean Parliament in Luxembourg, and Dr Anne O’Connor

(Discipline of Italian) attended a Workshop on Computer-

assisted Literary Translation at the University of Swansea.

7

The View from Shannon

A very substantial portion of NUI Galway’s Erasmus train-

eeship mobility is made up of students from Shannon Col-

lege of Hotel Management. The Year 2 Placement is a 12-

month-long compulsory professional operative placement,

which reinforces the practical training and language studies

of Year 1. “Operative” means that the students will be en-

gaging in various types of hotel work - waiter, commission

chef, receptionist, house assistant, bar person, for instance

- gaining experience in at least two departments. The stu-

dents develop knowledge of industry practice and systems

and they receive a small compensation from their hotels.

A student’s foreign language option and visa requirements

will determine their placement host country. This year’s

Year 2 Placement class is comprised of 11 different nation-

alities. All our European students are placed throughout

Europe, based on the language they study. Host countries

include Belgium, France, Switzerland (not eligible for Eras-

mus), Germany, Luxembourg, Spain (Tenerife) and the UK,

while our non EU students are placed in hotels throughout

Ireland. Currently there are 71 students placed in Europe

receiving Erasmus+ funding and the remainder of our stu-

dents are on work placements in Switzerland and Ireland.

Students see the year 2 work placement abroad as a bril-

liant opportunity to enjoy another country’s culture and way

of life, to network with others in the industry, and to travel

and learn a foreign language.

During the course of their work experience overseas, our

students get to rub shoulders with many famous celebrities,

well-known sportspeople, international dignitaries and poli-

ticians. For example, our students in Cannes, France get to

work with clients attending the annual Cannes Film Festival.

Others were involved with the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty

Organisation) Leaders Meeting recently held in the UK. Al-

so, some lucky students have received their induction train-

ing in Buckingham Palace and have worked with the Foot-

men during investiture ceremonies throughout the year.

In addition to these work opportunities, the students them-

selves have had many memorable life experiences, for ex-

ample, making new friends through work and their social

life. Many have been able to travel throughout Europe to

learn about different cultures, people and places.

Shannon College places great importance on ensuring that

its students’ well-being is looked after and that they are

receiving the training agreed by their hotels. To this end,

three staff members from the College’s Placement Office

are usually involved in site visits to check in with the stu-

dents and monitor their progress. Over the last semester,

Deborah O’Hanlon, Head of Placement Studies and Deputy

Head of the College, has personally visited all the Shannon

students who are currently on Erasmus traineeships, a total

of 23 hotels over three months.

Paula Sheils Placement Office Administrator, Shannon College

Dr Su-ming Khoo’s photo “from the very fun creative human rights teaching methods workshop [in Würzburg] - we all enjoyed it”.

(See page 6)

8

In Focus … Rozarah Glenane on Erasmus at KU Leuven

The language barrier is what got to me initially. My course is taught through English, and

everyone in Leuven speaks perfect English, so I hadn’t anticipated this as something to be

concerned about. But it was having to talk more slowly and refrain from using certain

phrases for people to understand me. I hated going to the till at the shop or ordering at a

café, having to ask them to speak my mother tongue to me whilst in their country. Or

walking down the street, hearing all of these people having great conversations, but not

knowing what anyone is saying. It takes a bit of getting used to, being a foreigner.

After a while, it certainly gets easier. I’ve been doing beginners’ Dutch which helps me in

my daily exchanges: even if I ask people ‘spreek jij engels?’ (do you speak English?), they

really appreciate the effort and I feel less rude. But I have never felt more privileged to

be a native English speaker in my life; we don’t know how lucky we are at home.

Apart from the culture adjustment, the whole experience

has been amazing. Belgium is a beautiful country full of

history, fabulous buildings, unbelievable chocolate, waffles, and of course beer. Walking

into lectures in some of the buildings here feels like being in a movie. Leuven isn’t that

much bigger than Galway, which is a comfort, and it’s one of the safest cities in Belgium.

The University owns quite a lot of the city so there is a vibrant student - and very interna-

tional - vibe around the place. It’s an amazing thing to have all these people from so

many different backgrounds come together and start a new life from scratch. Standards

and expectations in KU Leuven are quite high so finding a good balance is essential. But

no matter how you are feeling, you will always have others in the same boat with you.

My favourite thing about Leuven is the cycling culture. The cyclists own the roads here;

the place is built for it. Bike traffic jams at rush hour never fail to entertain me. Not hav-

ing a bike here is like not having a laptop. Taxis are almost non-existent, so people come

in droves on their bikes to and from nights out. Slightly hazardous at times but everyone

seems to manage. I’ve ended up falling in love with my bike - I’m considering attempting

to smuggle it back to Ireland somehow, but I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Belgium is tiny but there is a lot to see. The train system is very well developed so it’s easy to take day trips all over the

country. We like to buy a waffle in each place we visit to see for ourselves where in Belgium has the best waffles - Liège is

winning so far. Going on day trips also makes Leuven feel more like a home - it’s our base that we always come back to.

I feel very happy here now that I’m settled; the whole experience has been extremely liberating. The first hurdle will al-

ways be a challenge and change will take a bit of getting used to, but once you’ve moved past it, things start to open up

in a really incredible way. 10/10 would recommend to a friend.

And finally, a look back at our NUI Galway Erasmus day trip in October … here are our South

Galway adventurers, pictured at Dunguaire Castle, Kinvara (Missing from photo: Nigel Collins, who was “behind the lens”!)

In our next edition, we would like to place “in Focus” the experience of an incoming Erasmus student, so if you enjoy writing and would like to share your impressions of NUI Galway and our city, we’d love to hear from you!

Arenberg Castle, part of KU Leuven

Gent