From Milan to Middlesbrough

Barbara Rosina has flown from Milan to Middlesbrough to see student life at the University of Teesside.

Barbara, 34, works for Milan University, an institution with over 60,000 students and nine academic faculties. She came to Teesside after clinching a grant, which focused on skills improvement. Barbara was linked with Teesside through a European Guidance network. She will visit another North East university in the New Year.

Back in Milan, Barbara oversees 12 staff in the University’s Centre Orientation Students’ Professions (COSP). The centre offers a range of services, helping students with course choices, counselling and careers. Appropriately, Barbara spent most of her two-week Teesside placement with the University’s Student Services department. Student Services also offers counselling and careers, in addition to other facilities including finance, accommodation and sport.

Barbara said: ‘It was my first time in the North East and at first I didn’t understand some of the local accents but I do now. The University is very well organised with beautiful, new, clean buildings. It pays a lot of attention to people - this is the one thing I will take home with me to Milan. The University also plays an important social role in helping to regenerate the area.’

She also found the University’s course offerings different to those in her home university. Barbara said: ‘It’s been interesting seeing the sort of flexible courses here, even for mature students. I’m very impressed by the real opportunities the University gives to people who are already working, such as evening courses, to change their lives through study. It’s more difficult to do this back in Italy - such courses aren’t that common.’

Bill Greenwood, Senior Careers Adviser, added: ‘It was most rewarding to have Barbara with us. We’re glad that we gave her the opportunity to see how our integrated Student Services department works. We’ve learned from her too. Careers guidance is a very recent concept in Italy and it was fascinating to hear about its development.’

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