Students make the world their campus this summer

With more than 300 global partnerships, we offer a huge range of exchange programs and international placements across a wide range of study areas that combine study and travel.

Right now, our students are making the most of these opportunities by undertaking projects in countries like Vietnam, USA, China, Japan, Norway, India and Brazil.

Check out just a few of their adventures below and keep up-to-date in real-time by following #usydontour across our social media channels this summer.

Rachel Haines is a Master of Physiotherapy student. She’s on placement in Hanoi, Vietnam with the Học Mãi Foundation along with 20 other medicine and allied health students from the University of Sydney.

“Travelling to Vietnam marks my first student placement abroad and also my first time ever overseas. I have no doubt that the experience is going to be fulfilling and worthwhile as it will broaden my patient approach so that I can be an even better clinician, with a diverse range of clinical and professional skills,” said Rachel.

Look out for Rachel’s Snapchats on the University of Sydney’s account from in and around the Bach Mai Hospital.

While the majority of students are winding down for the year, 19 University of Sydney students are gearing up for a once in a lifetime trip to India working with Engineers Without Borders Australia (EWB) to learn how to design and create positive change within disadvantaged communities.

"I'm very passionate about this course because students take the skills and knowledge they've learnt in class and have the opportunity to put those skills into action through a human-centred design challenge based in a disadvantaged community," said Dr Jaqueline Thomas, who is leading the program.

“The students undertake several specific engineering objectives aimed to push their levels of engineering ingenuity, and develop a deeper understanding of the role design and technology plays in the developing world.”

Look out for the students’ photos, Snapchats and blogs from their time in India and read more about their trip here. 

Natalie Gooneratne, a Bachelor of Music (Music Education) student, is travelling to the Road to Rights International Summit and Peace Expo 2016 in Colombo, Sri Lanka this December. Natalie will be presenting a paper on her experience of starting a choir in Sri Lanka and the choir project she is about to begin in Australia, working with refugees.

"I'm ready to be a voice for peace, a voice for hope, and a voice to all youth around the world that no man or woman is too small to make a positive difference", said Natalie. 

The Sydney Conservatorium of Music also has three students and nine alumni travelling to Norway and Brazil this summer for rehearsals and concerts in both countries. Look out for the students’ photos and blog from their time overseas on the Sydney Conservatorium of Music’s website and Facebook. 

Natalie Kutcher, Bachelor of Commerce/Arts student from the University of Sydney Business School, will be visiting China in January to undertake a six-week internship as part of the Shanghai Business Immersion Program. Natalie is one of the first students to be involved in this new program, designed to allow students to gain experience of how business is done in China and equip them for a global career.

“I applied for the Shanghai Business Immersion program because I believe employers are increasingly valuing overseas work experience and the skills that this experience can bring. This internship will be a great opportunity to learn more about Chinese history, language and culture, as well as the general business environment in China.”

Stay tuned for more about Natalie’s trip and photos from her experience in Shanghai. 

Each year six students from the Faculty of Science travel to Nanjing University, China, to undertake a research project with some of China's leading scientific minds. Tristan Anlezark, a Bachelor of Science student, is completing a project in astronomy and astrophysics while enjoying a taste of winter.

“Having grown up in Australia where winter doesn’t get cold it's amazing stepping out into the winter wonderland that was Nanjing University during the snow. The University of Sydney has many construction projects but it pales before the rapidly expanding NJU where a multitude of new buildings are under construction, a sign of eyes set on the future.

I also expected that going to a non-English speaking country knowing only English would be really difficult but thanks to the graciousness of our hosts we've managed to communicate in many situations with a combination of gestures, miming and laughter. It’s also been really rewarding to help the students at Nanjing improve their English skills, such as when a student was having difficulty knowing whether to say ‘you’re welcome’, or ‘thankyou’ in reply to an apology. The student now knows that a simple ‘no worries’ is more than enough!

I never expected to be offered a place in such an incredible exchange program, I’ve seen and things I hadn’t imagined, and have been blown away by the kindness and assistance of the University staff. It’s been an amazing experience.”

Keep and eye out for photos and a blog post from Tristan about his time in Nanjing.

Follow the hashtag #usydontour across Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to stay up-to-date with all our students around the world, and get a first-hand sneak peek into their travels as they take over our Snapchat channel.