By Samantha Younan
For U of T Engineering undergraduate Nadia Scharnhorst (Year 4 EngSci), the world is a classroom.
Scharnhorst has spent two summers on different continents: first through a summer research exchange at Stuttgart University in Germany in 2023 and then, in 2025, at the National University of Singapore, via the Enterprise Summer Program in Entrepreneurship.
“Fitting in a full semester abroad during your time at university can feel daunting, especially if you’re involved in campus design teams or major projects, so having short-term options like the summer research experience was a huge plus,” says Scharnhorst.
“My exchange to Singapore fit perfectly alongside my PEY Co-op internship without delaying my graduation, and at the same time, let me experience the culture and build genuine international connections. That’s what made the experience truly special.”
Each year, students from across U of T Engineering take advantage of a wide range of available experience pathways to conduct research, explore subjects outside of engineering and travel to parts of the world they have not yet seen.
They can choose from several types of international experiences, including academic exchanges, research internships, short-term programs and specialized global learning opportunities, depending on their interests and goals.