Thanks to this agreement with the University of California, Berkeley, students from all faculties can take courses during the summer at one of the world's most prestigious universities, with the possibility of having the credits recognised as part of their studies at UIC. Alongside the academic experience, the programme gives students the opportunity to immerse themselves in an international university environment and share ideas and perspectives with students from around the world.

The experiences of three students who took part this summer provide first-hand insight into what they gained from the programme and the opportunities it has opened up for them. Pau Piqué Ayala, a Psychology student; Antoni Díaz-Tarragó Clota, a Law student; and Inés Rovira Salvador, a Business Administration and Management student, took part in the programme this summer thanks to UIC grants.

For Pau Piqué, his time at Berkeley ultimately extended well beyond the Summer Sessions themselves. During the two months he spent in California, he became involved in a range of research initiatives in the fields of psychology and behavioural sciences, both at UC Berkeley and at Stanford, and took part in several projects that he will continue to develop from Spain. "Moving from a summer academic programme to becoming directly involved in several projects geared towards scientific publication has been one of the most extraordinary aspects of this exchange," he explains.

Antoni Díaz-Tarragó, meanwhile, particularly highlights the opportunity to study in an international academic environment. "Having the opportunity to study at UC Berkeley is an incomparable experience that opens the door to a promising future," he says.

For Inés Rovira, who took an Entrepreneurship course over three weeks, the programme enabled her to broaden her perspective on entrepreneurship and the development of new projects. "I came back with a much more ambitious view of what it means to create, take risks and truly make the most of opportunities," she explains.

An opportunity for next summer

Applications for next summer's UC Berkeley Summer Sessions programme will open shortly. In November, UIC will hold an information session to explain the programme and the application process.

In addition to Berkeley, UIC has agreements and grants for summer programmes at two other universities in the United States: Boston University and University of Pennsylvania. These options enable students to study abroad at prestigious universities, with the possibility of having their credits recognised, and serve as an alternative or a complement to study abroad programmes during the academic year.