Alumni Interviews

Kseniia Koltcova - Russia

Aside from the academics, how do you feel living in Rimini?

I believe that Rimini is a perfect city for all youngsters and students like me. It is by the sea, it has a lot of bars, cafes and restaurants and other nice cities (and even one independent Country: San Marino) are within a short distance. That’s why I feel very comfortable here, I don’t feel bored and can always find some entertainment. Apart from that, Rimini has a truly multinational student community which makes my stay even better.

What kind of opportunities did this program offer to you?

This program offered me a wide range of amazing opportunities, I couldn’t even count them all briefly. But I will state some of them: I had a great chance to go to Germany with some TEAMers to take part in ACEEPT project which obviously enriched my knowledge. Furthermore, during the studies we had lots of seminars and workshops with incoming lecturers and professors – some of them were outstanding entrepreneurs who shared with us their experience and even business advises.

What are the things that you will never forget from this experience?

In case I don’t have Alzheimer in upcoming years, I will remember a lot of things. I will remember the friends that I found during the course, the journeys and adventures we had. Surely, I will remember our amazing professors who did the impossible: they made Marketing, Management, Economics, Math, Accounting and so on sound as the most interesting subjects in the world. They involved us in the process and made us learn by doing and do by learning and that will always remain with me. I will not forget the marvelous atmosphere of this campus, university and the city itself.

Jella Prashanth Kumar - India

Why did you apply for the program?

 I have applied to this program to have an overseas educational experience, since Italy being high demand for tourism, this course would help me in future.

How do you find the program so far?

It was good studying along with the students coming from different countries. Experienced professors, helpful International desk, classmates, everyone was kind and helpful at right times.

Did the program meet your expectations?

Yes. It was more than my expectations. I was worried that i don’t speak Italian, so it might be difficult for me to manage in the University. But no, here everyone speaks in English and helped me so much during the starting stage. I would be thankful to each and every one.

What are you planning to do after graduation?

I am planning to learn Italian language fluently and get settled here. 

Reeta Kemppainen - Finland

Why did you apply for the program?

I wanted to have an experience to study abroad and degree program’s syllabus was very interesting as it combines economics and tourism studies.

Did the program meet your expectations?

I have found program very interesting as it combines various fields of studies within tourism economics and management. Many great opportunities to study or do an internship abroad exists, but proficiency in Italian language would be advisable as many other opportunities within and outside Italy requires Italian language skills.

Level of teaching is most of the tie high, but sometimes I have been a bit disappointed the fact that not all of the professors have troubles to teach in English despite the fact that it is international degree.

What are you planning to do after graduation?

I will search a job related to sustainable tourism development within Europe.

Aside from the academics, how do you feel living in Rimini?

Rimini is a nice, small city and very suitable for a student life. Everything is within walking or cycling distance and there are good connections to nearby cities, like Bologna, by rail.

Vinícius Souza Andrade - Brazil

Why did you apply for the program?

Because TEaM was the only program I found that had all of the items in my check list: international program taught in English, a large base of economics, located in Italy and several opportunities included during the course(scholarships, Erasmus, internships). Apart from that, my personal interests played a big role, that is, living in Italy, learning more about Italian culture and of course the language. When it comes to Tourism, Italy is a reference nonetheless the fact that UNIBO is also a worldwide recognized institution is something that weighted on my decision.

What are you planning to do after graduation?

After graduating I want to work with either winter or luxury tourism. I want to specialize in these fields and become an entrepreneur. My first contact with tourism was at a hotel and hosting people is a passion for me, so I want to convert it into my business.

Aside from the academics, how do you feel living in Rimini?

Living in Rimini, specially the old center area where the campus are located, is quite nice. The city offers every service one might need, connection with major Italian cities by bus or train and a quite easy everyday life style – the possibility to walk and bike anywhere one might need is definitely a plus in a student’s life. Furthermore, if interested Rimini has a handful of history and hidden places to be discovered.

Janaina Rocha - Brazil

Why did you apply for the program? What are your expectations?

In my case it really was a life changing decision. I was working in the marketing department of a big company in Brazil but I decided I wanted to have more options career-wise. In my home country and many others, there are no proper Tourism and community development strategies, resources are under or over exploited and especially in countries as young as mine, the preservation of cultural heritage does not receive the deserved attention. There is a lot of work to be done out there. So, I was looking for a course that was not strictly business oriented but that could give me foundations to follow an academic career, to work on consulting, research centers or associations. For that matter, I was specially attracted by the UNWTO and UNESCO certificates that the program holds.

How do you find the program so far?

As most students in our class, I have lived abroad before coming here, but I was still impressed by the diversity of our group. It is not always easy to work together when we all have, not only different nationalities, but different life histories, religious backgrounds and ages, but I bet most of us will not have a hard time adapting to any multicultural environment after this. It really makes the whole experience more challenging thus more valuable. I have found the courses very demanding, especially in Economics and Statistics, since I did not have much of it in my bachelor's, but the professors have been leading us smoothly through the way, so as much as it sounded frightening for me some months ago, now I am looking forward to become an economist.

Aside from the academics, how do you feel living in Rimini?

Rimini is a very cool town. It has a bit of everything, the historical center, the shore, the parks, and it has a perfect size for a student's life since you can get everywhere by bike. For someone coming from a city as big as São Paulo, I find life in Rimini very relaxing but as summer is supposed to bring lots of visitors, I am excited to see how the city will look like.

Joe D'Alessandro - Italy

Why did you apply for the program? What are your expectations?

I applied for TEaM mostly due to positive references of close friends already enrolled in this program. Having direct information about lectures, courses, learning activities, projects and paperwork was a big plus in order to evaluate in-depth many pros and cons of the program. As a matter of fact, it actually didn’t take me long to decide to transfer from my previous master degree. I started this program with big expectations since it can be considered my last step in my study path, in particular I stepped in the degree with the objective to “find my way” in one of the many tourism field job sectors and for so my aim is to master as many competences and skills as possible in order to be ready to build up my career and pursue my dreams.

How do you find the program so far?

As a second year student I have covered most of the teaching activities and I can say that my expectations were repaid. The arguments treated were consistently balanced between theory and practical applications, giving the student the possibility to acquire the know-how and at the same time to put it in practice. Classes and schedules might be tough sometimes, but in my opinion it is the price to pay in order to achieve great results. A relevant aspect that I’ve quickly recognized is that the methods applied stimulate inevitably development of other “soft-skills” since we were often called to work in groups, to undertake public presentations or to develop realistic business plans. Last but not least the atmosphere in class is something I’ve never experienced before since having classmates coming from every continent of the world exposes you to many different cultures; at my first lecture I felt like I was at a UN meeting, no joke!

Aside from the academics, how do you feel living in Rimini?

In my opinion there aren’t many better environments to study tourism sciences in Italy rather than Rimini. In a city that relies strongly on tourism you continuously find references to your studies in your everyday life; you simply feel stimulated and motivated to give it your best shot. Aside of that I’ve always thought that Rimini is a “compressed metropolis” due to its strong seasonality; in summer the city literally explodes! Plus, you all might know about the  nightclubs and the beaches but in winter the city completely transforms and there is so much history and landscape to discover. The student community is quite dominant ad there are many activities promoted by the University itself and especially from the students association Slash. As an association they promote many activities such as cultural trips all over Italy, seminars, festivals, sport tournaments, movie forums and much more! If you ever decide to come to study to Rimini be sure to get a Slash card right away!

Luiza Selisteanu - Romania

Why did you apply for the program? What are your expectations?

I really wanted to study tourism management in a touristic place, a country where tourists love coming for their holidays, and what a better place for this than Italy? I have to say that I applied for different places but from the beginning I had in mind Italy because for me Italy is one of the most beautiful places on Earth, if not the most beautiful. Italy is one of the highest tourist earners and one of the most visited countries in the world. Tourism is growing fast in Italy and it is a very profitable industrial sector, and this is why I thought it would be interesting studying tourism here. University of Bologna is one of the best universities in Italy and the fact that we were to be placed in Rimini, strengthen my desire to apply to this university. My expectations? In terms of studies, well, I expected University of Bologna to offer a wide range of courses  and to have very well prepared professors. I also thought that the school year will be very light but that we will have lots  of exams.

How do you find the program so far?

When I first arrived here I realized that it won't be as I imagined because we started the crash courses immediately and also all the other activities. Our first semester was a bit tough as we had a bit too many hours of classes and not enough time to study for the multitude of team projects and presentations. I thought that the first semester was a also bit confusing and not so well organized but I did like some courses and I especially liked some projects that I was involved in. I love the people I met here and my classmates are very nice. I honestly wasn't expecting to be so close to my classmates and to manage to organize lots of activities with our course and the other courses at the university. On the other hand,  this second semester is a bit lighter and I am happy with that, as we do have more time now to study for our exams and school projects and also a bit more time to get to know each other better.

Aside from the academics, how do you feel living in Rimini?

Rimini is beautiful and the fact that it is located very close to many important cities like Bologna, Florence and even Venice, is a plus. The weather here is nice most of the times but spring and summer are the best times to be in Rimini. You can cycle along the beach, play sports, eat amazing food and go to a wide range of coffee places haha. Like everybody I was expecting Italy to be a place where you can eat great food, get fat, find people that use crazy hand gestures while talking, talk a lot and don't rush to get to places and events on time. Guess what? Yes, everything that I was expecting is true. Here in Rimini people are living the sweet life "la dolce vita" and if you are a person that wants to relax, be late for dinners, eat gelato, pizza and pasta everyday and watch the sunset on the beach, Rimini is the place for you.

Umid Gafurov - Uzbekistan

Why did you apply for the program? What are your expectations?

I chose TEaM mainly because I wanted to enlarge my knowledge and gain more experience with international students. I know that the Academic Italian system is strong and famous with its quality that drove me to apply in addition to studying in the oldest University in Europe.

How do you find the program so far?

It is really amazing and totally different from my previous experience in my home country. To be honest, at first it was very hard, because the first semester was very heavy with a lot of subjects, but I got used to it and now I  can say that I am enjoying myself with the studies! I love my classmates and we all are one good team! A Team of TEaM!

Aside from the academics, how do you feel living in Rimini?

Rimini. Ah it is Beautiful! Really! I love this city! Now I am hesitated when it comes to which one I love more: My hometown or Rimini! The City is perfectly suitable for studying and relaxing at the same time. It is not stressful at all. All you need for a good mood is a bike and the sun of Rimini!

Nick Hanouwer - The Netherlands

Why did you apply for the program? What are your expectations?

I applied for the program because, after my bachelor in Economics and Business in Groningen

(The Netherlands), I wanted to specify my studies more towards tourism. In TEaM I found the perfect match between the economics I have experience in, and the tourism which I am very interested in. My expectations of the program were that I was going to learn more specific subjects of economics related to tourism and this is exactly what I got. In addition to this, studying abroad is a life enriching experience which I would recommend to everyone.

How do you find the program so far?

Until now the program has been very satisfying. For me with my economics background it is easier to follow than for people with other educational backgrounds, but the program offers crash courses for the ones in need. What I really like about the program is that it is international in every way. Our class exists of many people from different countries all over the world which makes working together sometimes hard but at the same time interesting. Furthermore, some courses are partially or entirely taught by visiting professors from abroad, which makes the program very appealing in my eyes.

Aside from the academics, how do you feel living in Rimini?

To be honest at first I thought Rimini would not be my kind of city with the crowded beaches and party culture. However, when walking through the city for the first time I discovered that there was way more than only the famous beach strip. Rimini has a charming historic city center with beautiful piazzas, buildings and tiny streets. But what I was most surprised about was the amazing quality of the food. In fact, Emilia-Romagna (the region where Rimini is located) is  considered one of the best food destinations of Italy. In Rimini you can enjoy the ‘’real’’ piadina (the traditional street food of the region), pizza and the famous aperitivo (for students it is often a substitute for dinner). Rimini is a lively city not only in summer. There is always something nice to do: sport activities, events and cycling along the beach. You will never get bored!