The added value of the connection with people
Discovering new places, cultures, and people is enriching personally and during your education, especially in the tourism, hospitality, and gastronomy sectors. Internationalization is a crucial component in these disciplines. It is one of the core values of CETT-UB, which has international mobility programs in 28 countries in Europe, America, Asia, and Oceania for its students.
At CETT, students spend their formative years in a community that shares values and interests. Besides, they can travel and live new experiences in other cultures and contact other people.
CETT goes further and offers, among others, the Buddy Program: a program for students of the Tourism Degree and the Culinary and Gastronomic Sciences degree designed to help welcoming international students who come to study with us. Additionally, it is an initiative that allows local students to have an international experience from Barcelona.
Students who participate in this program become the reference person of their International buddy to make their stay here easier. They can also enjoy all the activities, such as excursions, workshops, and meetings, to know the city and its surroundings.
Zara Cifuentes, a participant in the Buddy Program, emphasizes she has had a great experience and many lessons and adds, "it has helped me have a more open mind and grow as a person." Marina Chueca, who has also been part of the program to guide international students at CETT, says, "it has been a very enriching experience. I have helped organize meetings, and I have been able to meet new cultures and make friends."
On the other hand, Zoe Dodson, who comes from the US and recently arrived in Barcelona to study at CETT, explains, "getting out of my comfort zone, especially in a situation like this, will be a transforming experience."
Michelle Rionda, another international student at CETT, says, "You learn to work differently, you get out of the routine you are used to, and you learn to adapt to new circumstances."
The Buddy Program is an excellent opportunity for students who are considering studying abroad, who will see what the experience of their classmates is like, and for those who have already done so, who with their knowledge of the process, can be a valuable support for new students arriving in Barcelona.
Through this initiative, CETT facilitates the connection between its students, which will expand their network of international contacts, and at the same time, the opportunity to develop critical skills for their future. Besides, CETT students have at their disposal different options for academic mobility and internships through the 50 collaboration agreements that CETT has with other centers around the world.
