Petition Letter
I’ve been accepted to the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) to study abroad for the Winter Semester. I’m in my third year at Queen’s and I’m in the PPE - Economics program which I absolutely love. That being said, one of the main reasons I was so interested in coming to Queen’s in the first place was the opportunity to get to go on exchange and study elsewhere. Despite not getting my desired schools through the Bilateral program, I was determined to study abroad and landed on Copenhagen as my top spot.
The first reason independent study is so appealing is because I get the chance to take courses and learn in a way that simply isn’t replicable at Queen’s. Part of the draw is the unique curricula and specific material being covered but there is also the component of an entirely unique and different lens. My hope is to gain some insight on the European perspective and learn from other international students as well. I also believe I’ll be able to contribute to the academic environment with my Canadian perspective and I’m excited to see what courses I end up taking. I’ve outlined some of my courses of particular interest below:
Courses of interest (description):
- Introduction to Japan’s History, Culture, and Society (history of Japan pre-WWII with a focus on primary sources)
- Course in Danish Culture (Danish history, literature, and art)
- Nordic Mythology (insight into Danish religion before Christianity)
- History and Cultural History of Poland (timeline from the Middle Ages right up to Polish communism)
- Democratization and ethno-religious conflict in Southeast Asia (exploring nation building and conflicts of interest in the region)
- Europe’s quest for ‘digital sovereignty’: Exploring EU in the global tech race (a combination of tech and legislature at the policy level)
There are certainly other courses I like, but I tried to just list a few of those that stood out as especially unique and/or interesting. The second reason I want to study abroad is for the cultural experience of Denmark itself. I’ve grown up in Canada my whole life in what I would argue has been a relatively comfortable and familiar setting, but travelling abroad affords me the opportunity to go out of comfort zone and have an unforgettable experience. I’ve found some restaurants and art galleries in Copenhagen that I’ll definitely check out and I’m also hoping to explore the country a bit more as well as some of the other nordic nations. It’s rare to get the chance to go to school somewhere completely new and I think Copenhagen and UCPH are an ideal destination.
The first reason independent study is so appealing is because I get the chance to take courses and learn in a way that simply isn’t replicable at Queen’s. Part of the draw is the unique curricula and specific material being covered but there is also the component of an entirely unique and different lens. My hope is to gain some insight on the European perspective and learn from other international students as well. I also believe I’ll be able to contribute to the academic environment with my Canadian perspective and I’m excited to see what courses I end up taking. I’ve outlined some of my courses of particular interest below:
Courses of interest (description):
- Introduction to Japan’s History, Culture, and Society (history of Japan pre-WWII with a focus on primary sources)
- Course in Danish Culture (Danish history, literature, and art)
- Nordic Mythology (insight into Danish religion before Christianity)
- History and Cultural History of Poland (timeline from the Middle Ages right up to Polish communism)
- Democratization and ethno-religious conflict in Southeast Asia (exploring nation building and conflicts of interest in the region)
- Europe’s quest for ‘digital sovereignty’: Exploring EU in the global tech race (a combination of tech and legislature at the policy level)
There are certainly other courses I like, but I tried to just list a few of those that stood out as especially unique and/or interesting. The second reason I want to study abroad is for the cultural experience of Denmark itself. I’ve grown up in Canada my whole life in what I would argue has been a relatively comfortable and familiar setting, but travelling abroad affords me the opportunity to go out of comfort zone and have an unforgettable experience. I’ve found some restaurants and art galleries in Copenhagen that I’ll definitely check out and I’m also hoping to explore the country a bit more as well as some of the other nordic nations. It’s rare to get the chance to go to school somewhere completely new and I think Copenhagen and UCPH are an ideal destination.