Students Case Studies
Tatiana Espana, Colombia
Name: Tatiana Sofia Espana
University: Swansea University
Year of Study and course: Year 2 (2007-08) Civil Engineering
Placement country and company name: Colombia (Armenia) - Observatorio Sismologico de la Universidad del Quindio
I didn’t know about IAESTE until I heard that someone was coming to give a presentation at our University about the opportunity of working abroad during the summer. The idea sounded very exciting to me! After hearing the details and all about the opportunities that were offered, it definitely seemed to be the best work placement I could apply for!
Placement
My placement was based in the Seismologic Observatory of the University of Quindio (OSQ).
The Osq started its activity in 1999 after the Earthquake that, on the 25th of January, destroyed the city. The seismologic network enables them to permanently observe, register and report all the changes in the seismic activity near Quindio and the surrounding areas.
The objective is to develop projects in order to evaluate, understnad and improve the conditions of socially development and determine the conditions of the region in order to prevent disasters and determine areas for future urban development.
The OSQ exists thanks to its “inventor” and director, Ing. Hugo Monsalve Jaramillo and its activities are managed daily by Ing. Juan Carlos Zorrilla Aguirre and its Head of Instrumentation, Ing. Marisol Gomez Cano.
With the help of numerous Civil and Electronic Engineering students, they are able to manage the instrumentation installed in the surrounding area and to classify and localise (and so determine the magnitude of) every movement of the Earth daily.
When I was told about my placement I had no idea about Seismology and expected to be useless there; nor did I think I would have enjoy what I thought would be “office” based work...but I thought I would try, especially for the excitement of an experience abroad. In the Observatory I first took a Seismology Course and was able to work with them in all the activities of the OSQ, interacting with all the students who were working there.
Every week, once a week, I went to visit the different seismologic stations situated in suitable surrounding areas in order to register the seismic activity of the region. There we would provide the instrumentation maintenance and calibration and to download all the data registered.
This gave me the chance to see a lot of amazing places... and always stop for an amazing lunch on the way back! It’s an important part of the description of the placement...because the two hour breaks for lunch, in Colombia, are sacred!
It wasn’t part of the programme, but the amazing students of the OSQ, gave me the chance to have lessons on structural analysis with the Colombian seismic code NSR-98, and exchange with them my experience with the British Standards and European code. I also had the opportunity to learn a lot about the use of bamboo as a sustainable building material...which has now become the subject of my dissertation for my final year!
I would never have thought I could learn so much...
I would never have thought I could be so happy to wake up every morning at 7.00 to run to work in an office...
I would never have thought I could “fall in love” with Earthquakes and be so excited about watching them being registered on a cylinder...
I ended up going to the observatory on Sundays...sometimes!
I’m thinking now of doing a Masters degree there...
The smiles of the people that receive you at work every day, the music in the Observatory, the enthusiasm and intelligence of the students...make you want to learn more, to become a better student, and a better person...make you want tell the world now, that there is a big wide world out there, from which we have a lot to learn...
Conclusion
It was one of the best experiences of my life…and I’m not saying it because I just came back and that I’m still very excited and would like to still be there…I mean it.
I have had a lot of experiences abroad, visited a lot of countries, met a lot of different people, but going to Colombia with the IAESTE program, gave me the opportunity of knowing every aspect of the country. I could appreciate the University life, the working approach, the everyday life, the culture all over the country. I learnt more in these two months, than in 4 years of University…in both an academic and a personal way. I now have a wider view on the professional world, which will definitely have a big influence on my choices for the future.
