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Institute of Continuing Education (ICE)

 
Summer Programmes student Robert smiling on top of a roof in cambridge

Robert (22 at the time of interviewing) was studying industrial design at Auburn University in Alabama, USA when he got the opportunity to attend the University of Cambridge’s Summer Programme for four weeks, thanks to a scholarship offered by his high school. 

For Robert, the chance to learn from world-renowned experts in the field of global politics and business and entrepreneurship in the heart of Cambridge opened his eyes to so many different perspectives – and gave him fresh ideas for his future career.

“All of the tutors were so inspirational and knowledgeable that you couldn’t help but listen intently to them,” he said. “Not one speaker was like the other, they were all really interesting. And they were able to describe different events in history in a way that was very fresh and lucid.”

Robert was also surprised by how much he learned from the other students he met at the Summer Programme, who had a wealth of experience between them – and he made some lasting friendships too. “The real highlight was the people that Cambridge allowed me to meet,” he said. “A lot of students already had experience in industry, so it was really interesting to hear their accounts and experiences of what it’s like to actually be in the marketplace. Everybody there wanted to learn as badly as I did. We were in a great environment that really facilitated that, and everyone was really outgoing.”

“I got to meet people not only from the United States but from all over Europe,” he said. “So that was just really cool to form those enduring connections. I know that, if I’m ever travelling to Italy or Malta or up in the northern countries of Scandinavia, I’ll always have somebody I can reach out to and see again, and that is solely due to Cambridge.”

The other highlight for Robert was the opportunity to spend four weeks living in Gonville & Caius College, just metres away from the historic heart of Cambridge. “It’s just a beautiful place, there’s never a bad angle,” he said. “Every walk felt like you were on holiday, taking a tour somewhere, even though you were just riding your bike to class. It just meant so much to be in a College where so many great minds before me have walked through those hallways and across those courtyards. It’s very inspiring and you aspire to follow in their footsteps. 

Robert’s advice for anyone considering studying on the Summer Programme is to seize the opportunity. “If you believe in self-betterment and getting to know some great instructors with a lot of stories that you can apply to your own life, do it,” he said. “I don’t think anybody would leave feeling like they’d wasted their time. Cambridge gives you the opportunity to apply yourself to a renowned institution. You really feel a part of that. It gives you a lot of confidence… I know because of what I gained at Cambridge that I can go anywhere, root myself down there and do good work.” 

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