By studying for a semester at the University College Maastricht (UCM) in the Netherlands, Hanna Chidwick (ArtSci’17) gained the learning experience she was looking for.

She also gained valuable life experience.

Through the exchange, facilitated by the International Programs Office at Queen’s and supported through the Liberation Scholarship Program, the Global Development Studies student spent the 2016 winter term at UCM furthering her education, while at the same time gaining a better understanding of the Netherlands and its people, and meeting students from around the world.

What initially drew her to the school, however, was the preferred method of teaching at UCM.

“The reason I chose Maastricht is because, at the school itself, they do something called problem-based learning,” she explains. “This means smaller classes and more peer-to-peer learning. The students are really engaged in what they are learning and they are passionate about the topics they are learning about. It was an environment that makes it really easy to work with other people and engage with the subject matter.”

At the time of her exchange, Europe was in the midst of the refugee crisis and hearing from others, especially students from around the European Union, was an “enriching” opportunity for a global development student.

Ms. Chidwick says that by taking her learning experience outside of Canada, she was able to meet and learn from others who have very different viewpoints. She also found that she learned much from simply trying to communicate with other students who come from different backgrounds. Making those connections was a key learning point that will remain with her.

“I think I learned a lot from the challenges I had in connecting with others, trying to communicate with other people but also the importance in every aspect of my career, my university life, my academic sphere, of how much other people can contribute and how much you can learn from other people,” she says. “Creating partnerships in a sustainable way, I think that for me, was really instilled. I met so many people from all over the world and trying to maintain those connections and be open to always learning was the ultimate learning that I took out of it.”

She also learned about the bonds that link the Netherlands and Canada, which are the driving force behind the Liberation Scholarship. Exchanges, such as this one, are an opportunity she thinks other Queen’s students should take advantage of.

“I would definitely recommend and encourage others students to get involved in an exchange like this. The scholarship also gave me the opportunity to realize the connection between countries, the connection between Canada and the Netherlands, and the importance of that connection in our history and their history, and to bring that back here,” Ms. Chidwick says. “I feel that I have the responsibility now to represent some piece of the Netherlands that I experienced.”

Started in 2015, the Liberation Scholarship Program, funded by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, provides 70 scholarships to Canadians to study at Dutch universities. The scholarships are named in honour of the 70th anniversary of Canada’s participation in the liberation of the Netherlands.

For more information on exchanges available to Queen’s students, visit the International Programs Office in Mackintosh–Corry Hall, Rm. B206, visit the website, or send an email.