The first students from Ethiopia: Dejene Hursso, Michael Mehari, Weldie Tedla and Chala Tesera. (Foto: Filip Van Loock)
It turns out that many roads lead to GROUP T. Lodewijk very simply started his search with Google on the internet. He was looking for a program that was entirely in English, preferably in his own country, and discovered that such a program was offered not so far from home at GROUP T. Ritthiwut Puwaphat obtained a Master of Science in Technical Education in Thailand and was lecturer at the Faculty of Engineering at the Princess of Naradhiwas University. In the framework of the collaboration between GROUP T and this university, he was given the opportunity to perfect his education further in Leuven. Yibo Liang studies at GROUP T in the framework of an agreement with the Beijing Jiaotong University.
Such a first year in Leuven takes some getting used to for all foreign students. Yet, the overall sentiment is positive. Liang noticed that the people are friendly and, especially, that it is very quiet at night around here. In China, the shops are often still open at night and so there is more hustle and bustle. For her, the quiet is ideal for studying. Olegs remarked that Leuven is a safe city where one can walk around with no problems. For him, the greatest change is the way of studying. Compared to his own country, there is a greater emphasis here on studying independently. Liang confirms this: she is learning to work independently here and she is convinced that this will benefit her future career.
Expectations
We asked the students whether the studies here have met their expectations. For Liang, who did her first year at BJTU, it is clear that the training is entirely different here than in her own country. She has to work hard but at the same time she has the impression she is learning a great deal. Rittithut, too, notices the differences in the curriculum. This is precisely what makes it interesting for him. For Olegs it is just the other way around: he expected great differences but notices that the studies are in line with those in Latvia. Lodewijk finds that there is a great focus on practical work in the program in which he’s registered and that the teachers expect active contribution from the students.
Although adapting to Belgium and Leuven was not a great problem, a certain gap remains between the Flemish and the foreign students. The foreign students form a close-knit group in spite of the differences in culture and background. They often meet each other after classes and exchange information about their cultures and customs. As a result, they also come to respect each other’s sensitivities.
Nobody regrets studying here. “In China, a study experience abroad gives you extra leverage when you’re looking for a job later,” Liang says. “Employers appreciate the more practical orientation of the training at GROUP T.” For Ritthiwut, improving his practical command of English is very important for his further career in Thailand. Oleg was looking for and found a good balance between the acquisition of knowledge and practice-oriented education. All four appreciate how GROUP T takes care of the foreign students and they are full of praise for the International Office.
Talent from Ethiopia
GROUP T concluded a collaboration agreement with the Ethiopian Ministry of Education. The purpose of this collaboration is the further training of talented students so that they can become staff members at the engineering faculties of Ethiopian universities. GROUP T was one of the first university colleges to conclude such an agreement. In the meantime, this example was followed by universities and university colleges in China, Turkey and Korea. In the framework of this collaboration, as of this academic year, four Ethiopian students will graduate from GROUP T. They are taking the preparatory year for the master after having obtained a bachelor in their own country.
Because the agreement was concluded with the Ministry of Education, the students submitted their candidacy there to continue studying in Leuven after they had been pre-selected by their universities. The intention is that they return to these universities after their studies in Leuven to pursue an academic career there.
Their first experience is positive: “The training is different from that in Ethiopia because of the more practice-oriented approach. The professors are friendly and to the point. In Ethiopia there is a greater distance between students and professors and there are fewer facilities for the students.” They appreciate the presence of documentation materials and books which are less available in their own countries.
Dejene, Michael, Weldie and Chala had to adapt a little in the beginning. “In Ethiopia, the university takes care of accommodation and food. This isn’t the case here and so we are responsible for our own meals. That takes a bit of getting used to but it also teaches us to be independent.” They find life in an international group of students enriching. “It gives you the opportunity to learn about and understand each other better.” Nonetheless, they have less contact with Flemish students. “We have the impression that our Flemish colleagues are more reserved, keep a greater distance. We do try to get to know them and participate in sports activities. We would like to have more exchange between our cultures and learn a bit about how our fellow students from Flanders live.”
They are very happy with the way foreign students are received and guided at GROUP T. “We can always take our questions to the International Office or to our professors and that is an enormous help in making us feel at home quickly and finding our way around.”
Jan Jaspers
