20 years old, from Serbia.
Second-year Bachelors's Degree student in Philosophy, International Studies, and Economics with minor studies in Sustainable Development at Collegio Internazionale Ca’ Foscari and Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. I have taken part in Globalization Program organized by VIU in Spring 2020, and 2021.
In order to challenge myself and be able to use my academic, interpersonal, and communication skills to capacity, I need an environment that will inspire me to act. Venice International University provides students with an opportunity to expand their worldviews and to suit themselves to completely different perspectives offered through courses, discussions, debates, and extracurricular activities. I have chosen to study at VIU because of these reasons and because VIU encourages students to get out of their comfort zone – making their study even more exciting! Being outside of my comfort zone makes me grow and develop new ways of thinking.
As someone who does not like limits and boundaries, the VIU experience was helpful in numerous ways. The approach that VIU has – showed me that there is nothing worse, nothing better – just different – and this perspective is a crucial thing in current times. My time at San Servolo has helped me understand different cultures, lifestyles, and aspects of living all around the world. Taking into account the myriad of cultures that I was exposed to during my studies at VIU and had the opportunity to foster my identities within, I can identify the needs of people from drastically different cultural backgrounds, without bias, eager to find a common language with anyone to give support, reach understanding, and nurture a mutually beneficial solution. As someone who wishes to work in the field of diplomacy and political communication, I am extremely grateful for a place like VIU.
VIU shows that there is much more to courses than just written material – during each and every of attended courses, I did not feel any burden regarding them – although it sounds cliché, one cannot but actively participate in diverse courses offered at this hub of cultural diversity – VIU! It is very nice to imagine that one can have the opportunity to pursue their university studies while being in one of the most unique cities in the world – each semester, the beautiful island of San Servolo turns into a global center for mutual study, inspiration, and innovation.
It was during my studies abroad that I found out that interaction between individuals and their environment is intriguing and complex. More specifically, this interest in me has developed in the direction of international relations, global issues, and politics. What are the role and significance of global diplomacy and endless economic measures imposed to carry out certain ideology and how does it impact the general public? This is the question that I have devoted myself to, working with numerous embassies, international organizations, and associations – and I can attribute my continuous interest in this sphere to the framework experienced at VIU also!
I like to do things where I can be as authentic as possible. I usually try to incorporate things I love into my studies – in my spare time, I organize events for the youth, education workshops, or volunteer for organizations whose mission statements I support. I enjoy socializing, networking, and spending time with people that are different from me – I love to challenge my perspective. Apart from that, I am very enthusiastic about coffee and, when I have time, I like to explore and make new blends and ways of brewing – it is a great passion of mine. However, if we do not tackle global issues together – such as global warming – most of these coffee beans will go extinct – another reason why I am so engaged with globalization.
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Luka Pejic was a recipient of the RED scholarship
