Bc. Jan Souřezný, absolvent programu Ekonomika a management
At the beginning, I was afraid to go abroad for a semester. Today, I’ve studied in three different countries and know that these experiences have opened up entirely new opportunities for me.
From shy Bachelor freshman to studying in Mexico, Thailand and Taiwan within three years...
As a 100% conservative and shy person, I would have never thought that I‘d travel more than I have in the past 3 years of bachelor studies, but the International Office has such an excellent and wide range of study abroad opportunities that I was able to pick my dream destination every time.
It all started right at the begining of my studies when we were presented with all the International opportunities available to us as students. During the 2nd semester, I learned more about the study abroad experiences of other students. At that time, I was afraid to leave for one whole semester, so Summer School for 2 weeks seemed like a perfect balance. At the same time, my options were all exciting and exotic countries like South Korea, Mexico, and Taiwan, from which I choose CETYS, Mexico. Long story short, after two weeks in Ensenada, Baja California + two more weeks spent in the USA, I was eager to leave for the whole semester, a prospect which had been “too scary” for me before that.
As soon as I returned, I contacted the International Office to declare my interest in going for an exchange. They were very friendly and helpful, and during the registration round in Autumn, I signed up for a semester at KMITL in Bangkok, Thailand. This country was already half-affected by COVID, but I guess no one can complain about quarantine at the beach. KMITL offers a very similar study program to the School of Business UCT Prague (you can start to understand how carefully our partner Universities are chosen), so I was able to transfer enough ECTS credits for the whole semester. Among Thai teachers, I also had international teachers who brought fresh and innovative ways of learning experience.
When the pandemic entered our lives in March, the school’s reaction was very prompt and classes went online immediately. International students were offered the option of finishing the semester with them but online in their home country. The majority of international students took this option, but I felt pitiful about leaving, so I took a risk and stayed in Thailand. I’m glad for this complex decision because the quarantine wasn’t for eternity, and after a month, another load of travel experiences awaited me.
In the meantime, there were two more main international events organized by our International Office which I regret not taking – the first was a three week visit to Wuhan, China with an intensive business course and the second was the ATHENS one-week programme in Milan. I thought it would be too much for me to take part in these opportunities just a few months before the Thailand exchange. Looking back, I think it was a mistake to let it go.
What now? After sucesfully graduating from the Bachelor‘s program, a Master‘s programme is awaiting me at NSYSU in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. I was admitted to the program, so I’m currently spending my time preparing for another two years full of unforgettable international experiences, people, culture and knowledge. I would’ve never considered this plan alone without the leadership and support of my school‘s International Office. Thank you so much for showing me you don’t have to stick to your home country for your entire life, and the world is open and full of possibilities!
podzim 2021