Programme: Sustainable Urban Mobility Transitions
Entry University: KTH Royal Institute of Technology
Exit University: UPC Barcelona Tech.
Background: Civil Engineering
Why did you choose this master’s programme?
After obtaining my bachelor’s degree, I wanted to continue my studies with a transport-mobility-related programme that could offer me something new and innovative. After several months of applying to different universities, EIT Urban Mobility (UM) Master School seemed like a unique opportunity that stood out over any other university. For instance, it allows students to study at two well-known universities in Europe and experience two cultures, two languages, and two different teaching methods, something that no other university offers. The opportunity to have a summer school allows students to learn by doing and at the same time traveling through two different European cities. Since EIT UM is an institution that works around urban mobility and the development of more sustainable cities, there are a series of opportunities for students during the year, such as Talks, Conferences, Citython, Bootcamps, etc. These are extremely interesting and, in most cases, free for students! With all these advantages, EIT breaks down traditional education barriers and offers students new ways of learning.
What are the best aspects of your programme?
Without a doubt, one of the best characteristics of this programme is that we are students from all over the world and from very different backgrounds. We are civil engineers, architects, geographers, business graduates, mechanical engineers from every continent. This has allowed me to immerse myself in different realities and learn about other ways of thinking and solving problems. On top of that, something very enriching has been the “Challenge-Driven Project" since it is one of the first training courses I have had in my life to learn how to design in an innovative, productive, and logical way. Finally, something that differentiates EIT students from the rest of similar programmes at the university is the opportunity to constantly update our knowledge in urban mobility with the different conferences and spaces for innovation that EIT Urban Mobility offers online.
Can you share a little bit about your student life?
KTH gave all international students an incredible welcome with many activities on and off-campus. This allowed us to get to know the Swedish culture and our future classmates. At first, we thought that our classes would only be with the EIT UM students, but we were surprised to share the courses with other students from similar KTH programmes in many lectures. Coming from a tropical country, one of the main challenges for me has been the weather in Sweden, which is cold, but the days in winters are short; however, good friendships make everything easier. My classmates and I have become very good friends and a great family. We celebrate all birthdays, Christmas, New Years together with the famous “potlucks", something that an international student should never miss. The exam weeks are difficult but not impossible; we usually meet in a university classroom, and we stay there for hours with coffee and snacks, and if possible, a little music. The courses are inspiring, and we have teachers from different nationalities who graduated from different universities, making the classes very different and enriching learning experience.
What are your plans for the future?
If life and COVID-19 have taught me something, it is not planning too much for the future because everything can change suddenly. However, I would love to work for a few years in Europe to gain experience in the Urban Mobility sectors, especially in the local governments, where I can work closely with the problems of the cities and people, and propose innovative ideas that can allow the equitable development of communities. With the same enthusiasm, I am not opposed to the idea of doing a Ph.D. specialized in transport modeling and transport-oriented development, which are the areas that I like the most in urban mobility. I will wait to see what the future holds for me, but without a doubt, it will always be close to the communities and social problems of urban planning and transportation.
Why should prospective students choose this programme?
Prospective students should choose EIT UM master’s programmes because there is no other master’s programme that offers to study in two different universities, a summer school that is constantly giving talks and conferences for students. It also requires you to do an internship in a European city (which allows you to know the job market) and even better that it gives you two university degrees at the end of your studies. What a catch, don’t you think?
Moreover, this programme will teach you about urban mobility and the basic principles of transportation and think innovatively and creatively. The problems we face today are more complex than ever, and traditional education is not enough anymore. The EIT UM will give you the tools to face mobility problems in a new and different way, and at the same time, you will meet teachers and colleagues from all over the world. You will have the opportunity to learn about their cultures and problems, and this will open your eyes to what is happening in the transport sector in Europe and on every continent in the world.
