Texas A&M Scholar Studies Engineering in Barcelona

Nisala (Ni) Jayagoda, a Posse Scholar at Texas A&M University, spent two weeks this winter in Barcelona, Spain, studying engineering economics.

The course, part of what Texas A&M calls a “wintermester,” is designed to show students how culture influences economic development. Participants visited local companies, toured museums, and met with Spanish university students.

For Ni, a junior engineering major, studying in Spain felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“We should all keep in mind people’s different cultural perspectives.”

“My professor, Dr. Butenko, imparted that the best way to experience a different culture is to go to the areas that are not very touristy,” he recalls, pointing to a memorable outing to nearby Girona, Spain. “It is relatively poor city because it is not popular with tourists, but we really got to experience what it was like to live in Spain. It was one of my favorite days over there.”

Ni credits the experience abroad with helping him to better understand business interactions on an international scale.

“If I hope to be an international engineer, I need to understand the cultures of different countries,” he says. “Here in America, people feel pressure to balance an intense job, a full social life, a side project, while also keeping an eye out for the next big thing. I learned that not every country has the same priorities, and we should all keep in mind people’s different cultural perspectives.”