Global Opportunities for UPM Students: Testimonials from Abroad

My time at UPM has been one of the most important stages of my life. Not only because of the strong technical education, but because of everything that surrounds it: the atmosphere at the school, the projects, the clubs, and the student organizations. That ecosystem pushes you to grow, to learn how to work in a team, and to take on responsibilities that go far beyond the coursework.

During those years, I met some of my closest friends—people with whom I’ve shared exams, long nights of studying, conferences, trips, andmany laughs. In the end, UPM is not just a place where you attend classes; it is an environment where you build a very important part of your personal and academic life.

Academically, UPM has opened doors for me that I never could have imagined a few years ago. Thanks to its international partnerships, I have been able to come to the United States, to Georgia Tech, as part of a double master’s agreement with one of the best universities in the country. This opportunity reflects the level and the recognition that UPM students have outside of Spain.

And all of this comes with the advantage of being a public university: first-class education and experiences at an almost symbolic cost when compared to many universities—for example, in the United States. Many times, when you’re there, you don’t fully appreciate everything you have; but when you look back with some perspective, you realize that UPM offers an exceptional experience and preparation.

Published: 24^th November 2025

Carlos Lasso de la Vega Sueiro and Manuel Jiménez Martínez are two students at George Mason University that will be starting to work in the USA at the end of January.  

Both studied their bachelor’s degree in Telecommunication Engineering (GITST) at ETSIT-UPM and once finished decided to enroll the MSc in Telecommunication Engineering (ABET and EURACE accredited) at ETIST-UPM in dual degree with George Mason University (GMU).  

In 2021, despite of the complex sanitary situation due to COVID19, they enrolled the MSc in Electrical Engineering with concentration on Space-based Systems, graduating in December 2021.  

During their time in this American university, they had incredible experiences and had time to work in the university, Carlos as a teacher assistant in the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), whereas Manuel as a research assistant in a group related with 5G in the same department.  

They both believe that the demanding studies at UPM have very much helped them during their stay at GMU, having both had some experience working in Spain on specific topics such as communication systems or RF. Manuel, with his internship in Indra – a leading Spanish IT Company and a multinational in Europe and Latin America, and Carlos, thanks to his Master Thesis on 5G technologies, felt very well prepared to face their experience at GMU.  

After all these years studying, their student’s careers finally come to an end when, at the end of January, they started working in the United States. Manuel works at Cobham, San Francisco, CA, the largest provider of analog and hardened technology of the US aerospace and defense industry, finding solutions for the entire signal chain; and Carlos works in Qualcomm, Boulder, CO, a 5G related company that is inventing new 5G technologies, often redefining the boundaries of wireless, and collaborating with the mobile ecosystem to make 5G technologies a commercial reality. 

Published: December 2021

During the academic year 2022/23, five undergraduate and master students from the Technical University of Madrid (UPM) have been able to experience a research stay at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in the United States.  

Thanks to the fact that the UPM is one of the Spanish universities with more variety in internationally accredited engineering degrees, students with very different backgrounds have been able to come to one of the best universities in the world to collaborate on research projects about very diverse topics, such as batteries materials, deep learning devices, analysis of feelings through machine learning, urban planning or breath analyzers based on semiconductor materials. 

Besides being an incredible academic opportunity, it is also being a very valuable life experience for us, already allowing us to experience other realities and understand the ways of working in other parts of the world. 

Now each one of them will make a small reflection of what this experience has meant for us: 

Pedro Carrero: I am Pedro, a student of the Materials Engineering degree and my stay is being carried out in the Laboratory for Electrochemical Interfaces group, which is part of Nuclear Science and Engineering. During my stay I will participate in two projects related to lithium batteries and solid-state batteries of composite materials. This opportunity is being amazing at a professional and personal level and makes me appreciate my past training at UPM. I would also like to encourage colleagues to make the most of being in this university, both academically and in terms of mobility grants and internships because it really offers unique opportunities. 

Luis de la Cal: I am Luis, I graduated in Software Engineering and I am currently studying a Master in Software for Distributed and Embedded Systems, I am doing my internship at the Center for Collective Intelligence (CCI). This lab focuses on the role of technology in analyzing and improving human interactions in order to promote collective intelligence. I am collaborating in different projects applying Machine Learning to the analysis of plants as biosensors and creating multimodal human sentiment analysis systems.

This experience is giving me the opportunity to explore areas of knowledge that I had never thought of entering, offering me new perspectives and helping me to meet people from other fields that always offer a valuable point of view. Even if you don’t want to travel, I recommend everyone to get out of their comfort zone and talk to people different from them, as Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “A mind expanded by new experiences can never return to its old dimensions”. 

Alejandra Encinar: I am Alejandra, a student in the Mathematics and Computer Science degree and I am doing my stay in a group called City Science. This group aims to improve the quality of life of people by designing spaces where to live and work while creating more sustainable mobility systems between these spaces. In this way, they are trying to achieve an environment that is both innovative and sustainable. So far it has been an incredible experience and I can say that it has been worth the effort invested during these years, so I encourage everyone to fight for what you want despite the stones you find on the way! 

Pilar Martínez: I am Pilar, a student of the Master of Mining Engineering and I am doing research stay on materials characterization for Electrochemical Ionic Synapses (EIS) and modeling os EIS. I would like to leave a phrase of the actress, Toni Acosta, that for me means what it has been like to come to MIT: “Dreams are not fulfilled, like a birthday. Dreams come early in the morning, you work hard, you study, you work and one day maybe that dream will come true”. Coming to MIT is a dream come true, and working hard previously both academically and in scholarships at the UPM is what has led me to be here. I encourage everyone to strive to achieve their dreams 😉 

David Morales: I am David, a student of the Biomedical Engineering degree, and the truth is that since I entered the UPM I knew about the existence of this program, as coming to MIT was one of my dreams since I was a kid. I’m not going to lie, it has not been an easy road to get here, but I can say that it has undoubtedly been worth it. Currently, I am working on a project to develop a breathalyzer that will help diagnose a variety of diseases just by analyzing patients’ breath samples, which will help achieve an instant, simple and inexpensive diagnosis of many conditions. 

Published: December 2022

José Laso is a master’s student at IIT while also working as a composer and performer in bars across Chicago.

He completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Telecommunications Engineering and is now studying the Master’s Degree in Telecommunications Engineering, both at ETSIT/UPM.

He is currently at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, studying an MSc in Electrical and Computer Engineering as part of the dual-degree program offered by ETSIT/UPM for master’s students.

What is your life like in Chicago?

“Chicago is a city full of things to do. I love music, and for the past few years I’ve been playing the guitar and writing songs (this year I released my first handful of songs on Spotify). Chicago is great in that sense because it probably has one of the best music scenes in the country. As soon as I arrived, I found a handful of bars that host open mics, and they’ve become meeting points every now and then for the Spanish students living here. It’s a moment where we all get together and practically take over the bar, and for me it’s also a chance to play live.”

What other activities do you do besides university?

“Apart from playing live, I’ve focused mainly on the master’s program, which takes a lot of time and requires dedication. On the other hand, I joined a basketball team formed by some of the Spanish students at IIT for an internal university league, and we’re doing pretty well so far. Other than that, I’ve traveled quite a bit (although I hope to do even more).”

What are your future plans?

“My idea for the future is, once I finish the master’s here, to try to find a job and stay in Chicago for a while. It’s a difficult process that most students who come here go through, but in the end, the vast majority manage to find work.”

Published: April 2022