What if one conference could change the direction of your studies and make you rethink what you want to do with your future? This is the story of Emma, who discovered a new path through an unexpected Circle U. opportunity. Her experience is a reminder of the value of stepping outside your comfort zone, exploring new perspectives and expanding your expertise beyond your own field.
The Circle U. European alliance brings together Université Paris Cité, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, King’s College London, UCLouvain, the University of Oslo, Aarhus University, the University of Belgrade, the University of Pisa, and the University of Vienna.
L’alliance européenne Circle U.rassemble
l’Université Paris Cité,
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin,
King’s College London, UCLouvain,
l’Université d’Oslo, l’Université d’Aarhus,
l’Université de Belgrade,
l’Université de Pise, et l’Université de Vienne.
How I joined the Circle U. community
My journey within Circle U. started about a year ago when I joined Université Paris Cité, to start a master’s in Clinical Psychology. I had already studied abroad during my undergraduate program, and coming back to a French diploma without any classes in English felt strange. I wanted to find a community of internationals, while still being able to study in my home country, France. This is exactly the type of opportunity that Circle U. gave me.
As a student fellow for the Global Health hub of Circle U., I represented the students of Université Paris Cité within the European Alliance of Circle U.. This role was an opportunity for me to grow, to take part in projects that were outside of my main field of study. It fed my curiosity for a new field I had never thought of before: Sustainability.
Joining Circle U means navigating many different environments, people and cultures. When joining this adventure I didn’t think it would open the doors for me that it did.
What made me realize what I really wanted to do
A conference on the intersection of Circle U.’s Climate hub and Global Health was organized in Louvain and I was invited to take part in that project. Although I had no particular knowledge of environmental science and climatology, I was thrilled to take on the challenge and meet another pair of interesting experts. By digging into the information to prepare for that conference, I understood how close Health and Climate are intertwined.
Alongside that project, I was pursuing a Master’s in Clinical Psychology, which I was constantly doubting. I had trouble finding sense in it. While I had always been passionate about psychology and human behaviour, I realized by joining this conference on the impact of climate on our health, that I was rather action oriented than analytical, which I always thought I had been.
This particular conference made me want to take action towards change. One of the guests of the event, Cyril Caminade, an applied physicist and climatologist, insisted on the importance of understanding human behaviour. He pinpointed psychology and behavioural science as tools for environmental change in decades to come. This would be the next leverage for changing things in the long term.
Throughout this discussion I realized, I also wanted to take part in that journey – the journey of resilience.
Where I am now!
Since then, I have rerouted my path to one that feels closely aligned with my values. I am now about to start a Master’s in Societal Transitions at Erasmus University of Rotterdam, to tackle the challenge of our generation head-on.
If my journey could show one thing, it is that sometimes the roads that we take aren’t linear. However, the experiences that we choose, the people we meet all contribute to enriching our journey to self discovery.
If you want to broaden your horizons, meet interesting people and gain an international perspective throughout your studies, then you should definitely join Circle U. Whether through a course, a program or just a conference, you might meet someone worthwhile, and change the course of your trajectory.
En savoir plus
→ Alliance européenne Circle U.
Contacts de Circle U. à UPCité :
→ circleu.iro@u-pariscite.fr
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