Reaching Out Award

The COVID-19 pandemic has been taxing for many of us in the past two years.  For one, we could no longer freely travel around the world like we used to.  That is why I consider myself fortunate to be able to go on the outbound exchange programme to Kristiansand, Norway as planned.  It is my great honor to be awarded the Reaching Out Award, which has lightened my financial burden and made my exchange trip more unforgettable.

For most people, I guess the first thing that comes to mind when they think of Norway would be the famous Norwegian salmon.  I certainly didn’t miss the chance to try it when we were there.  I was surprised to learn that the Norwegians love Japanese cuisine, especially sushi.  Sushi bars were everywhere in Kristiansand, where I stayed for half a year.  There were at least three Japanese restaurants in the city centre alone.  Sushi was often on the menu of Thai and Vietnamese restaurants, too.

Norway tightened social distancing measures due to the pandemic, and most of the classes were conducted online through Zoom.  But I had to attend physical lectures from time to time.  Once I had to attend a lecture in the auditorium of a cinema for the sake of maintaining social distance, which was an amazing experience.  During my stay in Norway, I had the chance to explore new cultures and different modes of learning.  For example, I enrolled in a course on Valuation and was given full access to all the lecture videos via a learning management platform called Moodle.  The lecturer would arrange non-compulsory tutorial sessions to help students with their problems.  Sometimes finance professionals were also invited to share with us their insights and experiences.

My host institution placed exchange students in buddy groups to connect them with local students.  I made some Norwegian friends and we hang out during our free time.  We also invited exchange students from other countries to join us as we shared stories of our homes and cultures.  Besides, I enjoyed viewing the northern lights, hiking, and hanging out with friends from around the world.  I am so happy to have the opportunity to learn more about other countries’ cultures and broaden my horizons in the process.

Even though I had to deal with different challenges during my stay and had to make multiple changes to my homecoming plan as COVID travel restrictions and quarantine requirements were in constant flux, studying overseas is one of the greatest and most unforgettable experiences in my life.  Thanks to this programme, I have grown a lot as a person.