Student testimonials

David James Denmark, 2009 Recently I was employed by Per Aarsleff to work on the construction of a 200 megawatt offshore wind turbine farm. The client E.ON, contracted the joint venture (with Bilfinger Berger) to construct and install all 90 foundations off the southern coast of Denmark. The work placement was far more rewarding than I had ever anticipated. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to engulf myself in all aspects of the project, gaining technical knowledge in the design and construction of foundations, and furthermore, the installation process using large scale vessels. In addition, I was able to achieve a true understanding of construction. This understanding was achieved by witnessing and partaking in the planning of the project, procurement, quality assurance, labour issues and even legal matters. Though what made this placement so worthwhile was due to it being undertaken in a foreign country. It allows you to see, that even though the basics remain the same, all cultures have a different way of planning, communicating and problem solving in order to complete the tasks at hand. Experiencing this difference has allowed me to return with an open mind, giving me the means to approach tasks in a more efficient and effective manner. The opportunity to have such an experience should not be overlooked, it truly is a great way to see another culture and improve your professional knowledge.

Sean Keown Hungary, 2009 A couple of months ago I would not have been able to point out Budapest on a map. Now mid-way through my 2-month Civil Engineering internship with Fomterv Ltd here in Hungary I can almost order two beers and a goulash soup in Hungarian. Although my Hungarian leaves a little to be desired, the simplest tasks such as negotiating a supermarket or a post office become a fun and gratifying task in this amazing city. This has been easily one of the greatest experience of my life. Working at Fomterv has been great. The friendly staff, flexible hours and great working environment have made this a truly rewarding opportunity. The chance to work on such large scale iconic projects has enable me to get a real insight into the international Engineering industry. Living and working in a foreign country is undoubtedly the best way to travel. I have made several friends from all over the world and had some fantastic times. IAESTE Hungary is an amazingly organised great bunch of students who have really looked after me. From picking me up at the airport to showing me the cheapest places for Pálinka, they have made my stay in Budapest thoroughly enjoyable. Thank-you to Rochelle and IAESTE Australia for this great opportunity.

Evan Schumann Germany, 2008 My IAESTE exchange to a university town, Clausthal-Zellerfeld, in the beautiful Harz mountains Germany presented me with amazing new experiences along with practical and valuable training. The research institute and IAESTE group were very welcoming, with which I had great times in Clausthal and travelling. The institute had many experienced engineers who were more than willing to share and teach, giving me practical research and engineering training. Within the student accommodation and the university I met many awesome international students and was able to experience many cultures and languages through them. Being in Europe offered an incredible opportunity to travel and see the remarkable history and beauty. My exposure to a professional workplace and research institute, as well as many cultures, people and places in my short 3 months in Germany created a valuable, unique adventure.

Liwu Cai Northern Ireland, 2007 My intention for going to Northern Ireland was to learn, but not just about work. Work was interesting though, there were times when I worked taking trips to England and back for critical situations that had to be resolved, and this was a good experience. It has been long said that life is what you make of it, and for those who believe it, no other situation allows you to sharpen your wits, test your resourcefulness and reward you with genuine life long friendships than a foreign country. For those that would live life to the brim, see the feature instead of the trailer, act on the world stage instead of university; IAESTE offers all this and more. Many thanks to Rochelle Ades, Juliet Eardley and Karen Moses of IAESTE (UK), the experience was life changing and still is.

Michael Dubs Germany, 2007 As a second year Computer Engineering student at UNSW, I am in the middle of a 3-month IAESTE traineeship at the Ruhr-Universitaet-Bochum. At the Communications Security (COSY) Department, which is world famous in its field of applied cryptography, my project is aimed at trying to find the secret key of a hardware cryptographic implementation. I arranged to articulate my IAESTE traineeship straight into a formal exchange semester starting in October so my stay in Germany will extend into early 2008. On top of the new engineering skills I am learning during the working week at COSY, the IAESTE Local Committee in Bochum is ensuring the 10 Trainees from all around the world who are here over the European summer are having the most fantastic time. Apart from the Munich weekend which united trainees from all over Germany over many beers, pretzels and sightseeing, we have had a Tour de Ruhr, a weekend in Potsdam/Berlin and a visit to the Love Parade in Essen. So thanks to IAESTE Australia - I can strongly recommend the traineeship program to any Australian engineering, science or IT student who is looking to undertake some of their industrial training overseas.

Sam Maurus Denmark, 2007 I am completing a 12-month IAESTE traineeship with Microsoft Development Center Copenhagen (MDCC) in Denmark, the largest Microsoft Development Center in Europe. If there's one thing apart from developing software that MDCC excels at, it would be the amazing working environment offered to the staff. Managers are very helpful/friendly and are extremely flexible with working hours as long as the work gets done. People in Denmark lead a very active social life. IAESTE Denmark truly are the masters of organising trips and gatherings for their trainees. After less than six weeks in the country, I had already taken part in a weekend cruise to Oslo (Norway), another weekend trip to a cottage in the beautiful Danish countryside and met countless new friends from all over the world. I truly am having the time of my life. The professional and personal experience I will gain from this placement will be priceless, and I strongly encourage any eligible student to seriously consider applying for an overseas placement through IAESTE. I have yet to find any reason not to! Sam Maurus 4th-year student in BEng (Robotics & Mechatronics) / BSc (Computer Science & Software Engineering)

Vanessa Lea Oman, 2006 In June 2006 I found myself doing an IAESTE placement in Oman - a country I had barely heard of before, let alone considered visiting! For 10 weeks I worked on meteorological and environmental science research projects, under the only female professor in her department,at Sultan Qaboos University in Muscat . Not only did I get to see real world applications of the topics I had been studying in my Arts/Science degree, I had the chance to experience the long process of submission and revision of a paper for publication in a scientific journal. One of the reports I co-produced with my supervisor during my placement is soon to be published in an environmental engineeringjournal. Moreover, I was able to enjoy the incredible hospitality of the Omani people, see the country's amazing landscapes and meet other trainees from around the world. As all the IAESTE trainees were housed on campus it was the perfect opportunity for us to learn about each other's countries, from Norway and the Czech Republic to Tunisia and Afghanistan , as well as to establish friendships with the local students. Evenings were spent playing beach soccer together, having dinner at friend's houses, and even attending a traditional wedding. On many weekends IAESTE Oman organised excursions for all the traineesto cultural, natural and historical sites. We also arranged our owntrips to see dolphins or swim at secluded beaches in the 45 degreeheat. Our novelty value as foreigners, being mainly from Westerncountries (quite a rarity in Oman ), meant we often made it into localnewspapers and on the TV on such excursions! My experience in Oman , and in particular the generosity and opennessof the local people, has made me eager to return to the country and to the Middle East in general.

Ivanco Neskovski Germany, 2006 I arrived in Germany and I have already finished nearly two weeks of work. The IAESTE committee who met me here are really friendly and are helping me out including; going out and mingling with other trainees and students. It is still early days but I believe that I'm going to have a really good time here and learn a lot at work. The Fraunhofer Institute is really good and they are really letting me apply all of the things I have learnt at university and also teaching me much more. So thank-you again for all your help and I will give you another update soon!

Matt Gardner London, 2006 Through IAESTE Australia I obtained a position at Imperial College, London. It is regarded as one of the top universities in England. With an understanding of the global workplace in which we operate, I regarded the opportunity to gain experience beyond pure study as a definite must. My position at Imperial College involved working alongside postgraduate and PhD students with support from one of the United Kingdom’s largest fuel cell companies. Although my time in London was relatively short, it allowed me to gain foresight into practices and politics that all companies must endure when researching and designing products. The numerous contacts and ongoing opportunities that have occurred since have been great for my professional development.

Kim Graham Brazil, 2006 Brazil is fantastic! I am really enjoying my work. I have already worked on some exciting projects and everyone here is so friendly. There are three other IAESTE students here as well and we are all taking Portugese classes together. The family that I am staying with is really accommodating and I have my own little house in their backyard.

Eloise Kok Denmark and Czech Republic, 2005 I was lucky enough to partake in two IAESTE traineeships – one in Denmark for four months, and the other in the Czech Republic for just over a year. Both were interesting experiences – I would definitely repeat them again! Being able to work and attempt to learn a new language in a completely different country provides invaluable knowledge and is completely different to just travelling through for a few days backpacking. My two traineeships were completely different. One I spent most of the time arranging my social life and attempting to learn one of the most difficult languages (Danish) whilst I prepared a report template for the Stability Group within NovoNordisk. The other I was assisting a fellow Australian complete her PhD thesis. Working in a veterinary research institute and learning to overcome difficulties in culture, as well as work ethic has been an interesting learning experience. I am lucky now enough to have been given the opportunity to extend my latest traineeship and following up my experiences by attempting my own PhD in Finland.

Thien Nguyen Poland, 2005 It was an awesome experience!!! Working in Poland provided me the experience of being in a professional Research and Development Laboratory, but it was the friends that I made and the experience we had together that made it a memorable one. In our dormitory there were people from all over the world. Everybody bought with them their personality, culture and their sense of humour. The sad thing was saying goodbye to each one of them because I was the last trainee to leave Poland. Fortunately, we have all brought back a special memory; a memory of new friendships and of the good times we all had together in Poland.

Annie Sanderson Tajikistan, 2005 I was an IAESTE exchange student in Tajikistan for August and September of 2005. My placement was in the town of Khujand, which was the second largest city in Tajikistan after Dushanbe, the capital. Tajikistan is a very interesting place where you can receive the unique opportunity to see a wonderful interface between the western and Muslim worlds. The people in Tajikistan are outstandingly hospitable. A very large part of their culture is to care for guests, and they do it wonderfully. I stayed with a family in their home for the duration of my stay. During that time I met their relatives and friends, who all welcomed me with open arms. The Tajikistani students in the IAESTE program were also a pleasure to meet. They took care of us, and showed us the sites around Khujand. Each weekend we would go on social trips to see the sites. Trips I went on included outlying villages, weekend trips to the Tajikistan ‘sea’ called Kirakom. Kirakom is an enormous dam supporting extensive hydroelectric scheme. Tajik people from Khujand would go out to Kirakom on weekends with family and friends and have a BBQ, drink some beers and dance the afternoon away! The music and dancing in Tajikistan were also a highlight for me. The Tajik people love to play loud music and dance at every opportunity - in the public buses, weddings, parties and picnics. A stereo would never be too far away, and with it an afternoon of drinking and dancing. I had a really great time learning the traditional Tajik dance.

Catherine Man Sweden, 2005 It has been a great experience working in Denmark, which is geographically quite far away from home. It was not just the work experience that I gained, but also having to adapt to a different lifestyle, environment and meeting various individuals that gave me the satisfaction that I was previously looking for before I started working here. I also got to try many things that I had never thought of before, such as snowmobiling, dog sledging, visiting the ice hotel, watching the northern lights, driving on ice roads to nearby archipelagos and hiking in the famous Kungsleden. Coming here was one of the best choices I have ever made. Sverige ar jatte otroligt!

Craig Handley Denmark, 2005 It was always a great dream of mine, ever since starting school, to travel overseas and simply see what it was like on the other side of the world. When the opportunity came up through IAESTE I felt like my dream had come true. My position was with a company called GN ReSound in Denmark. Not only did I learn a lot about the Danish lifestyle and cultural values, but the position also gave me the opportunity to travel around Europe and make lots of friends through the IAESTE network. They also helped out with the accommodation and paperwork issues which helped immensely during my stay. The experience gained from this position will benefit me greatly in my future career. The cultural lessons learnt including the work life balance of the Scandinavian countries and the fun loving culture of the southern European countries will help me increase productivity during my working career and hence make myself more employable. The position was what I had hoped for plus plenty more.