Spanish ‘universidades’ offer unique learning experience
MORE Malaysians are heading to Spain for their tertiary education because Spanish universities are among the most prestigious with traditions going back hundreds of years (the oldest, the University of Salamanca, is 800 years old).
The QS World University Rankings have listed 10 of them in its Best Global Universities’ category, while eight others are in its Top 50 Under 50 Rankings. Spain is also home to some of the best MBA programmes, according to the Financial Times.
At the “Study in Spain” briefing in Kuala Lumpur recently, Campus Spain Malaysia director C.K. Chiau said the Spanish state co-finances the students’ education, which made tuition fees very affordable.
“Moreover, by studying in Spain, students have the opportunity to experience the unique Spanish life and learn its language, the secondmost spoken in the world,” said Chiau.
The briefing was a collaboration between Campus Spain and the Spanish embassy in Malaysia.
Present were Spanish Charge d’Affaires Luis Cacho, Economic and Commercial Office of Spain in Malaysia trade analyst Alex Foo and Campus Spain director Gonzalo Martinez.
Martinez said Campus Spain’s mission was to promote the advantages of studying in Spain to Malaysians and guide them to enroll in top universities in the country.
“We promote Spain as a destination for education with support and endorsement of our local authorities. We recommend the best options for students based on their expectations, budget and academic background,” he said.
“We want them to feel at home while staying in Spain, and we want to prepare them to work anywhere in the world.”
Campus Spain International Students Department head Gosia Kozyra said her organisation’s speciality was in assisting international students to enrol in Spanish universities.
“Campus Spain helps them choose their university and field of study, and provides visa application support. We also assist them on arrival, such as airport pick-up, accommodation, medical insurance and a welcome package.”
She said students should dedicate their first seven to 10 months to learn Spanish as most public universities in the country used it as a medium of instruction.
Campus Spain offers a comprehensive Spanish Language, Culture and Adaptation to Uni- versity Course (Espanol LCA), conducted in collaboration with the University of Vigo in the city of Vigo, Galicia.
“Espanol LCA is an intensive course by the University of Vigo to ensure adequate language preparation and introduce international students to Spanish university life.
“During the course, international students are assigned a language buddy, a native-speaking counterpart, to practise conversing regularly. They can also attend regular classes at the University of Vigo to acquire specific academic skills.
“And, to make this programme more enjoyable and ensure total linguistic immersion, 30 per cent of teaching activities will be conducted outside the classroom, such as during visits to museums, conferences, concerts and popular celebrations.”
Kozyra said while international students undergo the Espanol LCA course, Campus Spain would take care of their admission process.
Another attraction that Campus Spain offers is the Smart Holidays Experience, where students stay at the University of Vigo during summer to learn Spanish and participate in recreational activities, such as gaming, soccer, surfing and chess.
Kozyra said Malaysian students were entitled to the same benefits as European students, such as recognition of their degrees all over Europe, access to European Union scholarships, and visa-free travel between EU countries.