The GO Summer! Bursary and the Turing Scheme offer Queen Mary full-time undergraduate students the chance to apply for partial funding from Queen Mary towards the cost of participating in one from a selection of Queen Mary’s partner summer schools abroad. In this blog, Queen Mary Law student, William, will outline an unforgettable week-long experience in Almería, studying ‘Entrepreneurship: From Business Idea Identification to Business Opportunity Exploitation’.

The course was just one week, but provided enough time to study and enjoy the cultural, sporting and leisure activities which the beautiful city had to offer. The tuition fee was $600, which was covered by the Queen Mary GO Summer! Bursary I received, which also covered my flight to Almería.

Landing in Almería from Heathrow, I was hit by the high temperature, which often reached 33°C, with humidity around 90%! However, whilst getting a taxi to my accommodation it became clear that Almería’s long coastline would provide plenty of opportunities to cool down in the sea and to indulge in the plethora of air-conditioned tapas bars dotted along the beach.

Academic Life in Almería

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday were dedicated to the immersive and engaging sessions at the University De Almería. Led by seasoned business professors and entrepreneurs, the course focused on various aspects of business entrepreneurship, from spotting opportunities to exploiting them. I learnt many commercial concepts which will complement my own studies back in London.

The classes also provided the opportunity to develop several essential career skills – presenting to an audience of around 50 young entrepreneurs, and networking with welcoming, hardworking students from Germany, France, Mexico, Hungary and more.

The University also organised an academic visit to Clisol Agro – a local business start-up which grows thousands of high-quality tomatoes to supply Spain and Europe. It was incredible to see first-hand how the business implemented cost-saving and revenue maximisation measures, recycling water and controlling pests, for example. My group also had the opportunity to taste tomatoes grown at the plantation, which were delicious!

Cultural Life

On Friday evening, I had the pleasure of visiting the Alcazaba – a large fortress built in 955 AD. It was incredible to be able to walk around the scene of many historical battles, and its aesthetic building provided filming locations for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, as well as Wonder Woman 1984.

I also enjoyed catching the open-sided train in Almería, which took us around many of the historical and cultural sites, including the Alcazaba, the Cathedral, Cable Ingles (a railway pier), and many others. Another way of travelling around the city is by renting a bicycle. By virtue of the GoSummer bursary funding I received, I was able to rent a high-quality bike for $12 for 24 hours from a rental shop located a 2-minute walk from the accommodation, which provided a locked room in which to store the bike overnight. You can get anywhere 10X faster and avoid the heat! The bike lanes in Almería were also excellent and covered a large majority of the city. Just remember to ride on the right side of the road! There were also many local markets to enjoy, tapas bars, and Spanish supermarkets.

Overall, thanks to the Queen Mary GO Summer! Bursary, my week in Almería was enriching, educational, relaxing and extremely enjoyable. I have met incredible people from around the world, boosted my CV, experienced local culture and greatly improved my suntan. My only regret was that I couldn’t stay for longer!