The Canadian and Australian Information Session took place on the 18th January 2023.
Interested in studying abroad in Australia or Canada? đ
Queenâs History and Politics student Isobel spent six months studying at the University of Newcastle in Australia.
She says: âI loved studying in Australia; I loved being submerged in the culture; the familiarity of the English language but the weather and environment was so different to anything that I had grown up with.â
Here are the top 3 takeaways to remember from this session:
You can study at the University of Alberta, Queenâs University Kingston (both Canada) or the University of Newcastle (Australia)
You can study for one semester or the full academic year
Applications close on 3rd February (through MyFuture)
As F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, âIt’s a funny thing about comin’ home. Looks the same, smells the same, feels the same. You’ll realize what’s changed is you.â
Departing London Heathrow, bound for Toronto Pearson.
Canada has always been on my travel list; known for its great outdoors, safe multicultural cosmopolitan cities, and friendly people. Engaging with people who had visited, Canada was always described to me as one of those places thats experience is nearly impossible to describe and after visiting once youâll want to return.
So when the Mitacs Globalink Research Internship was released, it posed as an opportunity to spend up to 12 weeks researching in a country on my bucket list. And when people ask why I applied, I say why not, because I had so much to gain from this opportunity and little to lose.
I first applied for the Mitacs Globalink Research Internship in 2020 however was unsuccessful in my application. Fortunately, due to a change in my degree programme I became re-eligble to apply and reapplied in August 2021. Receiving, notification in September that my application had been nominated for the programme I began the process of filling out the application form, detailing experience I had gained from work experience the year before and what skills I could bring to the programme. With my application submitted it, I was left to wait to see if any Canadian professors would contact me. I was fortunate to be contacted by two professors in November to further discuss their projects and my suitability.
Outside the engineering building where I spent 10 weeks
By December, I had been selected and confirmed my place on the 2022 Globalink Research Internship.
From January through to departure in May, I organised my flights, housing, visa, starting/ finishing dates for the internship, and a small amount of currency. Connecting with my supervisor during this process made it feel less intimidating as I was able to ask questions or express queries.
Before I knew it May had arrived, and I was stood at the airport waiting to depart on one of my biggest adventures yet. An 8 hour flight, and 2 hour immigration wait later, I was in Toronto.
The first week, I was provided with a tour around the faculty, opened up a bank account, and familiarised myself with the campus. I was able to meet my supervisor and research team in person as well as start on my project. Over the next 10 weeks I was able to develop a general research topic of Micro-structural analysis of advanced composite structures, into a working conference and journal paper focusing on Investigation of impact response of 2D braided hybrid composites using Micro-CT. Throughout the project I was able to develop my knowledge of braided composites, non-destructive analysis, and composite sample manufacturing.
Emily in the lab with a manufactured sample
Alongside researching, I took the time to explore the city of Toronto through events such as Toronto Pride, Canada Day at Woodbine Beach, and a Blue Jays game at the Rogers Centre. These formed some of the key highlights of my internship in addition to trying different foods and visiting the key tourist attractions such as the CN Tower, Casa Loma, and the Aquarium.
Niagara FallsMusic Garden in Downtown Toronto featuring the CN TowerRogers Centre Home to the Blue Jays Baseball Team
As the end of July approached, I realised I had learnt more, made international friends, gained new experiences, and stepped out of my comfort zone to my growth zone. Itâs an experience I will always look back on fondly and would encourage people to take as many opportunities to develop themselves personally and professionally.
Top Tips
Ask for help
Take time to explore where you are, itâs easy to get stuck in work
Keep in contact with your support network back home
Take lots of photos and videos
Plan in advance especially housing, visas, flights, packing.
Go Global Week is almost upon us. To get you in the mood, weâve rounded up five of the awe-inspiring places you can visit from Queenâs on a work or study abroad trip. Prepare to light up your âgram with #travel goals.
1.Canada
You’ll need your camera at the ready in beautiful Canada
You can spend a semester or a year studying in Canada, just like Queenâs Land Use and Environmental Management student Stuart Best.
âAs a student in Canada, I did lots of interesting group projects, and there are so many good opportunities to network and develop, as well as making lots of Canadian friends!â
âPeter King made a huge contribution to the peace process in Northern Ireland and is still extremely interested in Irish affairs. My work mainly consisted of taking calls from constituents, helping them with the issues they were having with federal agencies and discussing any concerns that they had. I would like to thank Congressman King and everyone else in the office for making my internship incredibly enjoyable. I would also like to thank everyone from Project Children for giving me the opportunity to have an unforgettable summer!â
If you want to combine work experience with adventure then Generation UK China could be the programme for you. You can spend your summer interning in industry across China, like History student David Keenan who spent last summer in Shanghai.
âFor any student wanting to internationalise their career, and travel to an exotic country over the summer, I strongly urge you to consider the Generation UK â China Internship Programme!,â says David.
Erasmus Study & Work Programme has opportunities all over Europe. Law student Megan Edwards spent a semester studying at Pazmany Peter Catholic University (PPKE) in Budapest. âStudying in Budapest, Hungary as part of the Erasmus programme was the greatest experience of my life, she says.
You can go as far afield as Australia from Queenâs and spend a year or a semester studying at the University of Newcastle in New South Wales. Check out their Instagram feed to see what your view of campus could look like!
