Voices from Abroad: Angelo Martelli

Vancouver (Canada), Campus Abroad, Simon Fraser University

Students at Simon Fraser University

Campus Abroad in Vancouver was not my first study abroad experience: after attending the summer school of the Phillips Academy Andover (Boston) for two consecutive years, when I was in my third year of the Scientific High School here in Italy, I decided to move to Germany and complete the International Baccalaureate Program at Salem International College on Lake Constance. My ambition has always been to pursue an international education without denying my Italian identity and the need to grow on solid social and cultural roots. For this reason the decision to enroll in the Bachelor of International Economics and Management at Bocconi has allowed me to fulfill the goals I had in mind.

I enthusiastically endorsed the idea of the Campus Abroad program from the first year of university since it seemed a very interesting formula: have an academic experience during the summer, outside Italy, but with professors from Bocconi who are jointly teaching the course with faculty members from the host university, in my case Corporate Banking at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver.

Students at the Granville Street Bridge

It is a well-thought-out recipe because it allows a direct comparison between different teaching methods while sitting in a small class where Bocconi students work closely together with students from the host university. The limited size of the group is an important aspect which aligns our experience to the model of seminar classes typical of British and North American universities. From an academic perspective it was extremely satisfactory and in line with my expectations: not only because of the quality and professionalism of the professors (Giuliano Iannotta and Brunella Bruno from Bocconi, Jorge Cruz Lopez from SFU) and the constant helpfulness of the International Relations staff throughout the entire program, but also because of the series of seminars and social events. We had the opportunity to meet major business leaders from the banking (Royal Bank of Canada, Vancity) and manufacturing industry, who were telling us how they faced the credit crunch and directors of important institutions such as the very active Italian Chamber of Commerce in Vancouver.

A Canadian treetop tour

The one that caught my attention the most was a presentation given by a very sociable middle-aged man – that was my first impression when I had randomly met him at the welcome dinner the night before – but who turned out to be the former CEO of the Labatt Brewing Company, one of the largest brewers in world. His speech gave us the best hindsight and real-world example of the wrong application of the theoretical models we were studying in our Corporate Banking class: taking up too much risk by investing in a housing bubble led to the bankruptcy of the entire company, which at that moment was at the acme of its successful expansion overseas. His anecdotes anticipated many of the dynamics that led to the current financial and economic crisis. Besides classes and seminars, it was an astonishing experience also for the weekend trips during which we dove into Canada's most renowned resource: wild nature. Mountain biking, rafting, ATV tours, zip line and treetop tours, each one of us experienced a real adventure while getting lost in a unique and unforgettable landscape. I would recommend the Campus Abroad program to all Bocconi students because despite its more limited time duration compared to an Exchange, it allows an academic path integration which is the outcome of a confrontation between different teaching methods and approaches. The mere fact that this whole experience takes place outside Italy is an added value.