What Does Studying Abroad Mean to You?

Every year, thousands of students make the exciting decision to study abroad. Whether they want to broaden their global outlook, improve their language skills, gain independence, take advantage of lower tuition, or boost their international career prospects, there is no wrong reason to pack your bags for a once-in-a-lifetime study abroad experience.

If you are still undecided about whether studying abroad is right for you, we spoke with several students and professors who chose to study at the University of Lima.

I wanted an experience different from going to the U.S. or Europe

Elena Spadini came to the University of Lima in 2019 for a one-semester exchange. She was an undergraduate economics student at Bocconi University in Italy.

"I wanted an experience that was different from going to the U.S. or Europe. I was looking for not just an academic experience, but a life experience as well. Latin America lets you do that because it exposes you to realities that are very different from those in the U.S. or Europe and brings you closer to new cultures and customs," Elena said.

"I chose Peru because I thought it had everything I was looking for: a rich culture, [and] friendly and welcoming people. It seemed like a perfect balance, a developing country that has been thriving in recent years.

"I did some research on Lima and found that the city is also growing rapidly and has a lot to offer young people," she added.

I had wanted to discover Latin America for a long time, and Peru was a great choice.

Thanks to an exchange agreement between the University of Lima and the University of Bordeaux, Léo Peller, an undergraduate business student, found himself spending a year in Lima studying international business.

When asked what led him to decide to study in Peru, there were many reasons, Léo said.

"I discovered that there was an agreement between the two universities. I had friends who had already studied at the University of Lima. I spoke with them to find out more, and they all told me it was a good university for exchange students. It is one of the best universities in Lima.

"I had wanted to discover Latin America for a long time, and Peru was a great choice. It has a stable economy and many attractions."

"The first thing I did [after arriving] was take a three-week Spanish course, which allowed me to learn the language."

For me, it was important to understand how people work in other countries and to learn in a different way.

Thanks to an internship agreement signed by the School of Engineering and Architecture, Alexis Bibens was able to study at the University of Lima and take advantage of the Fab Lab at its Center for Technological Innovation (CIT).

During his time at the university, Alexis had the chance to work on two projects, one of which focused on developing tactile walking surface indicators for people with visual impairments. He plans to bring that project to a special education school in the city.

Speaking about the opportunity to work with such innovative tools and insightful professors, Alexis reflected on the quality of education he experienced at the university.

"For me, it was important to understand how people work in other countries and to learn in a different way.

"I chose Peru first and foremost because of its culture. In addition, I found at the University of Lima the conditions I needed to carry out my projects; my colleagues highly recommended it, and here I confirmed everything they had told me about its Fab Lab and the quality of its professors."

Before coming to Lima, Alexis was a student at CESI Engineering School in Angoulême, France.

I found infrastructure I had not seen in Spain, Mexico, or even the United States.

Jairo Toro Díaz, PhD, is a professor at the Autonomous University of Manizales in Colombia. Through a Pacific Alliance scholarship, Jairo had the opportunity to come to Lima to further develop his postdoctoral research on financial risk.

Jairo's research initially focused on Colombia and later on the Spanish stock market. After working closely with the Integrated Latin American Market (MILA), Jairo decided that his next line of research would focus on Peru.

Speaking about his experience in Lima, Jairo praised the university's infrastructure, academic processes, and facilities.

"I came here not only to discover a university with very good academic processes, but also to find something else. I found infrastructure that, as I mentioned to my colleagues in Colombia, I had not seen in Spain, Mexico, or even the United States. In my opinion, it has high-quality facilities.

"In Colombia, I also work as an academic peer in the Ministry's quality assurance processes. I have to visit different universities, and to me, this university meets high-quality standards and can stand alongside the best universities in Latin America."