A prestigious international exchange program is providing four Engineering students at The University of Queensland (UQ) with the opportunity to spend two years studying in France.
Chemical Engineering students Maddalena Gabrielli, Hannah Shaw, Rebekah Johnston and Edward Barry will travel to France in the coming weeks in preparation for the French university semester, beginning in August. The exchange program will enable them to gain qualifications that will expand their international career prospects.
All four students will graduate at the end of their university careers with both Australian and French undergraduate engineering degrees, as well as a Masters degree from UQ.
The students said they were excited to begin their French education and were extremely grateful to UQ’s Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology (EAIT) for providing them with this opportunity.
“I believe the French degree will complement my UQ education really well, and I look forward to being able to come back to Brisbane to showcase what I have achieved,” Mr Barry said.
The agreement between UQ’s Faculty of EAIT and Écoles Centrales in France allows outstanding engineering students from both countries to participate in a unique double degree program.
Under the agreement, UQ’s engineering students spend the first two and a half years of their undergraduate program studying at UQ, before they spend two years studying in France.
Having spent two years studying in France, the students then return to UQ in order to complete their Bachelor and Masters degree in engineering.
At the completion of the program, the students will be awarded a Bachelor of Engineering and a Master of Engineering from UQ, as well as a Diplôme d’Ingénieur from the Ecoles Centrale.
These qualifications, skills and experiences obtained as a result of the French double degree program will provide the students with expanded international career aspects.
UQ’s Deputy Vice Chancellor (International), Dr Anna Ciccarelli, said the French double degree program was a great initiative for engineering students to get involved in.
“I’m delighted to see four talented and capable UQ engineering students take advantage of the joint degree program in engineering with our partner University Écoles Centrales Paris,” Dr Ciccarelli said.
“Not only will they immerse themselves in a French speaking culture and improve their French but they will benefit from French perspectives in the engineering curriculum.
“I have no doubt that graduating with a Bachelor of Engineering, Master of Engineering and Diplôme d’Ingenieur from UQ & Écoles Centrales will make them distinctive prospective employees in the global marketplace not only for their qualifications but most importantly for the interpersonal skills and perspectives acquired during their study abroad.
“This program typifies UQ’s commitment to providing our students with opportunities and choices on a global scale.”
For more information on this study opportunity please visit http://www.engineering.uq.edu.au/ecoles-centrales
Media: Brendon Lutwyche (b.lutwyche@eait.uq.edu.au or 3365 9103) or Madelene Flanagan (m.flanagan@uq.edu.au or 3365 8525)
