Former student recounts how exchange experiences contributed to her academic journey and work in Environmental Law

Alessandra Sandini completed her Master’s in Law and Social Justice at FURG in 2024. Since her undergraduate studies, she had dreamed of going on an academic exchange. After waiting some time for the opportunity, Alessandra experienced what she describes as one of the best moments of her life. During her master’s program, she participated in two academic mobility programs — one in Latin America and another in Europe — experiences she considers truly transformative.

While studying Law at FURG, Alessandra learned about REINTER and the university’s academic mobility programs with partner institutions. However, as she completed most of her undergraduate degree during the pandemic, she had to postpone her dream.

Once she began her master’s, she set out to make that dream a reality. She discovered the ESCALA Program, part of the Montevideo Group of Universities (AUGM), through REINTER's social media and communications from the Graduate Program in Law and Social Justice at FURG. With the encouragement of her advisor, she successfully applied and began her first exchange at the Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL), in Santa Fe, Argentina, where she studied for four months.

“In Argentina, the biggest challenge at first was the language. At the time, my Spanish was still basic, and keeping up with the regular classes in Environmental Law and Intellectual Property required extra effort. Fortunately, the university offered free Spanish courses for international students,” Alessandra explains. She also shared that, as she was in the qualification phase of her thesis, the period was particularly demanding. Nevertheless, the challenges did not prevent her from having a rewarding experience.

Throughout her two exchanges, Alessandra had the opportunity to visit eight different countries. She highlights the spontaneity of an unplanned trip as one of those “only happens on exchange” moments:
"Four friends and I — each from a different country — decided on a last-minute road trip with no real planning, just a strong desire to explore the culture. It was amazing, and we laughed a lot,” she recalls.

Alessandra and friends at Salinas Grandes in Jujuy, Argentina. (Photo: Personal Archive)

Even after returning from Argentina, her desire to explore new cultures remained strong. She applied for the European Union’s ERASMUS Mundus Program and was selected to study at the University of Cádiz, in Spain, for six months.

Compared to her first exchange, she noted a stronger cultural contrast in Spain. The food and academic experience were also different:
"Classes were more dynamic, with many debates, oral presentations, and content delivered in both Spanish and English,” she says.
"As a Latin American, living in a European context required greater openness to understand new habits and lifestyles. Still, the network of exchange students was very welcoming — everyone was eager to make friends, share experiences, and offer support."

Alessandra and friends in Cádiz, Spain. (Photo: Personal Archive)

Throughout the interview, the lawyer emphasized how essential these international experiences were to her academic and professional development. One standout moment was her participation in a volunteer project with a group of migrants in Spain:
"It was an enriching experience, both for the contact with very different realities and for the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to something larger,” she says.

"My thesis became much richer thanks to the international experience, especially because I had the opportunity to work with comparative law in practice, observing different legal and social approaches in the countries where I studied,” Alessandra shares.

Today, she works as a lawyer specializing in environmental and regulatory law and recognizes that her academic mobility experiences during her master’s had a profound impact on her career. "The international experiences directly shaped my professional journey, going far beyond improving my Spanish fluency. They gave me meaningful, transformative experiences that broadened my worldview and improved my ability to adapt to multicultural environments," she affirms.

She also highlights: "Living with different realities and observing social and environmental practices in other countries helped me develop a more critical, comparative, and open mindset — both personally and professionally. This direct contact with other cultures awakened in me a constant desire to keep learning, exchanging, and growing through new international experiences," she concludes.
(Photo: Personal Archive)