During my studies in Austria, I have significantly developed my communication skills in multicultural groups. The program also allowed me to have a better performance regarding intercultural skills. Developing those skills has helped me in many ways, such as: being more confident when speaking in public, not being afraid of criticism by learning to give constructive feedback and learning the importance of working in a multicultural group, which has been proven that it generates more creative ideas and discussions. Since the majority of my classmates have different nationalities, those methods allowed me to truly experience and notice even more the importance of multicultural groups. Besides, I have deepened my knowledge on the Marketing, Public Relations and Human Resources fields. The practice-oriented approach offered by CUAS is a method I was looking forward to experiencing, since I do not have that at my home institution.
I have always been interested in this course because I am an engineering student at my home institution. Therefore, most of the subjects are technical, and I do not have the chance to learn about management, interact, improve my communication abilities, and learn about other cultures, which are fundamental skills when looking for a position in the job market. Since I intend on following an engineering career in the management area, having acquired all those abilities during my education in Austria will be a fundamental point for me to pursue my career goal. Having had an international experience will also allow me to stand out when looking for an internship.
Therefore, having studied all the components at Carinthia University of Applied Sciences will allow me to return with a much greater baggage of technical, behavioral, and social skills, in addition to having learned different methods of study (such as blended learning), that I can apply to my remaining subjects at my home institution.
From the very first few months of my education/scholarship in Austria, I have immensely developed my communication abilities. I have participated in class debates, sales pitches, and individual pitches, which has allowed me to improve on all my weak presentation points and learn how to use and highlight my strengths. The program is very well-structured, emphasizing on the preparation and behavior for our future professional career.
For the future, I would like to write my undergraduate thesis on how the multicultural communication affects our daily professional life. Moreover, I am interested on working in multicultural groups as a future engineer, so I can practice my acquired abilities in the professional world.
Coming to Austria was a new and challenging experience. I still remember the day I first arrived in class, where I was overwhelmed and insecure about all the new challenges I had found myself facing. Today, I can proudly say how this experience has made me more confident and independent. Studying abroad has made me see the world with different views regarding the personal and professional life. Therefore, this scholarship opportunity is offering exactly what I need to complement my degree at my home institution. My academic activities at Carinthia University of Applied Sciences have so far exceeded my expectations, since I have access to large available information in the library and through the professors, who are always willing to talk and help on any doubt I might have. Being granted by this scholarship was important to help me achieve what I was looking for and without the funding, this opportunity would not be possible.
Short CV
Roberta is studying in the Energy Engineering Bachelor program at UNIFEI – Federal University of Itajubá.
Her research interests include the international solar energy market, which is something that connects her knowledge acquired at FH Kärnten with the one at UNIFEI, since she is learning how to communicate across borders and have a strong intercultural ability. During her studies, she must highlight the importance of many projects and active participations of real companies who have partnered with her home institution in order to develop solutions for their current issues.
That has allowed her to work more efficiently in groups and have a broader view of the professional world. Studying abroad with an Ernst Mach scholarship for studying at an Austrian University of Applied Sciences has also been a very important milestone regarding her studies, since it was a challenging experience which helped her acquire knowledge in a different area. This opportunity has opened her horizon in terms of the endless possibilities inside her current bachelor program.
About FH Kärnten:
Carinthia University of Applied Sciences (CUAS) is located in the region of Carinthia, Austria. Carinthia lies in the heart of Europe and it borders Slovenia and the Italian regions of Friuli and Veneto in the south. The region of Carinthia comprises three large European language and culture groups allowing CUAS to benefit from the regional diversity. With approximately 435 full-time employees and over 700 external lecturers in 38 study programmes on five physical campuses in the cities of Villach, Spittal, Klagenfurt and Feldkirchen, CUAS is currently educating 2700 fulltime and part-time students in the Schools of (1) Health Sciences & Social Work, (2) Engineering & IT, (3) Civil Engineering & Architecture and (4) Management. More information
