The first students of the international Master's Degree Programme in European Languages, Cultures and Societies in Contact graduate this spring

On Friday 26 April, the first graduates of the Master's Degree Programme in European Languages, Cultures and Societies in Contact were celebrated at Arcanum.

The Master's Degree Programme is part of the European Campus of City-Universities, or EC2U Alliance, established in 2017. The objective of the Alliance is to create a pan-European campus with a new educational model.

The EC2U Alliance member universities have designed the joint master's degree programmes together. Students have the opportunity to customise a personalised study path, using modules offered by up to four different universities.

Students of the joint degree programmes also have the opportunity to obtain a degree from multiple EC2U universities at the same time.

Of the six students now graduating, three have written their master's thesis in German and three in French. In addition to Turku, they have studied at universities in Italy, Spain, France, Germany and Portugal.

"I felt very welcome in Finland, the university gave me a warm welcome," says Cecilia Piunti.

Students say they particularly appreciate the Finnish master's thesis seminar group, which they say is not available everywhere in Europe. The seminar provided not only guidance but also peer support from fellow students, says Fatima Rguig de Arriba.

"We will definitely take this experience elsewhere!," says Antonella Orologiaio.

Interested in the Finnish education system, Orologiaio is considering applying for a doctorate at the University of Turku.

"I hadn't thought about it before, but the programme makes me feel more prepared."

For Janina Xylander, moving to a new country was exciting, but she saw the programme as a positive challenge.

"The best part has been the mental growth."

Zoé Moujeard and Agnese D'Angelo are also among the students graduating this spring.

For next autumn, seven new students have been selected for the Master's Degree Programme in European Languages, Cultures and Societies in Contact. The students who started in the Programme last autumn are currently continuing their studies.