Lukas Graser feeding kangaroos at Billabong Sanctuary

«My name is Lukas Graser and I’m currently studying Aviation with a specialization in Operational Engineering at Zurich University of Applied Sciences. Besides being passionate about flying I always like to discover new, interesting kite spots at different places.I decided to do my exchange semester at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia. Why Australia? I’ve never been Down Under and its Aviation education and industry are of great importance to the country with its vast territory. The distances inside Australia are enormous. A trip from Melbourne to Cairns stretches over 3’000 kilometers. Compared to Europe this would be a journey from Tallinn in Estonia to Neaples in Italy, crossing five countries.

With the broad spectrum of Aviation courses, Swinburne University was the perfect choice to study abroad. With 53’000 students, of which 8500 are international, Swinburne University educates a large number of students. This situation is very well reflected by the fact that Swinburne has its own trains station in the middle of the campus.

The courses I chose in my exchange semester focused on economic, financial, managerial and operational aspects of aviation. Combined with the previous learned, rather technical skills at ZHAW, this was a great opportunity to broaden my academic horizons. A study trip to the Qantas’ headquarters in Sydney at the end of the semester allowed me to gain unique insights in a major Australian Airline.»

Swinburne University Campus

Looking to the South from the Eureka Tower in Melbourne