A LUISS Success Story: Aldo Santalco talks about Shanghai

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Mon, 03/17/2014 - 12:48

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Aldo Santalco

"My dream now is to go back to Shanghai and work": Aldo Santalco, a LUISS graduate, fell in love with Asia while doing his Double Degree at the University of Fudan. After earning his bachelor’s degree at LUISS, he decided to embark on a new adventure and enrolled in the master’s degree program in Management. No challenge seemed more exciting to him than the Fudan Double Degree program: "It was an unforgettable experience that changed me profoundly.”

What made him decide to go? "My ambitions, hopes and insight were always the primary driving forces, but having a lot of perseverance and patience proved indispensable." After spending a year in Shanghai during his master’s degree, Aldo worked for Ferrero in Hong Kong. Then he graduated, had his thesis published by a German publishing house, and returned to Europe, a different person: "My experience in China really shaped me: it made me stronger and taught me how to deal with situations that were quite difficult at times. Living in Shanghai, you get to know yourself a lot better as every day brings a new challenge."

Now he is a Junior Consultant for Towers Watson and lives in Brussels. Despite being so far away, he feels that Shanghai has become a part of him, as it has for all of the Double Degree alumni. “The network of participants in the Double Degree program is undoubtedly one of the most close-knit. We’ve built friendships and relationships that will last the rest of our lives." You might even run into your old colleagues from Shanghai in a restaurant in Brussels or in front of the Grand Palace in Bangkok, which has happened to this former LUISS student.

"I always considered the Double Degree to be a life experience rather than just an academic experience.” To anyone who is thinking of following in his footsteps, Aldo says, without reservations, “Shanghai awaits. Have a good trip!”