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My Erasmus+ ICM Exchange at the University of Canberra by Danielle Bonnici

My name is Danielle Bonnici and I am a student at the Institute for Physical Education & Sport at the University of Malta. In July of 2025, I left my hometown in the south of Malta to go live and study in the Australian Capital Territory. I spent two semesters studying at the University of Canberra (UC).

Like many Australian cities, Canberra is diverse and multicultural, shaped by immigration. While Canberra is largely known as Australia’s administrative capital, it also hosts University students from around 100 countries. Thanks to this, I had the opportunity to learn about different cultures through the students I met and the friendships I made. Canberra also has great food, with restaurants offering authentic cuisine from around the world.

What I liked most about the peaceful city of Canberra was the clean air, wide-open spaces, swimming in the river, hiking through the hills with views of the surrounding mountains and watching the beautiful pink and orange sunsets.

Canberra also has an excellent cycling network and I was able to commute by bike almost everywhere. There were also many other opportunities to keep active, especially through clubs and societies with my personal favourites being Off the Grid Girls, a women-led hiking and outdoor adventure group, and the UC Stars Football Club.

At UC, many of the lectures were recorded or delivered online, which made it easier for me to follow and revisit the material. In-person tutorials allowed me to ask questions, consolidate my learning and see theory put into practice.

My favourite units were the ‘Enacting Indigenous Pedagogies in Australian Education’ and ‘The Commercialisation of Sport’ units, which brought new perspectives that challenged the way I viewed different topics in sport, teaching and even my own way of life. All my tutors have provided continuous ongoing support and detailed feedback to make the lectures and tutorials as relevant and impactful as possible for our future careers.

The Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility programme gave me the opportunity to take part in this exchange. I am very grateful to the exchange advisors from both the University of Malta and the University of Canberra, who were always receptive and helpful, as well as the Institute of Sport and Physical Education for its encouragement and support throughout my exchange.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the University of Malta. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.