The most innovative universities in the world, in addition to including international exchanges or volunteer activities activities within the curriculum of their students, pay for their first year students Degree stays to"meet the needs of local communities and participate in a variety of cultural enrichment activities", as stated in Princeton University's Bridge Year Program. With this, they seek to "learn about relevant social concerns in the host communities they serve", something similar to what the former student Borja Retana has done, who has collaborated for two and a half months with the Missionaries of Charity in Dublin (Ireland), after completing his project Final Master's Degree at IRIZAR. 

"I made the decision to go to Ireland to improve my knowledge of language English and to have some work experience abroad, before focusing on the domestic market. Once there, I started helping the 'sisters' (Missionaries of Charity) to clean the house, lend a hand in the kitchen, pick up and sort the pallets of food that arrived in vans, as well as other subject chores," says Retana. 

"On Wednesdays, for example, we would set up food and clothing stalls that we would give away to about forty needy families, while on Sundays we had to organize two soup kitchens for a total of seventy homeless people. Then, in the afternoons, I did the intensive English course, which lasted about three hours, until dinner time. And right after that, whoever wanted to, used to pray the rosary or read a book with the sisters in their chapel. 

"I was surprised that they are very humble and helpful people, always with a smile on their face, and they were willing to help anyone in need at any time," maintains the former student of Tecnun. "Generally, they took care of people in need and without a roof over their heads. A maximum of nine residents lived in the house for three months, with the goal to find a job and become better organized in their day-to-day lives," says Retana, who adds: "That's what we volunteers were there for: to offer them all the financial aid possible to improve as people". 

And they not only helped homeless people, but also alcoholics and drug addicts, offering them food and a hot drink. And in cases of extreme need, they would set up an extra bed so that the most needy would spend at least one night in the house. 

But Retana's stay in Ireland was also a time for more. "During my free time I used to visit Dublin with friends, including two colleagues who came to visit me from Spain, with whom I went to visit the Cliffs of Moher (on the west coast of Ireland) and Galway, a beautiful city," recalls Retana. In addition to the English classes that followed, this former student from Tecnun also found time to go to the occasional rugby match, go to the cinema, read in English and do a bit of sport. "But whenever we could help those in need, we helped as much as we could," Retana concludes.