Verónica Guillén: 'It really was an enriching experience'

The Department of International Relations of the Universidad del Azuay has offered exchange programs with foreign universities, both for students and for teachers, throughout each year.

In the last period, September 2018 - January 2019, one of the programs was destined for Chile and Verónica Guillén traveled there, who did a semester at the University of Valparaíso and will soon travel to Korea.

Verónica studied the baccalaureate at the Rosa de Jesús Cordero Educational Unit and is currently in the tenth cycle of the Engineering in Production course at the Faculty of Science and Technology.

What was the process you followed to apply to the exchange program?

I had always wanted to do an exchange cycle somewhere else, but I did not know if there were calls or not. Then I looked in other countries that other universities had my career and went to the Department of International Relations.

That moment they had the call for the University of Valparaiso in Chile, so they told me that until other calls were opened I tried to apply in that. I sent all the requirements that were a motivational letter, a form and the copy of my passport and applied.

How long did you receive an answer?

After a while they told me that they had selected me from the University of Azuay, but that the University of Chile was not accepted. They answered me in June and I started studying there in September, more or less. 

Regarding the teaching methodology, was there any difference?

It was a bit complicated at first because the teaching methodology is different. Here we are accustomed to having the class give us and from there to do, there they made me read a lot.

At first, it cost me, but I did well; I think the bases we have here, at least in my career, are quite good, so I did not have any problems.

Having your career a strong practical part, could you also develop it in Chile?

Yes, I was able to take the opportunity to do internships there, too. I was working in a company that makes cleaning products "Virginia", it's called D'Maria.

There, if you have an average on 5, you exonerated and I finished classes the first days of January, but the cycle ended at the end of the month, so I took the opportunity to do those practices.

What did you do or what did you do?

I was working on the process. D'María has a new circular economy project, so I was in charge of that part of the project. It went very well, there were people from my same career so I could learn a lot.

And now that you're back, would you be interested in applying for another exchange program before you graduate?

Now I applied for a scholarship to Korea and it came out. It's about information technologies in a city called Busan, the second most important city in South Korea and I really did not expect it because it has nothing to do with the university.

I applied, I sent the requirements that were my notes, a certificate of regular student, letter of motivation, a research program and letter of recommendation from a teacher, then I did an interview and in the end I won. There are 20 people from Latin America for this university and from Ecuador we are three, two from Yachay and me.

The July 8 I start classes until the August 9 and I will learn about artificial intelligence, the internet of things, virtual reality, a bit of Korean, Korean culture and there are tourism parts, all in English.

 

The institutions that will present the week of the 27 to the 31 of May will be the following:

 

Monday 27: San Francisco - Ibarra Educational Unit (Theater) from 15h00 to 15h45, City of Cuenca Baccalaureate School (Folk Dance) from 15h45 to 16h45 and the CEDEI Particular Educational Unit (Theater) from 16h45 to 17h00.

 

Tuesday 28: Montessori Educational Unit - Guayaquil (Theater) from 15h00 to 15h45, Salesian Technical Educational Unit (Folkloric dance from 15h25 to 16h15 and theater from 16h30 to 17h30) and the Dr. Lenin Avila - Azogues Educational Unit (Theater) from 16h15 to 16h45

 

Wednesday 29: French binational Private Educational Unit Joseph de Jusile (Contemporary Dance) from 15h00 to 15h25, Salesian Agronomic Missionary Sales Educational Unit (15h25 to 16h00 Theater and folk dance from 17h10 to 17h30), César Dávila National School (Folk Dance) 16h00 to 16h30 and Educational Unit Dr. Gabriel Sánchez Luna of the Cojitambo parish (Theater) from 16h30 to 17h10.

 

Thursday 30: Andrés Guritambe Taday School (Theater) from 15h00 to 15h35, Dolores J. Torres Educational Unit (Folk Dance) from 15h35 to 16h00, Miguel Malo Gonzalo Educational Unit - Gualaceo (Theater) from 16h00 to 16h40 and Corazón de María Educational Unit (Folk dance) from 17h15 to 17h40.

 

Friday 31: Private Educational Unit La Asunción (Theater) from 15h00 to 15h45, Rafael Rodríguez Palacios School - Malacatos (Theater) from 15h45 to 16h30, Particular Educational Unit La Providencia - Azogues (Theater) and a guest group to close with the festival of scenic arts from 16h30 to 17h40.