2025 - Metropolia Exchange

Year: 2025

International opportunities at Metropolia from a student’s perspective

11.12.2025

Hi! My name is Augusto Asis de Barros, and I’m a student of International Business and Logistics and worked as an International Relations intern at Metropolia. During my studies at Metropolia, I had the opportunity to participate in various international exchanges in Germany and the Netherlands, which I discovered while exploring Metropolia's internal announcements website. Applying for the exchanges was easy and required little effort, since the instructions for mobility are straightforward to understand and cover all the most important requirements. The first exchange I had the chance to go on was for a summer course in 2023, related to Industrial Heritage and Sustainability. It was a joint programme of the European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH), the Berlin Centre of Industrial Culture (bzi), and the Berlin University of Applied Sciences (HTW). This exchange helped me network with people from different backgrounds and cooperate to develop a concept or project related to both industrial heritage and sustainability. It was an experience full of learning, teamwork, and also a nice way to explore a big city like Berlin while learning together and visiting different sites related to industrial heritage, sustainability, and culture. The exchange program helped me gain valuable knowledge and sparked my interest in industrial heritage. As a result, I co-founded a network for young professionals, which is now part of the European Route of Industrial Heritage. I feel like going on exchange opened the doors not only to new opportunities but also to career development and gave me a push to step out of my comfort zone, which, in my opinion, was very positive. Now, back in Finland, I continue to manage this non-profit network alongside my colleagues from Germany, which demonstrates how international mobility can help you become part of something bigger. Another exchange opportunity I had was a summer course in 2023 about innovative and sustainable transportation in Germany, from FH Münster University of Applied Sciences. In this course, we were a group of many local and international students and traveled around different German cities like Bremen, Hamburg, and Berlin, where we visited many transportation industries. We learned how to use many different tools to become more creative and to learn about sustainability from different perspectives. I feel like going on exchange opened the doors not only to new opportunities but also to career development and gave me a push to step out of my comfort zone, which, in my opinion, was very positive. I have built many close friendships through international experience, which made me even more positive about the importance of traveling to other countries for study opportunities. Studying abroad made me more open to learning new things, socializing and it also contributed a lot to my cross-cultural and teamwork skills. The last but not least international course I had was the hybrid course called the U!REKA Change Agents Programme, which took place in 2024 and had both online sessions and a short exchange in the city of Amsterdam at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. U!REKA is an Urban Research and Education Alliance of European Universities of Applied Sciences, and they aim to cooperate to educate to contribute to a more inclusive, sustainable, intercultural and open-minded Europe. This programme was especially interesting because of its ambition to help us students develop sustainable development ideas related to the use of water in Europe. We had the chance to visit different sustainability-related facilities around Amsterdam, and these visits gave us a broader idea of sustainability and how Amsterdam approaches the use of water. We not only met people from many universities but also had the chance to become closer in our group of students from Finland. We also explored the city by bike, which was a new and valuable experience because Amsterdam has an amazing cycling infrastructure. The internationality of the city, how it is full of water channels and the many restaurants were things we enjoyed as a group. Also, having the chance to learn from professionals from other universities was different and helped us understand more aspects of water and sustainability, and the different importance it has in other countries. Overall, I highly encourage other students to explore international exchange opportunities offered by the university. These experiences can truly change the way you learn and understand the world. They are also a great way to expand your professional network, make new friends and learn about different cultures. Check more about the exchange possibilities in Metropolia's study guide!

27.6.2025

Metropolia Exchange Bloggers, Metropolia Exchange Bloggers

Hello, my name is Anna. I’m currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, with a strong emphasis on Human Resources. Having grown up immersed in both Finnish and English cultures, I’ve come to deeply appreciate the richness of multicultural environments. From an early age, I’ve been passionate about broadening my horizons and embracing new places as home. Living abroad has not only expanded my worldview but also offered valuable opportunities for self-reflection and growth, shaping both who I am and the dreams I pursue. I was excited to see the range of relevant courses offered at the University of Hertfordshire and decided to apply for an Erasmus exchange for the spring semester of 2025. Having previously studied abroad in both the United States and Germany, I was eager to continue gaining international experience—this time in the United Kingdom, a country where I already had personal connections and whose language I consider my second native tongue. It’s truly hard to put five months of living your dream life into words. My exchange semester was everything I had hoped for—and so much more. I was surprised by how significantly the academic experience shaped my future career goals. While I already had a fairly strong vision of what I wanted to pursue after graduation, studying my passion abroad took that clarity and motivation to a whole new level. "This was easily the best semester of my university journey, and it left me feeling deeply grateful and privileged to have had such a transformative experience. " What I particularly appreciated about the academic culture in the UK was how genuinely supportive and invested the teachers were in their students' success. At my home university, I had rarely felt as included or inspired, even by lecturers I saw on a weekly basis. Every module I took encouraged me to grow, believe in myself, and chase my goals with even more determination. Thanks to this incredible experience, I’m proud to share that I achieved First Class Honours and even received personal recommendation letters from lecturers who truly believed in me. Even though the university culture was already a highlight of the semester, the people I met were an even greater blessing. I lived in university accommodation with ten other students in the same flat. Having lived on my own for the past four years, I was initially a bit skeptical about sharing a space with people I didn’t know. Yet to my surprise, this ended up being the best part of my entire exchange. I formed genuine friendships with my flatmates, and we quickly became incredibly close. We spent time together almost every day—cooking dinners, sharing our cultures, going on weekend trips and, of course, enjoying the UK’s iconic pub culture. I felt truly seen and understood by people who shared similar perspectives and values. The memories we created will forever hold a special place in my heart, and we’re already planning visits to keep this special friendship alive. Living in another country also gave me the space to reflect and grow as a person. I picked up new hobbies and made the most of the incredible services and opportunities offered by the university. I also had the chance to travel extensively within the UK—exploring Scotland, Wales, and several cities across England. After my classes ended, I even spent two weeks traveling to Shanghai and Vietnam, which felt especially surreal after forming deep friendships with people from all over the world. Although living abroad was certainly more expensive than continuing my studies in Helsinki – I felt the most alive since my teenage years and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. If you’re even considering going abroad for a semester, I wholeheartedly encourage you to take the leap. Yes, there will be challenging days, and stepping outside of your comfort zone can feel overwhelming at first. But the growth, memories, and perspective you gain are far greater than anything you might expect. This was easily the best semester of my university journey, and it left me feeling deeply grateful and privileged to have had such a transformative experience.