Università del Piemonte Orientale: HR Staff on their Erasmus+ Experience in Galway
Sabrina Guibellina and Maria Elena Galbiati work in Human Resources at Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale. They spent a week in Galway on an Erasmus Plus programme improving their English and expanding their personal and professional horizons.
During our conversation, they emphasised the value of continued learning and professional development and the multiple benefits a trip abroad creates.
As requested, they began by introducing themselves:
My name is Sabrina Giubellina. I work in Italy at the Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale in Vercelli. It’s a small university, a new university.
The university was founded in 1998. Now we have many faculties, including economics, law, medicine, literature, languages, and science. The university is located in three cities, meaning we have three sites for the university; Vercelli, Novara, and Alessandra. These are the names of the three cities where you find Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale. I work in the human resource office.
Her colleague continued:
My name is Maria Elena Galbiati. I work in the university’s human research office. Sabrina is my colleague.
Like Sabrina said, our university has three campuses in three different locations. My office is in Vercelli. I came here for a new experience, to learn about different realities relating to our job and university, and to improve my English.
Before discussing their Atlantic course experience and Galway as an education destination, Sabrina and Maria Elena were keen to introduce their region, city, and university.
Vercelli – a Box of Treasures to Discover
Located halfway between Turin and Milan, Vercelli has more to offer than most. The ancient city boasts architectural beauty, buckets of art, breathtaking landscapes, and leisure activities for all seasons and tastes.
The mountains lay a short distance away, as do the paddy fields, nicknaming Vercelli the rice capital of Europe. From exploring the ancient town to skiing, cycling, hiking, wine tasting, and eating scrumptious food, Vercelli has something to offer to everyone.
Università del Piemonte Orientale
Sabrina and Maria Elena graciously prepared a presentation for us, covering not only the university but also the city of Vercelli. The first segment of the video was contributed by Sabrina, while the second part was thoughtfully put together by Maria Elena.
Circling back to the course highlights, the women emphasised personal growth and English language skill development. When asked why they had chosen Galway as an Erasmus+ destination, they told us that a colleague had returned very happily from a stay at Atlantic.
Galway’s compact size alongside the many scenic spots in and around the city greatly appealed to them. They enjoyed the walking tour of Galway City and their visit to St. Nicholas’ Church.
Elena and Sabrina stayed at a city centre apartment, purchasing fresh local food and cooking every day rather than eating out. Instead, they went to famous places like Monrose’s pub to enjoy music and taste Guinness.
When asked about the week’s highs and lows, Maria Elena said:
The best best thing are the locals, they are very friendly. But sometimes I find it difficult to speak. For me, listening is harder than reading. Reading is easier.
Elaborating on the challenges of understanding fast-paced dialogue by native speakers, Sabrina explained:
Because people speak very fast, and this is difficult Like the guide we met on Sunday, when we went to Cliffs of Moher. He spoke very fast and not very clearly. We are only getting used to the Irish accent.
The guide on the Galway City Walking Tour also spoke quickly but we were ok because the group was small.
Sabrina and Maria Elena finished out their week of intensive English tuition, planning to spend the weekend in Dublin before returning home to beautiful Vercelli.
As a final question, I asked them if any aspect of their Erasmus Plus stay in Galway at Atlantic could have been better, they said:
Better? No.
Everything was great.
