Voices from Abroad: Alessandro Bizzarro

Vancouver (Canada), Exchange Program: University of British Columbia, Sauder School of Business
Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Campus Abroad Program: American University
Bangkok (Thailand), Italian Chambers of Commerce: Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce
Sydney (Australia), CEMS MIM: University of Sydney Business School

Today, as I make my final arrangements to leave for Sydney, I'm reflecting on the opportunities that I have had to go on international exchange programs during my career at Bocconi. My journey, which took me to amazing and unforgettable places, began at Vancouver in Canada, and now will take me to Sydney, for the last semester of the CEMS Master in International Management.

View of North Vancouver

During the last three years I lived in four different countries and on four different continents – from North America to the Middle East then Asia and now Australia.

Variety has always been one of my main objectives in deciding the destinations of my experiences abroad. For me, a variety of experiences means more opportunities to learn and more opportunities to have fun. There is nothing as exciting as exploring new countries, cities and cultures.

There are probably two sides of these experiences abroad; the pragmatic one and the emotional one. They are both important but one (the pragmatic) is probably the more important one to convince our families and ourselves that we are ready to face the challenges of living abroad. The other (the emotional) is stronger and will stay with us forever.

I'll start with the most pragmatic side of the coin.

I feel really lucky that Bocconi, unlike most Italian universities, gives us an incredible amount of opportunities to study and work abroad and this is one of the main reasons why our Athenaeum comes alongside the most prestigious institutions in Europe and all over the world.

To be competitive at an international level in an increasingly "flat" world, students can greatly benefit from staying in different countries across the globe and meeting people from different cultural backgrounds. These experiences will help us get ready to face the rapidly globalizing international environment in both – our personal and professional lives. It's not only about the value these experiences have on our résumés but also above all, the opportunity to develop an international mindset, to increase our culture and knowledge, and to make friends and relationships, which last a lifetime.

In an academic path, I believe that a combination of classroom lectures and out-of-class experiences such as travelling, interacting with people with a diverse background creates an enriching learning opportunity.

Moving to the emotional side of the coin, it is difficult to put on paper all the emotions and feelings that I have gained from my experiences abroad.

When I had to choose the exchange destination for my Bachelor, I opted for Vancouver, at that time the city with the highest standard of living in the world. It is a place that combines a vibrant downtown with amazing landscapes of the ocean and the mountains. It is incredible how you can admire the ocean and the city as a whole while you are skiing down the mountains. The campus life was thrilling and the environment was so captivating that even now after two years it is difficult for me to imagine a more pleasing stay.

Just one month after coming back from exchange, I decided to go east of Milan. I joined the Campus Abroad program in Dubai, where I experienced the unique spectacular story of success and progress the city witnessed during the last twenty years.

Alessandro and another Bocconi student in Kuala Lumpur for Malaysian Independence Day

Living in different places also means an opportunity to meet a varying mix of people and this element helped me a lot in developing a non-conventional way of thinking. I studied, I travelled and I worked with people I met and thanks to them, my mindset and approach to problems has changed.

Additionally, living in places far from Italy allows you to visit places that you would generally not consider visiting such as the small villages in Asia. I had never been to Asia before I moved to Bangkok, which is a strategic hub to discover South-East Asia as a whole. As I was still a student I was excited to use the cheap and frequent flights to visit Cambodia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and India during the weekends. They were great adventures and during my holidays I also met three friends and classmates who were from South-East Asia or were working there like me. Not only did I enjoy my travels and adventures there, but I also used this experience to acquire a critical understanding of the business environment in Asia, with a particular focus on the ASEAN community.

Looking back, I feel really lucky for the experiences that I had while studying/living far from Italy and I would never regret the decision to leave.

Friends and feelings will stay with me forever and I will never forget the vast range of emotions that I experienced – the thrill of living abroad, the excitement of trying out new things, from spicy food to riding a boat in the backwaters of Cambodia, the joy of experiencing nature while skiing down from Vancouver, and being awestruck by Dubai – a thriving city right in the middle of the Arabian desert.

I will be in Sydney in two weeks and I cannot wait to discover another continent, with its amazing places, traditions and habits! What about you guys – ready to explore the world?