Study Abroad Report 2021: HEC Lausanne / Julie Truong

After a year in Japan following a mix of courses online and on campus, and taking full advantage of the classes offered by the university, I wanted a life change to improve myself.

In spite of the uncertainties linked to Covid-19, I strongly believe that moving forward, maintaining strong partnerships between universities, and finally being able to take risks, is very important. I always knew that building up an international profile would be key to my future employability. The possibility given by NUCB Business School to study abroad, was for me an obvious choice to take. I decided to apply to HEC Lausanne, Switzerland, for an exchange. Being French enabled me to take full advantage of the courses on campus, offered by HEC Lausanne, as I was able to get a quick visa. Furthermore, I knew that HEC Lausanne has another teaching and studying method, which would strengthen my capacity to adapt in a fast-paced global world. Highly motivated, I assumed Switzerland would be a favorable environment for me. After writing an essay of motivation and providing to the administration all the documents needed for the exchange, I received my letter of acceptance from HEC Lausanne for the fall semester 2021. Supported by the administration of both universities, I started to plan my moving out of Japan and my trip to Switzerland.

HEC Lausanne offered a variety of diverse and interesting courses. Most of them were on campus but also available to follow online. Depending on the class, some were focused on learning by business case reading when others were more theoretical with academic support reading. Classes started on September 21st and ended on December 24th 2021, with no holiday break between. From January to February, it is the exam period. I choose my courses based on my interest and strategically to support my professional project. Different ways to teach, international people and programs, I enjoyed this semester in HEC Lausanne for its very good schooling. HEC Lausanne is located on a campus shared with other universities near Lausanne. Green campus, with forest areas, farm and sheep, the campus is opened out on the Leman Lake. After class, you can walk just 5 min, through a very beautiful poplar avenue (see the photo below) and enjoy the beach and the lake to peace your mind. The library has a direct view of the lake (see photo below). The university also offers different sports for free or reasonable prices (football, kayak, boat, ski, tennis...). I think the campus offers an incredible environment for students to balance their life between studies and personal life.

Conclusion and acknowledgements.

I would like to thank NUCB Business School for offering me the incredible opportunity to study abroad. I learned a lot and I feel more accomplished after this semester. I would also like to thank HEC Lausanne for accepting me and giving me the chance to study in a multicultural and such a great academic environment in Europe. I hope my participation in this exchange program has supported the good relationship between universities and encouraged classmates to study abroad.