A Blog about Education Abroad

Tag: Summer School

  • Michelle Chidavaenzi at ESSEC Business School, Morocco

    Michelle Chidavaenzi at ESSEC Business School, Morocco

    Pre-Departure:

    Morocco ESSEC Business School was the destination, and I was beyond excited! My mind was skyrocketing with images of what the whole experience would be like.

    First things first: finding out if I required a visa. Visa processing was the most stressful, as the Embassy was in Pretoria. Amidst classes and approaching exams, it all seemed impossible. However, asking questions really helped. It also really helped to have two other students attending. Although we worked and travelled individually, it was amazing to know we could help each other when we felt stuck.

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  • Sarah Selkirk at University of Klagenfurt, Austria

    Sarah Selkirk at University of Klagenfurt, Austria

    Pre-departure

    I attended the Algorithmic and Enumerative Combinatorics Summer School which took place in Hagenberg, Austria from 29 July to 2 August 2019. Along with this summer school, I decided to extend my trip to visit the University of Klagenfurt which is also in Austria, and spent a few days sightseeing in Vienna, Graz, and Salzburg as well.

    I am an EU citizen, so I did not need to do any pre-trip administration such as obtaining a visa to enter Austria. However, since I was travelling around Austria quite a lot (the Austrian desk attendant at my accommodation in Vienna told me I had visited more places in Austria than he had), I needed to plan my train travel. This was a new experience for me, as I had never been on a train (or public transport) before this trip, and some things which seemed obvious to regular public transport users were very confusing for me. This can be made even more confusing when information is in a foreign language, so I would recommend contacting people at your destination who are familiar with train or bus schedules.

    To make things easier (and cheaper) for train travel within Austria, I was advised to purchase a ‘vorteilscard’ which is a card which gives a 50% discount on all train travel. In addition to this, I bought a Summer Ticket for the train, which allows you (provided that you have a vorteilscard) to travel for free on all trains for a month. This worked out significantly cheaper than buying all of my train tickets individually, and also saved the stress of having to plan which trains to book tickets for – I simply got onto a train and showed the conductor my Summer Ticket. In total, the vorteilscard and Summer Ticket cost 80 EUR, while the total cost of all the train trips I took would have been just under 160 EUR.

    Travelling from the southern to the northern hemisphere resulted in me leaving South Africa mid-winter and arriving in Austria in scorching heat. Of course I expected it to be warm, but I didn’t expect how hot it would be. While all buildings in Europe have heating for the cold winters that they have, it turned out that most buildings did not have air conditioning in 35 degree heat, so it is important to be aware of the heat and pack accordingly. Finding accommodation which has fans or air-conditioning is highly recommended.

    Since you are dependent on public transport, I recommend getting day or week passes for the buses. In Vienna they have a transport pass which gives you discounted access to all trains, trams, and busses within the city. Public transport can sometimes only get you so far, and so there can be a lot of walking to do. I would recommend packing good comfortable shoes for walking long distances.

    Experience at Host University and Summer School

    I spent from 20 July to 28 July in Klagenfurt, visiting some researchers at the University of Klagenfurt. Klagenfurt is a beautiful town, surrounded by mountains and next to a large lake (the Wörthersee) which is a popular tourist attraction. I had a number of interesting mathematical discussions with the researchers at the University of Klagenfurt and gave a talk about my research to the mathematics department on 23 July.

    In Klagenfurt I was regularly taken to Strandbad, the place that people go to swim or do other water sports on the Wörthersee. At the end of the week I went paddle-boating on the lake which was one of the highlights of the visit for me. Another popular attraction in Klagenfurt is a place called Minimundus which has miniature models of various landmarks of the world. This was really fascinating to see, and by the end of the tour of Minimundus it felt like I had been on a world tour. There are not just miniature models of attractions of the world, but also reenactments of historic events, such as the moon landing. Here a miniature reenactment of the rocket launch drew quite a crowd.

    After spending a week in Klagenfurt, a postdoc from Klagenfurt and I travelled to the summer school in Hagenburg together. Travelling via train in Austria is a great experience since the Austrian landscape is very beautiful, with picturesque views of the mountains (including the Austrian alps), lakes, and rivers. In Hagenberg we arrived at our accommodation in a university residence close to the Research Institute of Symbolic Computation (RISC), who were the hosts of the summer school.

    At the summer school there were three invited speakers who each gave a daily lecture along with a tutorial, and on the first day some other attendees gave talks as well. The invited speakers were Nicolas Broutin, George Labahn, and Alan Sokal, who were speaking about random trees and graphs, order bases, and continued fractions respectively. I particularly enjoyed the talks on continued fractions, and learned a lot from the various talks and experience.

    One of the most enjoyable aspects of the summer school was the opportunity to meet and interact with other researchers in my field. I had heard of a number of people who were at the conference by seeing their papers online or through mutual friends, but it was nice to actually meet them. On Wednesday evening everyone at the summer school was transported to Hirschbach for the conference dinner.

    A big highlight of the summer school was that one evening a summer school attendee who is a celebrated combinatorialist and former professional pianist, gave an organ concert in a church next to the venue. I have not often heard an organ being played, and never as well as that. It was really beautiful. One of my favourite things about Austria is how much classical music seems to be part of their culture.

    After the summer school ended, I spent a few days in Vienna to do some sight-seeing. Vienna was a really magical city, with some beautiful architecture and a really excellent public transport system. While I was in Vienna, I went to the Albertina art museum which had some really interesting exhibitions on (including some of Picasso’s art).

    I also went to several the famous Viennese restaurants or cafes as recommended by one of the people I met at the summer school. At the famous Hotel Sacher I had their specialty Sacher Torte which I have since tried to make myself in South Africa.

    All in all, visiting Austria and the summer school was an incredible academic and cultural experience!

    Return to Stellenbosch

    I came back to Stellenbosch in the second week of the second semester, and so I quickly became quite busy afterwards. Regardless, I missed Austria a little bit and even found myself missing parts of my trip that I was scared to do before I left – such as navigating the public transport system. Since experiencing an effective and convenient public transport system with trains and buses to anywhere you could possibly want to go, I have often thought how nice it would be if South Africa would also have such a system.

    I realised that we are quite fortunate when it comes to the costs of living in South Africa. In Austria it would cost me 2 euros (R32) for a 500ml bottle of Coke, and a simple burger at a standard restaurant would cost around 9 euro (R144). At one point while I was abroad I stopped trying to convert currency because the cost of normal items could be quite expensive, particularly in tourist destinations such as Vienna. The price of accommodation was also very expensive compared to costs of staying in South African university dormitories for a summer school, or in affordable accommodation in a large city.

    One of the biggest contrasts for me was coming back to South Africa and seeing the poverty that people in our country face. During my three weeks of travels in Europe I encountered only two homeless people, but on the streets of Stellenbosch it is not uncommon to encounter even two homeless people on the walk from your car to your university building. I found this difference quite sad.

    I finished my masters degree a few months after visiting Austria and the summer school, and my experience abroad made me really like Austria. As a result, I decided to take a doctoral position at the University of Klagenfurt, which I visited during this trip. This was partially as a result of me having the opportunity to visit – the people there were so welcoming and friendly, and I really enjoyed their mathematics department.

    I would really recommend international summer schools and international travel to anyone doing a postgraduate degree at Stellenbosch University. It is really an opportunity to grow academically and experience new places and cultures.

  • Michaela Spence at the University of Adelaide, Australia

    Michaela Spence at the University of Adelaide, Australia

    I was elated to hear that I had been chosen by the SU International Office to attend a Summer School course at the University of Adelaide. Travel presents a wonderful opportunity to learn from other cultures and develop one’s perspective of the world while having plenty of fun along the way, so I knew that my month in Australia would be a memorable experience.

    Pre-departure

    While it is easy to become preoccupied with impending exams before your departure, early preparation is essential for a stress-free application process. Flights tend to be cheaper if booked further in advance, and it is worth trying to find the best deal, as getting to Australia is quite pricey. Summer School students who will be studying for less than three months need only apply for an ordinary tourist visa, through the VFS Global Agency on Long Street in Cape Town. While applicants are encouraged to upload their application online on the Australian Home Affairs website, I would recommend rather submitting a paper application in person at the VFS office, as this enables you to choose the time and date of your appointment on the agency website, and have your biometrics taken during the appointment. If you apply through Home Affairs, you are given a pre-determined appointment time that might not suit your exam schedule! The agency is extremely busy, so book your appointment as soon as possible, provided that you have sufficient time to compile all of the required documents. While it is bound to be a bit of a mission, I found the visa application process to be straight-forward. It is an electronic visa, so you can keep your passport after the appointment, and my visa was granted within two weeks. Everyone at the International Office is very helpful; don’t hesitate to ask for assistance if you need it.

    Be aware that the Adelaide term dates differ significantly to Stellenbosch, so most of the Summer School courses run when the Stellies semester has already begun. Make arrangements to miss a couple of weeks of varsity in Stellenbosch or be careful to choose one of the earliest courses. Stellenbosch University is ahead of the game in more than one way, particularly when it comes to admin and setting course dates – Adelaide University only release the final Summer School course dates in the first week of December, by which time you are likely to have booked your flights and accommodation. Make sure that you book flexi-flights which can be changed, in case the dates of your course are altered. Remember to pack a travel plug adapter as well as a two-prong adapter to charge electronics, and make sure you have your student card with you, to qualify for the concession prices on the excellent public transport systems.

    I am fortunate to have old school friends living in Adelaide, so I chose to arrive a couple of weeks early to spend time with them and thoroughly explore the city and surrounding areas. Even if you don’t know anyone at your destination, I would recommend arriving early to make the most out of your journey before academics begin, and to recover from jetlag. The eight-hour time difference is no joke!

    Time in Adelaide

    As we descended towards Adelaide airport, the pilot commented on the spectacular view of the South Australian coastline. Gazing out of the window at the beauty of the fiery orange sunset, I couldn’t help but think of the rampant bush fires and the devastation that the country is experiencing. Fortunately, the city itself has thus far been safe, but in the surrounding hills the ground is black and charred. Something that struck me during my stay was the resilience of many people during this difficult time and their willingness to band together to support those who have lost everything to the fires, and those who are risking everything to fight the fires.

    Adelaide is a friendly, cosmopolitan city that has much to offer. During my time there, I went hiking in Waterfall Gulley, strolled along the River Torrens, and scaled Mount Lofty. I wandered the Botanic Gardens and snoozed on park lawns, looking up at the patterns that the branches of the Honey Locust trees made against the sky. I explored the outer-lying country settlements of the Barossa Valley, which is only a bus ride away. I visited the Whispering Wall and endlessly browsed second-hand bookshops. Adelaide boasts pristine, calm beaches which are well worth visiting, as long as you are on the look-out for jelly fish and sunburn! Watching the sunset from Semaphore Beach was one of the highlights of my stay. The Central Market in the city is an eclectic meeting place of cultures, as well as a good spot for student-friendly meal or grocery prices. I experienced an authentically Australian evening with newly made local friends and enjoyed the live music of buskers in the streets.

    The Summer School course which I attended was Advanced Australian Constitutional Law. It allowed me to expand my international legal perspective and to conduct a comparative analysis between jurisdictions. The seminars were presented by several renowned professors, as well as some guest lecturers who are experts in their respective fields. It was interesting to hear from High Court barristers who are involved in current cases which will have significant implications for Australia’s implied freedom of speech, and to learn from former judges who witnessed the country’s Constitutional crisis which spanned the previous century. The course was very participation-orientated, and it was structured to facilitate a great deal of discussion and debate amongst the students. As well as writing three assigned essays, I was required to choose a topic for a research thesis, and to present my research proposal to the rest of the class. I opted to discuss the lack of an environmental protection clause in the Australian Constitution, and to explore to what extent this lack of direct environmental protection fails to align with contemporary Australian values. Approaching this research from my home Constitutional perspective provided interesting insight. The South African Constitution is relatively new, and it entitles all people to a protected environment which is not harmful to their well-being. In contrast, the Australian Constitution was drafted long ago in 1901. Thus, many important rights are missing from its provisions and have to be indirectly implied by the courts. Attending the course has augmented my understanding of the law, both in my home legal system and in the international sphere.

    Returning to South Africa

    I have traveled extensively in my life, yet touching down on South African soil never fails to instill in me a sense of immense gratitude to be returning to the land I call home. However, one can easily become disillusioned with the state of our country. Driving back to Stellenbosch, I am once again confronted with despicable inequality. It is undeniable that South Africa is rife with issues which desperately need to be addressed.

    Upon reflection, spending time with people from different walks of life in Australia has reaffirmed for me the knowledge that the grass really isn’t always greener on the other side. All nations face difficulties. South Africa’s difficulties and past injustices are extreme; they will never disappear. I hope that this, rather than driving people away, will make people want to stay and be a part of progress. I met someone on the aeroplane who was returning home to South Africa for the first time in nine years. When Table Mountain appeared in the distance, he had tears in his eyes.

    Should the opportunity present itself, I look forward to continuing to explore the world. But I know that South Africa will always be the place that I call home. Our natural environment is exquisite and diverse, our people are lively and resilient, and our culture is a wonderfully dynamic, growing amalgamation of vibrancy. South Africa has soul.