The winter school was an incredible experience. Vienna’s art and culture scene made the two weeks we spent in Austria's capital like no other. Attending the operas, ballets and classical concerts at night was definitely one of the highlights for me and an opportunity anyone who visits Vienna should take advantage of (especially when made affordable for students with the U27 discounts!). Vienna itself was very well-connected and accessible, and day trips to Bratislava, Prague or Budapest are definitely possible. The variety of cuisines available was also incredible. Having attended other university programs in France, the Netherlands and Germany, I can safely say that Vienna is the one city I would happily come back to again and again.

The “Design, Performance, and Media in Modern Vienna” class with Professor Elena Shapira was great and gave us a great perspective on how the developments in medicine, arts, photography and advertising influenced the types of art pieces that were created at the time. The discussions we had in class were highly insightful as well and gave us the chance to learn about more international perspectives about the issues brought up in class.

The “Art and Visual Culture at the Turn of the Century” class with Professor Monika Schwärzler-Brodesser gave us an in-depth look at some of the most famous pieces of Viennese art as well as some of the lesser-known pieces. The skills in unpacking the visual language of a piece and in generating meaning out of images were invaluable and I will definitely treasure them!

The twice-weekly excursions also gave us a much more in-depth experience of the city than if we had merely been tourists. Seeing some of the most famous pieces in art history in real life after only learning about them from a textbook was definitely a life-changing experience and the context around the art pieces felt very much alive in Vienna.

More than the classes and out-of-classroom learning, the friendships I made with people from all over the world are those that I hold most closely to my heart. Whether it was exploring the city together and riding the tramlines to their very ends or visiting the world-renown attractions like the Belvedere or Prater, the memories we made are irreplaceable and made the two weeks we had known each other feel like years.

If you have an interest in art and culture, good food and studying in one of the most beautiful cities, I would highly recommend Vienna and the winter school program - and because of the wonderful people you’ll meet and the vibrant art scene.

Shermyne Chia, Singapore, 2024