The YUFE program offers students the possibility to broaden their horizons. A network of ten young European Universities allows them to follow courses all over Europe, participate in civic engagement and develop their professional skills. Camilla Pasquali was already passionate about Europe and its possibilities. Through YUFE, she is now discovering what more she can and wants to do.
Camilla was born and raised in Rome. She is currently on an exchange in Madrid, where she is following courses as part of her degree in Global Governance. As of last year, Camilla is part of the YUFE student journey. It was a perfect fit for her: “I have always wanted to contribute to European integration. I was in a European high school, after which I joined the Young European Federalists in Italy, where we organised all sorts of pan-European actions. Joining YUFE felt like an amazing opportunity to explore Europe even further.”
Lucky to be selected
She first heard of the YUFE Student Journey at her home university, Tor Vergata in Rome. “I was very eager to join YUFE, but many others at my university wanted to do so as well. I was lucky enough to be selected.”
Apart from her interest in European integration, the ability to go on exchange was important to Camilla. “Once you are part of YUFE, you can go wherever you want to within the partner network. It’s very well organised, and I wouldn’t have had all these opportunities otherwise.” As part of her Student Journey, she has also attended an online German language course at the University of Bremen. “It was great to learn a new language this way. The teacher – a native speaker – was not only great in terms of educating us but very friendly as well.”
¡Hola YUFE!
Before she went to Madrid on an exchange, she used the possibilities of the YUFE programme to attend a lecture in Spanish. “I wanted to experience what lectures were like in Spain to feel better prepared once I got there.” Now that she’s in Spain, Camilla follows courses in economics, social sciences, and management. And she learns even more than just the contents of the classes. “The level is quite similar to my home university, but the system is very different. In Italy, we have lectures and exams, that’s it. In Madrid, I have to do lots of assessments, give presentations and write papers.”
An incredible network
When asked whether she would recommend others to join YUFE, the answer is clear. “Definitely! You become part of an incredible network, and the level at the universities is very high. There are opportunities to go abroad, follow courses on-site or online, and lots of interesting lectures to attend.”
One of the courses she is currently following is about global environmental challenges. “In the future, I’d like to work in sustainable development. I’m already looking at other courses in the YUFE catalogue that can help me reach that goal.”
