These days the University of Cantabria is hosting a welcome and orientation days for the second group of exchange students from the 2014-2015 academic year. There are about 170 students who are still enrolling at University.

These students are joining the more than 220 who arrived in September, coming to study through Erasmus Programmes and other programmes and bilateral agreements with other universities, such as 18 of the students coming from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, who took a tailor-made course in Spanish language and Culture during a short period of between one to three months.

The group received in this first semester includes 38 Americans, 34 Italians, 29 Mexicans, 19 French, 17 U.K. students, 15 Germans, 10 chilenos, 4 Belgians, 4 Brazilians. The rest come from countries as diverse as Austria, Australia, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Slovenia, Morocco, Greece, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Turkey and Poland.

Cultural Tourism

The welcoming sessions began yesterday, with an informative talk and guided tours of the campus by the mentors, UC students who were previously Erasmus students, recluted by the Vice President for internationalization.

The International Relations Office (ORI) is responsible for informing and guiding foreign students throughout their stay, but especially during these early days in Cantabria. The guidance programme includes recreational and cultural activities to help foreigners integrate and come into contact with local students.

Due to the cold spell, these young people have only been able to visit Santander and its bay. The excursion to the Picos de Europa Mountains was postponed and visits to emblematic points of Cantabria, which tend to be those such as Comillas, Santillana del Mar and the replica of the Altamira Caves, will depend on the condition of the roads.