International exchange enriches student life: TU Delft and ETSAB join forces in Barcelona
Last February, a group of 12 Architecture students from TU Delft travelled to Barcelona for an exchange week with students from the ETSAB.
Last February, a group of twelve enthusiastic Architecture students from TU Delft left for Barcelona for a special exchange week with students from the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Barcelona (ETSAB). The week was all about culture, architecture, education and, of course, new friendships.
From overnight train to buddy system
After an unexpected overnight train journey through France, the participants met over lunch at the faculty in Barcelona. The Dutch and Spanish students were paired in pairs, creating a kind of buddy system. The Spanish students were our guides this week and introduced the Dutch students to life in Barcelona. This provided a complete immersion in the local culture: participants stayed at each other's homes, met each other's friends (and sometimes even parents), explored the city together and got a unique insight into each other's lives.
Delving into architecture and local culture
The week was filled with a wide range of activities. We were given a tour of a neighbourhood theatre, provided by the architect himself, and visited leading design and architecture firms that play an important role in contemporary Spanish architecture. Also on the programme was a visit to Mies van der Rohe's iconic Barcelona Pavilion, as well as the adjacent Museum of Catalan Art. At the university, several firms gave lectures on their projects and working methods.
Vibrant city, valuable contacts
Of course, we also experienced Barcelona's vibrant nightlife, with Spanish students taking us to the city's best spots. Besides the organised activities, there was also room for individual interpretation. Students set out on their own or with their buddy to visit the Sagrada Família or Park Güell, for example, have lunch at the beach or explore the city by bike. As this is an exchange trip, the Spanish participants will come to the Netherlands in April to experience student life here.
Counter visit in the Netherlands
In April, the return visit will take place: the Spanish students will then travel to the Netherlands to experience student life here. The plans are not final yet, but we will definitely show them the nicest places in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Delft. We aim for a good mix of tourist activities, architectural delights, insights into the university and company visits. In addition, we want to plan enough free time so that everyone can also go out on their own and really experience what it is like to live as a student in the Netherlands. In this way, we hope to further strengthen the exchange feeling.
Partly thanks to the contribution of KIVI & Stylos Fund, we were able to reduce the participation costs to such an extent that it lowered the threshold for participants to participate. In this way, we were able to offer a broad programme of activities, provide the trip with nice seats and overnight stays and organise a nice trip at the same time.