Awesome! That is what 16 students from Botswana said upon their return from a one month trip to London as part of the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology’s Global Classroom Project.

It was an eye-opening experience and this happened in their first semester of their foundation studies at the university’s campus in Cyberjaya.

The Botswana group was among the 26 students from four countries, mostly taking up graphic design, who continued their studies at the Limkokwing’s campus in London for four weeks. Besides the 16, there were one each from Australia and Brunei, two from Indonesia and six from Malaysia.

They thanked the university’s founder-president Tan Sri Dr Lim Kok Wing for making the Global Classroom Project a reality. The programme has given them an opportunity to expand their horizons.

Aobakwe Pusoetsile Ramadubu, 19, a first semester student in graphic design, said he was elated to be among the few from Botswana to be given the chance to study in London.

“This was my first time in London and it was certainly very cold. I found the Limkokwing London to be a very good campus and we all gained a lot of experience,” he said.

Ramadubu said that, besides attending classes in the morning, they also went on field trips to visit the various museums, including the Natural History Museum. “In my country, there is only one museum and it is boring, but in London there are countless museums and the exhibits are very interesting and educational,” he said.

”In the past, I could only see paintings or designs by Michelangelo from books. In London, I saw his works first-hand in a museum,” he said. His sojourn in London was truly refreshing and educational.

Nnete Onalenna Bareetsi, 19,  noted that Londoners strive to preserve the architecture of the old buildings.  “Most of the renovations are done inside but the facade on the outside is maintained,” she said.

“It is different from Malaysia or even Botswana, where there are a lot of new buildings and they do not have a uniform architecture. It certainly was an exhilarating experience to view all the heritage buildings at close range instead of seeing them in textbooks.”

The student said the neo-classical buildings provided her the inspiration in coming up with design ideas. Given the opportunity, Bareetsi would have extended her stay in London.

Tsaone Chocolate Mogafe, 20, said she and fellow students visited Brighton and Bradford.
“All of us were brimming with ideas even before we came back, and we couldn’t wait to share them with our classmates as part of the semester project,” she said.

Another student, Thabo Mamelodi, said it was his fourth trip to London and it had been most beneficial as he was able to experience what he had studied in the classroom.  “It is truly beautiful in London, and the short stay provided me inspiring ideas,” he said.

For Botho Tshephancy David, 20, he admired the efficient transport system there. “Buses and the tube (underground train) arrive every 15 minutes. London has a very efficient transportation system and this is something that I find very interesting and it should be implemented in my country,” he said.

Oratile Nkape, 19, hoped she could take advantage of the Global Classroom in other countries, especially Cambodia or Bali.

“I find that travelling abroad has expanded my outlook and this is what I got in London,” she said.  Nkape said she would be among the first to sign up if a similar trip to Phnom Penh or Bali is arranged.

The university’s unique Global Classroom offers an opportunity to its students to gain practical training and overseas exposure for at least one month or one semester at one of its five campuses abroad - Jakarta, Beijing, Phnom Penh, Gaborone (Botswana) and London.
The programme allows the students undertake research projects, interest with students from other campuses and learn about diverse cultures overseas.