Voices from Abroad

Dimitri Pun in Sydney - Part 1

by Dimitri Pun
Undergraduate student Dimitri Pun shares his experience studying abroad in Sydney
G’day mates! For those of you who have not followed my previous study-abroad adventure, my name is Dimitri Pun and I am a sophomore at NYU Stern from Port-au-Prince, Haiti. This semester I am studying at NYU Sydney.

First, I would love to point out that this is my second semester (of three total) abroad, having spent my fall semester at NYU Shanghai. I chose to study abroad in Sydney this spring for many reasons:
  1. I wanted to expand my knowledge of different cultures and perspectives and felt that doing a whole year abroad in places I have never even dreamt of living in could be an amazing opportunity to do just that!
  2. Australia, with its exotic wildlife, distinct culture, and magnificent geography is one of the most interesting places in the world and I knew I could learn a lot from living here.
  3. I was able to enroll in two core Stern classes (Intro to Marketing and Foundations of Finance), knowing that I would be on track to finish my anticipated concentration of Finance and minor in Computer Science.
Going on to life here in Sydney, I only have one word for it: magical!

Undergraduate business student Dimitri Pun poses with three friends while studying abroad in Sydney, Australia.

The faculty here at NYU Sydney provide a great support system and the academic aspect is challenging and interesting. I am currently taking the above-mentioned two Stern classes, as well as the Global Media seminar and a Creative Writing course.

Because of NYU Sydney’s smaller size, I am afforded a more intimate classroom setting to learn Finance and Marketing, which allows me to create meaningful bonds with my professors and gain a deeper understanding of the topics presented.

I will also serve as the Global Equity Fellow at NYU Sydney, where I help to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion and serve as a resource that allows every student to feel a part of a broader community and have their own salient identities recognized and celebrated.

Life outside of the classroom is both similar and different from living in New York City. While the downtown Sydney Central Business District looks and feels like Manhattan, the pace of life is much slower than NYC. I’ve learned that Australia is very much a multicultural society, which has allowed me to experience diverse cultures all housed in a large metropolitan coastal area.

Undergraduate student Dimitri Pun smiles next to a fluffy koala as it hugs a tree at a wildlife park in Sydney, Australia.

Over the course of this semester I hope to become a true Australian (a can of Vegemite, anyone?), plan to travel more around Australia, and perhaps visit New Zealand (the home of my favorite artist, Lorde, who I hope to catch on the streets of Auckland). In the meantime, I’d be happy to answer any questions and if you’d like to see my daily life, catch me on Instagram @dimitripun.

Business student Dimitri Pun poses with a friend in Sydney, Australia.