More about UEES Ecuador

Studying biology, ecology or the environmental sciences?
AIM Overseas' Tropical Ecology in Ecuador program in January will give you a taste of some of the world's most fascinating environments: the Amazon, the Galapagos Islands and Andes mountains.

Here's a little taste of UEES and what the program might offer you. 

AIM Overseas students in Italy

Aiming for a brighter summer

The second group of international students undertaking a short course at UCSC International are settling in to Milan nicely, whilst the first arrivals have successfully completed the two week intensive Italian language course. This week they began the culture course modules.

Students jumping in Piazza Del Duomo, Milan

With only a few days to unwind, fourteen students dived straight in to the Business, Experiencing Italian Excellence program on Monday 27 June, offered by ALTIS, UCSC post graduate school of Business and Society in collaboration with UCSC International.

Two students from Italian Language & Business also joined the course.

Eleven students arrived on Saturday 25 June and were welcomed with a warm golden sun and greeted by staff from Milan International Living Service (MIL) – UCSC International housing service.

"The pickup was surely a success. The students were able to meet each other upon arrival and they bonded rather quickly. Being a former study abroad student in Milan, I remember the emotion and excitement so I was able to help out the students in areas that I once needed myself," said MIL Service staff, Josh Young.

Directed by both academic and professional experts, the interactive program taught entirely in English exposes students to the best practices of the Italian entrepreneurial system.

Students will dedicate the next four weeks to the stimulating program, entering into a European Union and Italian Business mind frame.

"The student of our Summer School will have hands on experience of successful Italian businesses in tourism, food, fashion and design," said ALTIS Managing Director, Frank Cinque.

"They will be exposed to the complex and diverse world of the Italian small business and will witness the potential of entrepreneurship and individual initiative for generating wealth and well being for an entire population," he said.

"I picked this course because it was based on entrepreneurship which I have a big interest in, the location seemed very appealing, and as I am unfamiliar with Italian, I liked that the language of instruction is in English," said student from University of Canberra, Australia, Sarah Herring.

Learning will not only be concentrated in the classroom, as various one day field trips to businesses and institutions around the Lombardy region have been organised.

Students represent ten different universities and four program providers including AIM Overseas, ISEP, Eurolearn and Milan Direct.

AIM Australia are boastful of the number of students participating in the Business, Experiencing Italian Excellence program this summer. Italy is one of over ten destinations offered for students willing to carry out a short term course during university holidays in the Australian winter.

Students will also be given the opportunity to discover the Milanese culture outside of the classroom with the support of International Student Association ESEG, run by UCSC domestic students. ESEG also offered a helping hand for the pickup on Saturday.

"I had the chance to help MIL service with the pickup. It was a great opportunity to meet the new summer students and explain the function of ESEG and talk about all the activities/events we are planning for the next four week," said ESEG representative, Juan Imperiale.

Article by Maria Strumendo

Wrestling, haggling and dodging peseros - Kate Wright on her month studying Health Care in Mexico

Kate and a fellow AIM Overseas participant at the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary in Mexico City

Kate Wright has recently completed her Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Canberra. In January, Kate participated in our Health Care in Mexico program - marking the end of her undergraduate degree. Kate tells us about her life-changing adventure below:

Hi Kate! Could you please tell me about what you're currently studying at UC and what stage of your degree you're at?
I graduated from UC in March this year – the Health Care in Mexico course marked the end of my undergraduate degree! I studied a Bachelor of Science with majors in Human Nutrition and Psychology.

Congrats on graduating! Why did you choose the AIM Overseas Health Care in Mexico course?
I chose this course for the hands-on exposure to the health care system of another country. It is very rare to have the opportunity to visit the places we did, talk with the professionals and lecturers we spoke with or to live with the people we did, let alone in a transitional country like Mexico which is learning how to maintain treatment of communicable diseases while finding ways to treat new health problems such as obesity and diabetes. I chose the AIM Overseas course as it provided a balance of the educational and the cultural aspects of Mexico in one grand adventure!

What was a typical day like for you during the course?
There was no typical day! Every day brought something new for us on the course. If we were on-campus at Universidad La Salle for a day, we would start at 8 or 9am, with lectures running through until lunchtime (which were timetabled earlier for us than Mexicans would normally eat!). Afternoons would be more classes or a meeting with the Academic Advisor to discuss our presentations and assignments.

If it was a day for site visits, we would be up before the sun for breakfast (always made by our fabulous homestay mother) then out the door to get the bus to wherever was scheduled; whether it be a rehabilitation centre, a nursing home, a hospital or to a community health day in a poorer part of Mexico City. Travel times varied but were always interesting in Mexican peak hour traffic! Once at our destination, we would do a tour of the facility and hear a lecturer or two (could be in English, could be in Spanish…) from a medical professional. If the lecture was in Spanish, Willy or Margot were always there to translate for us. These days were typically long and tiring but always an eye-opening experience.

Did you have any expectations about Mexico and what it would be like before you went? If so, did those expectations change at all?
I had few expectations of Mexico before I went, which meant that everything I encountered was amazing. Mexico City is a place that is quite difficult to prepare for as it is unlike anywhere in Australia. I suppose most people think of the drug wars when they think of Mexico but as Mexico City is toward the south of the country, it is well removed from that problem, which rages along the US border. The area we stayed (Condesa), near where Universidad La Salle is also located, is quite safe and so much fun – cafes, churros, bars and karaoke to name just a few. Mexicans are incredible people (at least the ones I came into contact with were!), so welcoming and friendly…and they love to eat! The food was delicious and very difficult to do without once I came home. I have managed to locate genuine Mexican salsa verde though so I’m happy!

Do you have a funny story about something that happened to you whilst in Mexico?
The funniest time was probably going to the wrestling – you just had to get in there and scream with the rest of the locals. The best part of the night was watching two of my housemates be interviewed by a man dressed up as a wrestler for a TV show! We’re still trying to find a copy of it on the internet though. Other things that were funny include watching everyone learn to dance, being taught to cook Mexican food, watching Clare being almost run over by every Domino’s Pizza delivery bike in Condesa (she knows who she is!!), learning how to cross the road regardless of the colour of traffic lights, dodging peseros and avoiding ever having to get on one, spying on the music star who may or may not have lived next door, trying to understand what our homestay mother was telling us in Spanish, learning to haggle at the markets then watching the vendors haggle with themselves…there were so many little things that happened that made for lots of fun times.

How has this course affected you?
This was a fantastic learning experience for me, and in some ways life changing. I had to resign from my job in order to undertake the Mexico course but I wouldn’t change it. Not only did I get the chance to see inside some of Mexico City’s medical/health care facilities and hear from some very knowledgeable professionals, but I was also exposed to some amazing cultural experiences, saw some beautiful sights and met some wonderful people. The Health Care in Mexico course was credited toward my degree so I got the opportunity to end my undergraduate studies with something not many other people have.

It looks great on a CV and I have been asked about the trip by a number of different interviewers. Potential employers see an international experience on your resume and you immediately stand out from every other applicant. As more and more government departments are looking for employees with life skills and experiences to supplement their tertiary studies, the Health Care course has provided me with an outstanding tool to assist me in my new career.

What would you say to another student thinking about doing this course?
I can sum it up in one word – GO! - but be prepared to work hard, sleep little, learn a lot, be overwhelmed, laugh, cry, get frustrated and have the time of your life. The course is an irreplaceable part of my degree and my life and while there were hard times, the good times overcame them. This course will test you in ways you never thought imaginable and it will change you. You learn so much about people, including how to cope with being around the same group of people every day for a month, how people still enjoy life when they have so little and how good your life here is and how many opportunities you have at your fingertips. You learn about culture, you learn to push your boundaries, and you learn to be appreciative of the little things, like learning how and where you can do your laundry! So to anyone contemplating whether or not to do the Health Care in Mexico course, I say do it. But take as little luggage as possible – physical and emotional – as you will come back with many new purchases and a great new outlook on the world and your place in it. A last word of advice; don’t expect to understand a single thing that’s going on when you get there…but it gets so much better and by the time it’s all over, you won’t want to come home!

Thanks so much Kate!

Don't believe everything you hear about Mexico - Chris Regan on studying Spanish in Mexico City

Chris O'Regan did the Intensive Spanish Program in Mexico this January. Chris is currently completing a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies, majoring in Spanish, at the University of Canberra. Chris spoke to us about what it was like studying Spanish in Mexico.

Hi Chris! So tell me about why you chose this program?
I chose this program to add to my experience and also to count to wards my 2nd year of Spanish. I’ve been overseas before but I hadn’t been to Mexico and I wanted to go to a Latin-American country so this seemed perfect. Before going to Mexico, I’d heard people say that it was a dangerous place but it didn’t really faze me too much.

What was a typical day like for you during the program?
You woke up and your Mexican parents had breakfast sitting on the table for you. Then you’d have your breakfast, the host family would join you and you’d chat for a bit. Then you’d walk to school. The first class was Intensive Spanish class for 2 hours. And then you had a little break, followed by a culture class in the afternoon or sometimes a museum visit.

On the weekends we did day trips to other cities or we’d go to museums. If we had time to ourselves we would look around Mexico City itself.

What was the highlight of the trip for you?
I guess the highlight would have been the day-trips – it was great to have the opportunity to see Mexico and to travel around a bit. That was pretty good. I especially loved going to the pyramids as they were very historical. The guy who showed us around was actually a teacher at the university so he had a lot of information on Mexican history and culture. We even got to climb the pyramid – the view was pretty good from up there!

Do you think your Spanish improved much?
It did – I think it improved considerably. It's a lot easier when you’re in an environment where you can actually practice your Spanish and you’re hearing it on TV, on the radio, your teachers are talking in Spanish and everyone around you is interacting with each other in Spanish, instead of English.

Do you have any tips for students thinking of doing this program?
I’d suggest that, if you’re going straight to Mexico, to leave a couple of days to settle in; I got there around 10 o’clock at night so I got to bed after midnight and had to start school at 8am the next day… it was a bit painful!

What kind of insights did you gain into Mexican life and culture?
This program has opened me up to a different culture and different cultural practices. For example, my family in Australia wouldn’t necessary put my breakfast out for me every morning! They really look after their kids in Mexico – kids stay at home with their parents until about 25 and then they get married and their partner moves in with their parents. This experience has really opened my eyes to see that we have a lot of freedom here in Australia compared to what they do in Mexico.

The Mexicans do drink a lot as well! They love their tequila! You can buy tequila from the local supermarket for about $2 – and Corona is really cheap. You can buy a litre of Corona for about 10 pesos or something.


What would you say to someone who’s thinking about doing this program?
Don’t believe everything you hear about Mexico – it’s not as dangerous as what people say it is. It’s more the border cities with the US that there are a lot of problems, but Mexico City isn’t a dangerous place. Especially in the area where the university is and where your housing is, it’s a really middle class place, so it’s not scary at all. It’s a good experience – just go for it!

Thanks Chris!