EUCI Highlights
The EUTOPIA Certificate of Internationalisation (EUCI) encourages, recognises, and rewards students’ international learning.
Our students have amazing stories to tell about their international experiences, and we are proud to showcase these stories through the EUCI. You can hear from past students below, and you can sign up to join the programme yourself – enrolment is free and timings are flexible.
You can also see the full list of published student portfolios, and we hope to see your own work published there in the future!
If you are interested in the EUTOPIA Certificate of Internationalisation in the academic year 2024/25, please contact Lewis Beer at lewis.beer@warwick.ac.uk to learn more."The universities that form EUTOPIA offer students many opportunities for exposure to internationalisation, both on their campuses and beyond. Many of our students are international themselves. But there are far fewer opportunities for students to reflect on their experiences with the international. The EUCI provided students precisely with the space to reflect and thus deepen their understanding of and engagement with internationalisation.’"
(Georgiana Mihut, EUTOPIA Young Leaders Academy Fellow, Warwick)
- Personal and Professional Development
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Many EUCI portfolios tell a story: students describe their early experiences of travelling to (or learning about) other countries, and how this sparked their interest in internationalisation.
"This journey to Italy wasn't just about exploring a new place; it was a voyage into the depths of history, culture, and self-discovery."
(Nour Cherti, International University of Rabat)
Often they follow this up with a year or semester abroad, or with short-term activities like summer schools, modules with international components, and virtual mobility opportunities."My participation in TeamWork was crucial in translating my academic and intercultural skills into practical applications. Collaborating with peers from universities worldwide expanded my understanding of global issues, allowing me to apply my academic knowledge and soft skills to make a meaningful impact."
(Saumya Singh, University of Warwick)
Students reflect on the skills they developed through these experiences and the resulting impact on their plans for the future:"This enriching experience inspired me to learn more about EUTOPIA and to take part in other events to fuel my thirst for internationalisation and commitment to foster connections without borders."
(Manuel Garric, CY Cergy Paris University)
The experience of being abroad, meeting new people and navigating challenges independently, often gives students a sense of new-found confidence:"As I moved across countries interacting with people, I became more and more bold in expressing myself and communicating with people. I realized I enjoyed communicating with people; when I shared ideas, it didn’t suck, so much that now I have begun taking online classes in Public Speaking. Who would have thought, right?"
(Ifiok Umoh, CY Cergy Paris University)
For many students, writing a EUCI portfolio helps them to articulate their international profile in preparation for job applications and interviews, strengthening their employability in an increasingly global-minded job market."I never had stopped to reflect upon how my international experiences have impacted me until EUCI. As a result of the seminars I came to understand that a big part of me, of my professional and personal decisions, have derived from my international mindset."
(Maria Ollé Grau, Pompeu Fabra University-Barcelona) - Multilingualism
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Encountering new languages is usually an integral part of international experiences, and this usually begins at home or at school.
Some students describe growing up in multicultural and multilingual households:"I grew up in a household where we were all a hundred percent Moroccan, but where we spoke Arabic, French, and English, often even mixing the three languages in the same sentence."
(Nour Cherti, International University of Rabat)
Others find themselves undertaking a ‘crash course’ in a new language when they suddenly find themselves in a new country:"In two months, using YouTube videos, I went from having to repeat at least four times in my head “Hello, may I have an ice cream?” so I wouldn’t embarrass myself, to being able to make friends on the first day of school."
(Alexander Sorodoc, Vrije Universiteit Brussel)
One student, describing his upbringing in Mozambique, highlights the challenges of a multilingual environment:"Being a Portuguese speaker while most of my peers communicated in traditional languages further complicated my social integration. This formative experience shaped my resilience and determination, imparting invaluable lessons that continue to influence my academic and personal development."
(Casimiro Massunguine, NOVA University Lisbon)
Learning new languages later in life is often an opportunity to discover how culture and language are linked:"Learning Swedish extended beyond mere linguistic proficiency. It became a gateway to understanding Swedish culture, traditions, and societal values."
(Adrienne du Plessis, Stellenbosch University)
It can also present specific challenges in an academic context, where students are expected to master and utilise technical vocabulary in a language they are not yet fully comfortable with:"English was my second language and now I am fully studying in English, and I cannot believe I am writing my EUCI portfolio in English. I remember when we had technical writing class and I felt that I could write in my native language but not in English – I felt so stupid. For that reason, I started writing and reading books in the library and have overcome these challenges."
(Lumière Gaouna Koumagueying, International University of Rabat)
These linguistic adventures can awaken new emotions about the language and culture we associate with ‘home’:"During my stay in different countries, I've always felt a lingering sensation every time I spoke in my native language, as if I'm performing something special, something that's only shared by some and not understood by all. Out of all the elements of Slovenia and Slovenian culture, Slovenian language is where I feel most at home."
(Hana Svetin, Univeristy of Ljubljana) - Multiculturalism
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Students who travel abroad – and many of those who don’t – learn to see the world, themselves, and their own culture through new lenses.
One student, welcoming visitors to South Korea and introducing them to the custom of kimchi-making, devised a questionnaire for them and included the resulting dialogue in her portfolio:"Could you explain what kimchi is and why it's significant in Korean culture? From a reflective standpoint, how does participating in this process influence your understanding of Korean culture?"
(Haegeum Park, Kyungpook National University)
This is a great example of how cross-cultural interactions can create what Haegeum calls ‘a holistic experience where language learning is deeply embedded in cultural practice.’"I learned to embrace flexibility, navigating the nuances of British humor, sarcasm, and indirect communication. Deciphering these subtleties and learning to express myself in a way that resonated with my new friends honed my communication skills. I became more adept at reading nonverbal cues, actively listening, and expressing myself clearly and concisely."
(Hamida Qarmiche, International University of Rabat)
Several EUCI students have reflected, in moving and powerful terms, on the complex emotional legacy of their cultural background:"As ethnic Armenians, my ancestors were lucky to escape their lands and homes, in regions that are now part of eastern Turkey. I have grown up, being reminded time and time again, about the injustices that have made “us” who we were, about the extent of destruction and darkness that people can harbor."
(Berj Dekramanjian, Pompeu Fabra University-Barcelona)
Sometimes, international travel enables them to find a new level of confidence in their multi-faceted cultural identity:"I became aware that I’m more French than Chinese, both in culture and way of thinking, but I hold these two pieces of identity as a part of me. This is also why I kept my Chinese given name in this portfolio."
(Zhao Zhenqiu, CY Cergy Paris University) - Reflection and Learning
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Intercultural learning can open up new ways of thinking about education itself. EUCI students often find themselves standing back from their own studies and reflecting on their preconceptions about teaching and learning.
"While managing my own life in Italy I made sure that others who might be in the same position as me would feel included and supported. I could immerse myself into the American way of studying while also helping them to adjust to peculiarities of Italian academia."
(Valeriia Indykova, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice)
One student discusses the experience of being a French student studying in Morocco, noting the contrasts between two education systems:"The academic environment in Morocco is distinguished by a pedagogical approach different from what I was used to in France. For instance, courses in Morocco place more emphasis on local and regional case studies, providing a more contextualized perspective on global issues."
(Benjamin Raymond, International University of Rabat)
Another EUCI student looks back at her experience of teaching in Germany, and how this was impacted by circumstances outside the university:"My academic duties were relatively demanding. The German students were engaged and committed, but it was disappointing that the exchange program could not be developed further due to a turbulent socio-political conflict that lasted longer than expected. Yet, the best part of this experience was discovering another academic system."
(Soledad Zamora, University of Gothenburg)
For some, an international perspective opens up productive questions and even doubts about pedagogical practice:"I learnt how to teach children about lines of latitude and longitude, and how to teach them about the seven continents and four oceans of the world. Children would ask me, 'Teacher, do you think my life would be better if I chose to go abroad?' I look forward to understanding more about the world in which the writers of the books I have read live, and perhaps being brave enough to give advice to children as a result."
(Jinhong Yao, Technische Universität Dresden) - Creativity
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The EUCI gives students the option of including creative work – videos, poetry, paintings – in their portfolios, so that they can express their feelings about internationalisation in ways that might not be possible through an academic essay.
Some students choose the video-diary format as a more direct way of conveying the impact of their time abroad:"My video portfolio is a presentation of my emotions, thoughts and feelings about upending my life in Belgium to move to South Korea alone for five months."
(Kapitalina Kirillina, Vrije Universiteit Brussel)
One student explains how an artist from his own country influenced his participation in a creative group-work exercise while studying in Romania:"Fela Kuti, the Nigerian musician and pioneer of Afrobeat, used his music as a powerful tool for social and political advocacy. When we were charged to create a social-political campaign through art, we wrote a poem about the current injustice going on in my country Nigeria."
(Marvis Ehigiator, Babeș-Bolyai University)
In one particularly ambitious EUCI portfolio, a student turns her academic record into a design for a 3D model, conceptualising this as a kind of textual plant-pot and imagining that it exists in a tangible form:"As if I’m creating a piece of insult for my injury, printing it flat didn’t seem enough. I go as far as to add a dimension. Using my bare hands, I’ll feel the embossment and engraving, filling in between the lines myself with dark, rich soil, so no one reads the blanks, including me."
(Wynn Kim, University of Warwick)
