Study Abroad is taking a group of students to Florence, Italy in fall when students can indulge in Italian food, culture, and art studies.Rita D. Amicio and Karen Carlisi, instructors leading the trip, have prepared am itinerary that includes 11 transferrable course units, exciting excursions, and classes that equip students in Italian culture.We offer five classes [for the trip] that are all general education requirements,said Carlisi.
Classes include Italian language, civilization, film as dramatic literature, humanities, intercultural communication, and an English class with a concentration in Henry James and John Ruskin.According to Carlisi, classes will be held in the American Institute for Foreign Studies center, a scholar program in adjunct with study abroad trips, providing students with a classroom and study center.Classes are from Monday through Thursday and students have the weekend to travel freely.According to the study abroad website, the cost of the trip is $7,820 and covers certain expenses such as airfare, living quarters, concerts, and excursions to historical sites.This is an amazing deal, said Carlisi.It's one of the lowest cost trips to Florence that we've ever had.
Students can also get a meal plan for an extra $400 that is good for many trattorias and restaurants in the city. Students will stay in two bedroom, shared apartments for the duration of the trip.In addition, there is a planned day trip to Rome, Sienna, and San Gimignano all covered by the prepaid price.I encourage students to go. I went on a study abroad trip as a graduate student and it was a life changing experience,said Carlisi.Interested students should attend the information meeting at noon or 6:00 p.m on April 7 in C217.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Study Abroad Program in Japan cancelled by CSUN
California State University, Northridge, has cancelled its study abroad program in Japan after the the triple whammy of a devastating 9.0-magnitude earthquake, a tsunami, and radiation leaks at nuclear facilities in Fukushima. Chancellor Charles B. Reed immediatelly recalled all 22 California State University system students studying in Japan.Three of the four Northridge students who attended school in Kyoto more than 500 miles away from the quake epicenter have returned or are en route to the United States after months learning Japanese culture and language.Now, we must reinstate the study abroad students into the program at CSUN,” said Dr. Aki Hirota, Japanese Section Head, Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures.Students will be awarded credit for the work they completed overseas.
A source of frustration, according to Hirota, was the uncertainty of what would be waiting for the students when the arrived back in the states.One member of the program had to stay in Japan to secure a new student visa, while another wanted to stay and help.I was against leaving Japan at the time of the quake and tsunami,said CSUN student Nick Winegar in an email.I wanted to find a way to help out in any way I could. I felt I was in no danger since the earthquake and tsunami were over.Winegar said he searched for locally to donate anything he could: money, clothes, blood. Even more than that, he wanted to provide physical help, but he said his presence would probably have been more of a burden than anything.
Since the quake, I have had a strong enforcement to the respect I give the Japanese society, Winegar said.After an earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear scare, the Japanese people and society stay strong and resourceful.Winegar said he expects to be living in the Santa Clarita Valley when he returns, but he said that the immediate order to evacuate left him with little time to plan a living situation.I was definitely unhappy,said James Her, a CSUN student who returned last week after six months at Japan’s Ryûkoku University.But I expected our university to either suspend the program or terminate it solely for the safety of the students studying abroad on behalf of the university.
When the earthquake hit Japan on March 11, Her was in Seoul, Korea. He travelled across three countries in three days to get his affairs in order to leave Japan.After a $3,000 one-way plane ticket back to the United States, Her said the hardest part was not being able to say goodbye to the people he met and the friends he made in program.They went under the auspice of the CSU system,Dr. Hirota said.They had to come back because we were responsible for them.The students will be reimbursed for unexpected funds collected by CSU’s Office of International Programs, according to a memo from CSU Chancellor Reed.Her, who was awarded a scholarship, does not expect to be reimbursed for his tuition.I understand Japan was nationally in a state of emergency and our university and our head of the Japanese department back in America was only doing what they felt was safe and right,Her said.It is a rare occurrence and I know there are others, especially in Japan, that had suffered a much greater loss than I have, so I have no room for greed.
A source of frustration, according to Hirota, was the uncertainty of what would be waiting for the students when the arrived back in the states.One member of the program had to stay in Japan to secure a new student visa, while another wanted to stay and help.I was against leaving Japan at the time of the quake and tsunami,said CSUN student Nick Winegar in an email.I wanted to find a way to help out in any way I could. I felt I was in no danger since the earthquake and tsunami were over.Winegar said he searched for locally to donate anything he could: money, clothes, blood. Even more than that, he wanted to provide physical help, but he said his presence would probably have been more of a burden than anything.
Since the quake, I have had a strong enforcement to the respect I give the Japanese society, Winegar said.After an earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear scare, the Japanese people and society stay strong and resourceful.Winegar said he expects to be living in the Santa Clarita Valley when he returns, but he said that the immediate order to evacuate left him with little time to plan a living situation.I was definitely unhappy,said James Her, a CSUN student who returned last week after six months at Japan’s Ryûkoku University.But I expected our university to either suspend the program or terminate it solely for the safety of the students studying abroad on behalf of the university.
When the earthquake hit Japan on March 11, Her was in Seoul, Korea. He travelled across three countries in three days to get his affairs in order to leave Japan.After a $3,000 one-way plane ticket back to the United States, Her said the hardest part was not being able to say goodbye to the people he met and the friends he made in program.They went under the auspice of the CSU system,Dr. Hirota said.They had to come back because we were responsible for them.The students will be reimbursed for unexpected funds collected by CSU’s Office of International Programs, according to a memo from CSU Chancellor Reed.Her, who was awarded a scholarship, does not expect to be reimbursed for his tuition.I understand Japan was nationally in a state of emergency and our university and our head of the Japanese department back in America was only doing what they felt was safe and right,Her said.It is a rare occurrence and I know there are others, especially in Japan, that had suffered a much greater loss than I have, so I have no room for greed.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Japanese students share thier study abroad experiences
UW sophomore Mike Thielk was studying abroad in Sendai, Japan on Friday, March 11 when a 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the northeast coast of the nation. He was one of 24 UW students in Japan when the earthquake hit.I thought I was going to die,Thielk wrote in an email.I was in a research lab in an older building on a mountain during the earthquake. The lab had a lot of damage.The earthquake was the most powerful on record to hit Japan. Its reverberations triggered a tsunami that washed over the nation and caused extensive damage along the eastern coast of the country. Japan’s National Police Agency has stated that the official death toll has exceeded 10,000 people, and over 16,000 more have been reported missing.
Sendai, the city in which Thielk was studying, was the nearest major city to the quake. The surrounding area has suffered the most extensive damage. Thielk’s dorm was without power and water until Saturday night. The water they did receive that night ran out Sunday.I am looking for a way to leave Sendai for a while,Thielk wrote.UW is advising me to leave, but they have even less information than I do.Brent Barker, UW travel security and information manager, said that the UW made contact with 17 of the 24 students within three days after the earthquake hit. The remaining students have since been accounted for and are unharmed.
While we don’t have any immediate concerns, we still want to close the loop and make sure [the students] are fine,Barker said.We are trying [to reach the students] by all means possible: phoning, emails and doing searches.Barker said that Thielk is the only student he feels should leave the area. He said it is likely that the UW will let most of the students continue their studies in Japan since there is not significant damage in other areas of the nation, such as Tokyo.UW professors Robert and Saadia Pekkanen and professor Jody Bourgeois were also in Japan at the time of the earthquake. All three have confirmed that they are safe.
Robert Pekkanen, the chair of the Japan Studies Program, and Saudi Pekkanen, Job and Gertrud Tamaki professor, are both back in the United States. Bourgeois is a professor of earth and space sciences and is scheduled to return to the United States on Thursday.In Japan for research purposes, Bourgeios was located at the Sapporo Institute of Seismology and Volcanology at Hokkaido University at the time of the earthquake.I got motion sickness,wrote Bourgeois in an email.I felt like my building was a boat, and the earth had become the sea.Bourgeois was on the island of Hokkaido in Japan to study the relationships between earthquakes and tsunamis. The island suffered minimal damage during the earthquake and had little devastation. Bourgeois is hoping to learn from the disaster, but right now, her main concern is for the well-being of the Japanese people.Students can also get a lot of exposure while studying in such universities and different course Mathematics,International Agricultural Sciences and Bioinformatics.
This event is right up my research alley,she wrote.I was not afraid, just awestruck. The motion was more rolling than shaking, and it was moderate rattling windows but nothing falling over. I was very surprised that the motion kept going, so after a while, I looked at my watch to time it.Three UW graduate students were also in Japan during the earthquake, attending a civil-engineering conference to study earthquake engineering at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. All three students are now back in the United States.
Po-Chien Hsiao, one of the UW graduate engineering students, was more fortunate than Thielk in terms of the earthquake. Hsiao said he was on a bus in Tokyo during the earthquake and didn’t realize an earthquake had struck until he reached his hotel. He said that he woke up numerous times during the night because of aftershocks.Keith Palmer, another UW graduate student and structural engineer focusing specifically on how to reinforce buildings for earthquakes, was in Sapporo, Japan, during the earthquake.The earthquake] added some more motivation to what I am studying,Palmer said.It reinforced that I chose the right field. It’s a pretty important field, and we still have a lot of work to do.Since the earthquake, Thielk said he had not seen many relief efforts in Sendai. Despite the situation, he wrote that the people have not panicked.The Japanese have been very calm and collected despite being without power or water for two days,he said of conditions after the quake.Barker said that the UW’s main concern is Thielk’s safety, which is why they want him to leave Sendai. The UW will determine what the other students in Japan should do on a case-by-case basis.
Sendai, the city in which Thielk was studying, was the nearest major city to the quake. The surrounding area has suffered the most extensive damage. Thielk’s dorm was without power and water until Saturday night. The water they did receive that night ran out Sunday.I am looking for a way to leave Sendai for a while,Thielk wrote.UW is advising me to leave, but they have even less information than I do.Brent Barker, UW travel security and information manager, said that the UW made contact with 17 of the 24 students within three days after the earthquake hit. The remaining students have since been accounted for and are unharmed.
While we don’t have any immediate concerns, we still want to close the loop and make sure [the students] are fine,Barker said.We are trying [to reach the students] by all means possible: phoning, emails and doing searches.Barker said that Thielk is the only student he feels should leave the area. He said it is likely that the UW will let most of the students continue their studies in Japan since there is not significant damage in other areas of the nation, such as Tokyo.UW professors Robert and Saadia Pekkanen and professor Jody Bourgeois were also in Japan at the time of the earthquake. All three have confirmed that they are safe.
Robert Pekkanen, the chair of the Japan Studies Program, and Saudi Pekkanen, Job and Gertrud Tamaki professor, are both back in the United States. Bourgeois is a professor of earth and space sciences and is scheduled to return to the United States on Thursday.In Japan for research purposes, Bourgeios was located at the Sapporo Institute of Seismology and Volcanology at Hokkaido University at the time of the earthquake.I got motion sickness,wrote Bourgeois in an email.I felt like my building was a boat, and the earth had become the sea.Bourgeois was on the island of Hokkaido in Japan to study the relationships between earthquakes and tsunamis. The island suffered minimal damage during the earthquake and had little devastation. Bourgeois is hoping to learn from the disaster, but right now, her main concern is for the well-being of the Japanese people.Students can also get a lot of exposure while studying in such universities and different course Mathematics,International Agricultural Sciences and Bioinformatics.
This event is right up my research alley,she wrote.I was not afraid, just awestruck. The motion was more rolling than shaking, and it was moderate rattling windows but nothing falling over. I was very surprised that the motion kept going, so after a while, I looked at my watch to time it.Three UW graduate students were also in Japan during the earthquake, attending a civil-engineering conference to study earthquake engineering at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. All three students are now back in the United States.
Po-Chien Hsiao, one of the UW graduate engineering students, was more fortunate than Thielk in terms of the earthquake. Hsiao said he was on a bus in Tokyo during the earthquake and didn’t realize an earthquake had struck until he reached his hotel. He said that he woke up numerous times during the night because of aftershocks.Keith Palmer, another UW graduate student and structural engineer focusing specifically on how to reinforce buildings for earthquakes, was in Sapporo, Japan, during the earthquake.The earthquake] added some more motivation to what I am studying,Palmer said.It reinforced that I chose the right field. It’s a pretty important field, and we still have a lot of work to do.Since the earthquake, Thielk said he had not seen many relief efforts in Sendai. Despite the situation, he wrote that the people have not panicked.The Japanese have been very calm and collected despite being without power or water for two days,he said of conditions after the quake.Barker said that the UW’s main concern is Thielk’s safety, which is why they want him to leave Sendai. The UW will determine what the other students in Japan should do on a case-by-case basis.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Overseas study Changes policies
The 2009 Sino-US Joint Statement declared that the United States would encourage more Americans to study in China, by sending 100,000 students in the coming four years. It is mentioned in the joint statement that the United States sends students to China on a large scale. Compared with the then 20,000 US students in China, 100,000 would equal a breakthrough. Actually, there is a continuous increase in the number of students studying in China, and overseas education in China has attracted extensive attention.
China has become the major country that sends students abroad: 178,900 students in 2008, followed by 229,300 students in 2009. Meanwhile, overseas education in China has a developed rapidly, despite its smaller scale than sending students abroad.Indeed, China has ranked among a few countries whose international students have grown dramatically.Between 2001 and 2008, the average annual growth rate was over 20%, and the annual net growth reached 30,000. The year 2008 was a landmark, when international students first exceeded 200,000 and increased by 14.32% over the previous year. The number of international students in 2008 was 180 times that of 1978 (1,200), 38 times that of 1988 (5,835), and five times that of 1998 (43,084).
Overseas education in China has also become more diversified. International students enrolled in non-formal programmes usually take Chinese-language training or short-term study, not for the purpose of earning a degree. The proportion of international students enrolled in formal programmes has increased yearly, while the proportion enrolled in non-formal programmes has declined.In 2004, among all 110,844 international students, the percentage of students in non-formal programmes accounted for 71.5%, but this dropped to 64.2 percent in 2008, when the total number was 223,499. Meanwhile, the proportion of students in formal programmes increased from 28.5% in 2004 to 35.8% in 2008.
Institutions enrolling international students have also been increasing. There were 23 academic institutions with international students in 1979, 55 in 1984, more than 330 in 1997, 363 in 2001 and 420 in 2004. In 2008, institutions' numbers grew to 592.Besides regular institutions of higher education, many research institutes and other types of educational institutions admit international students, such as the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the China Civil Aviation Management Institute. Private institutions, such as Beijing Geely University, also enrol international students.
Overseas education helps China develop partnerships with other countries. From 1950 to 2000, China trained more than 360,000 international students, who later became experts in science and technology, education, diplomacy and administration in their sending countries.Among students who studied in China, a few served as prime ministers, some worked in ministerial positions, hundreds were appointed professor or associate professor, and thousands were engaged in cultural, economic and trade cooperation with China.Briefly, overseas education in China has contributed to developing and consolidating China's political, diplomatic, economic and trade cooperation with the outside world, as well as to conducting cultural, educational and personnel exchanges.Overseas education strengthens China's national 'soft power'. International students become 'bridges' to enhance friendship among people across countries. A majority of international students became professionals, promoting mutual understanding and friendship between Chinese and foreign youth. A large number of international students understand China well.
Overseas education in China has enhanced soft power through training international students who develop positive attitudes toward China, disseminate Chinese language and culture, expand the country's international influence, enhance its image and improve its management level, among other aspects.Further, overseas education promotes the construction of world-class universities. China's top universities are the main institutions recruiting international students. These students bring new and different ideas, activate the academic atmosphere, enrich cultural diversity and expand the internationalisation of universities. Overseas education encourages China's universities to improve quality and enhance their international reputation.Overseas education also leads to economic gains. Based on the estimate of a task force of Peking University, long-term international students create a direct annual income in China of about US$0.96 billion to US$1.15 billion, while short-term students contribute US$0.09 billion. The two types of students create a direct annual income in China of about US$1.05 billion to US$1.24 billion.
Besides direct income, other spending includes transport fees and rental charges, as well as consumption spurred by scholarships. Moreover, overseas education in China drives economic growth in some related sectors and creates job opportunities.Despite progress, however, there are problems in the further development of overseas education in China.The academic level of overseas education is relatively low. In 2008, among the 80,005 international students in formal programmes, undergraduate students accounted for 81.1%. Graduate students made up a comparatively low proportion, only 6.4% of total international students.There is a major gap in the level between China and some developed countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and France. For example, almost half of international students in the United States enrol in graduate education programmes.
garding fields of study, a high proportion of international students major in humanities and social sciences: 80%. In 2008, international students studying Chinese language and literature accounted for 55.7% followed by other majors such as Western medicine, economics, business, science, traditional Chinese medicine and engineering.The largest number of international students come from the top10 sending countries, eight of them in Asia. Furthermore, international students in China mainly came from South Korea, the United States, Japan, India and Vietnam.China's current regulations and policies cannot adapt to the development of overseas education. The Regulations on Higher Education Institutions Admitting International Students, issued in 2000, are quite outdated. Institutional autonomy for recruiting international students is inadequate.
For further development of overseas education in China, the government is implementing new policies. The scale of international students will expand. According to the Outline of China's National Plan for Medium and Long-Term Education Reform and Development (2010-2020), China will become the biggest hosting country in Asia and a major world destination for international students.Maintaining an annual growth rate of 7%, international student numbers will reach 500,000 by 2020. The Chinese government and universities are making efforts to create conditions for enhancing the proportion of international students in campuses.The scale and magnitude of government scholarship will be strengthened. China will build a scholarship framework, in which central government plays a major role, and expand the scale and magnitude of scholarships gradually.
The government plans to skew scholarships toward key universities, disciplines, and programmes, and balance their distribution among sending countries. Local governments, higher education institutions and enterprises are being encouraged to establish various forms of scholarships. A foundation programme system will be established.China is perfecting the Chinese Language Proficiency Test examination system, to improve international students' Chinese-language ability before departure so that they will be better prepared for study in China. The government encourages universities that have language policies to use English, fully or in part, as a teaching medium to foreign students. China has constructed a programme system for overseas undergraduate students, to guarantee appropriate study.
A favourable policy environment is emerging. The government was planning to amend the Regulations on Higher Education Institutions Admitting International Students to explicitly stipulate the responsibilities, rights and obligations of students and institutions.The Ministry of Education has been modifying and perfecting other policies, so as to normalise administration and education for international students, and ensure enrolment, visa application, study, graduation and other steps connect well.China has become the major country sending students abroad - 178,900 students in 2008, followed by 229,300 students in 2009. From 1950 to 2000, China trained more than 360,000 international students, who later became experts in science and technology, education, diplomacy and administration in their sending countries.The making and implementation of new policies cannot succeed without the initiative of universities that are critical stakeholders of overseas education. In order to attract more qualified international students and improve the quality of overseas education in China, the government and universities are working together to build a policy alliance.
China has become the major country that sends students abroad: 178,900 students in 2008, followed by 229,300 students in 2009. Meanwhile, overseas education in China has a developed rapidly, despite its smaller scale than sending students abroad.Indeed, China has ranked among a few countries whose international students have grown dramatically.Between 2001 and 2008, the average annual growth rate was over 20%, and the annual net growth reached 30,000. The year 2008 was a landmark, when international students first exceeded 200,000 and increased by 14.32% over the previous year. The number of international students in 2008 was 180 times that of 1978 (1,200), 38 times that of 1988 (5,835), and five times that of 1998 (43,084).
Overseas education in China has also become more diversified. International students enrolled in non-formal programmes usually take Chinese-language training or short-term study, not for the purpose of earning a degree. The proportion of international students enrolled in formal programmes has increased yearly, while the proportion enrolled in non-formal programmes has declined.In 2004, among all 110,844 international students, the percentage of students in non-formal programmes accounted for 71.5%, but this dropped to 64.2 percent in 2008, when the total number was 223,499. Meanwhile, the proportion of students in formal programmes increased from 28.5% in 2004 to 35.8% in 2008.
Institutions enrolling international students have also been increasing. There were 23 academic institutions with international students in 1979, 55 in 1984, more than 330 in 1997, 363 in 2001 and 420 in 2004. In 2008, institutions' numbers grew to 592.Besides regular institutions of higher education, many research institutes and other types of educational institutions admit international students, such as the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the China Civil Aviation Management Institute. Private institutions, such as Beijing Geely University, also enrol international students.
Overseas education helps China develop partnerships with other countries. From 1950 to 2000, China trained more than 360,000 international students, who later became experts in science and technology, education, diplomacy and administration in their sending countries.Among students who studied in China, a few served as prime ministers, some worked in ministerial positions, hundreds were appointed professor or associate professor, and thousands were engaged in cultural, economic and trade cooperation with China.Briefly, overseas education in China has contributed to developing and consolidating China's political, diplomatic, economic and trade cooperation with the outside world, as well as to conducting cultural, educational and personnel exchanges.Overseas education strengthens China's national 'soft power'. International students become 'bridges' to enhance friendship among people across countries. A majority of international students became professionals, promoting mutual understanding and friendship between Chinese and foreign youth. A large number of international students understand China well.
Overseas education in China has enhanced soft power through training international students who develop positive attitudes toward China, disseminate Chinese language and culture, expand the country's international influence, enhance its image and improve its management level, among other aspects.Further, overseas education promotes the construction of world-class universities. China's top universities are the main institutions recruiting international students. These students bring new and different ideas, activate the academic atmosphere, enrich cultural diversity and expand the internationalisation of universities. Overseas education encourages China's universities to improve quality and enhance their international reputation.Overseas education also leads to economic gains. Based on the estimate of a task force of Peking University, long-term international students create a direct annual income in China of about US$0.96 billion to US$1.15 billion, while short-term students contribute US$0.09 billion. The two types of students create a direct annual income in China of about US$1.05 billion to US$1.24 billion.
Besides direct income, other spending includes transport fees and rental charges, as well as consumption spurred by scholarships. Moreover, overseas education in China drives economic growth in some related sectors and creates job opportunities.Despite progress, however, there are problems in the further development of overseas education in China.The academic level of overseas education is relatively low. In 2008, among the 80,005 international students in formal programmes, undergraduate students accounted for 81.1%. Graduate students made up a comparatively low proportion, only 6.4% of total international students.There is a major gap in the level between China and some developed countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and France. For example, almost half of international students in the United States enrol in graduate education programmes.
garding fields of study, a high proportion of international students major in humanities and social sciences: 80%. In 2008, international students studying Chinese language and literature accounted for 55.7% followed by other majors such as Western medicine, economics, business, science, traditional Chinese medicine and engineering.The largest number of international students come from the top10 sending countries, eight of them in Asia. Furthermore, international students in China mainly came from South Korea, the United States, Japan, India and Vietnam.China's current regulations and policies cannot adapt to the development of overseas education. The Regulations on Higher Education Institutions Admitting International Students, issued in 2000, are quite outdated. Institutional autonomy for recruiting international students is inadequate.For further development of overseas education in China, the government is implementing new policies. The scale of international students will expand. According to the Outline of China's National Plan for Medium and Long-Term Education Reform and Development (2010-2020), China will become the biggest hosting country in Asia and a major world destination for international students.Maintaining an annual growth rate of 7%, international student numbers will reach 500,000 by 2020. The Chinese government and universities are making efforts to create conditions for enhancing the proportion of international students in campuses.The scale and magnitude of government scholarship will be strengthened. China will build a scholarship framework, in which central government plays a major role, and expand the scale and magnitude of scholarships gradually.
The government plans to skew scholarships toward key universities, disciplines, and programmes, and balance their distribution among sending countries. Local governments, higher education institutions and enterprises are being encouraged to establish various forms of scholarships. A foundation programme system will be established.China is perfecting the Chinese Language Proficiency Test examination system, to improve international students' Chinese-language ability before departure so that they will be better prepared for study in China. The government encourages universities that have language policies to use English, fully or in part, as a teaching medium to foreign students. China has constructed a programme system for overseas undergraduate students, to guarantee appropriate study.
A favourable policy environment is emerging. The government was planning to amend the Regulations on Higher Education Institutions Admitting International Students to explicitly stipulate the responsibilities, rights and obligations of students and institutions.The Ministry of Education has been modifying and perfecting other policies, so as to normalise administration and education for international students, and ensure enrolment, visa application, study, graduation and other steps connect well.China has become the major country sending students abroad - 178,900 students in 2008, followed by 229,300 students in 2009. From 1950 to 2000, China trained more than 360,000 international students, who later became experts in science and technology, education, diplomacy and administration in their sending countries.The making and implementation of new policies cannot succeed without the initiative of universities that are critical stakeholders of overseas education. In order to attract more qualified international students and improve the quality of overseas education in China, the government and universities are working together to build a policy alliance.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
SMHS alumni study abroad around world
Three 2007 SMHS graduates took advantage of their universities' study abroad programs and traveled various countries around the world. Each one of them embraced another cultures, and each arrived home a different person.Clarissa Dodge visited to Amman, Jordan, located in Western Asia, for five weeks during the summer before her sophomore year of college.Dodge fell in love with the Arabic language during her time at Arizona State Univeristy and decided to study abroad to learn first-hand about Middle Eastern culture. She took every opportunity to experience something new while she was there and while she immersed herself in a new culture, she also learned new things about herself.I got to see the River of Jordan, Petra, and Wadi Rum... I ate lamb brains. it tasted like eggs and I liked it until I saw a vein and then I thought I was going to be sick,Dodge said in an email. Jordan completely changed my career path and probably the rest of my life. It made me more compassionate, understanding, educated.I could go on and on.Study abroad in Germany.
Jordan wasn't all fun and games for Dodge; sometimes she had to stick to her guns and get serious.It is basically ingrained in Egyptian culture to cat call. I got really sick of old men making kissing noises at me and calling me Angelina Jolie,Dodge said.Finally, someone taught me to say off in Arabic and it was surprisingly useful.For her sophomore year, Samantha Hauser spent her time studying at the University of Leeds in England and working in Scotland during the summer.
There is a difference between the study abroad program and exchange program,Hauser said. The cool thing with doing the exchange program was I still paid my tuition to ASU and the girl who took my spot [paid] tuition to her university and we just swapped.Attending college gave Hauser the confidence to attempt to travel to an unknown country, where everyone is a stranger.Students can also get a lot of exposure while studying in such universities and different course Engineering,Materials Science and Master in Photonics.
I decided to study abroad because I think that going to college gave me more confidence and independence,Hauser said.Honestly, it changed my life. It changes your perception on life and it gives you more independence.Kallie Nauertz traveled to Spain for her fall semester of her senior year. She decided on it because of her love for traveling and the Spanish language.My favorite part of studying abroad was experiencing new cultures and traveling on the weekends,Nauertz said in an email. I had the privilege to travel around Spain and to London and Dublin.All three enjoyed their time abroad but the financial aspect of traveling to a different country took its toll. Although finances, of course, were a little hard, none of them let it hold them back.It cost me substantially more money to study abroad. Many of the scholarships I have are not applicable to the study abroad program,Nauertz said.But do not let money stop you from traveling abroad. If you want to do something, go for it. The funds are out there you just have to find them.
Some advice Hauser gave to future travelers was to, make as many friends as you can and don’t take yourself too seriously, because.Europeans have a lot of interesting ideas about Americans so it’s hard, as an American, to listen to people make fun of your country.Clarissa Dodge graduated from ASU with a degree in Journalism and certificate in Arabic Studies. She has been accepted into the Peace Corps and hopes to be placed in Jordan doing community development but has postponed her leave date to attend graduate school. She will study International Development, Foreign Service or International Affairs, depending on where she gets accepted.Kallie Nauertz is a senior at NAU and is getting her degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management with a minor in Business and Spanish.Samantha Hauser is a senior at ASU and is majoring in Journalism. She has already started applying for jobs in San Francisco and New York.
Jordan wasn't all fun and games for Dodge; sometimes she had to stick to her guns and get serious.It is basically ingrained in Egyptian culture to cat call. I got really sick of old men making kissing noises at me and calling me Angelina Jolie,Dodge said.Finally, someone taught me to say off in Arabic and it was surprisingly useful.For her sophomore year, Samantha Hauser spent her time studying at the University of Leeds in England and working in Scotland during the summer.
There is a difference between the study abroad program and exchange program,Hauser said. The cool thing with doing the exchange program was I still paid my tuition to ASU and the girl who took my spot [paid] tuition to her university and we just swapped.Attending college gave Hauser the confidence to attempt to travel to an unknown country, where everyone is a stranger.Students can also get a lot of exposure while studying in such universities and different course Engineering,Materials Science and Master in Photonics.
I decided to study abroad because I think that going to college gave me more confidence and independence,Hauser said.Honestly, it changed my life. It changes your perception on life and it gives you more independence.Kallie Nauertz traveled to Spain for her fall semester of her senior year. She decided on it because of her love for traveling and the Spanish language.My favorite part of studying abroad was experiencing new cultures and traveling on the weekends,Nauertz said in an email. I had the privilege to travel around Spain and to London and Dublin.All three enjoyed their time abroad but the financial aspect of traveling to a different country took its toll. Although finances, of course, were a little hard, none of them let it hold them back.It cost me substantially more money to study abroad. Many of the scholarships I have are not applicable to the study abroad program,Nauertz said.But do not let money stop you from traveling abroad. If you want to do something, go for it. The funds are out there you just have to find them.
Some advice Hauser gave to future travelers was to, make as many friends as you can and don’t take yourself too seriously, because.Europeans have a lot of interesting ideas about Americans so it’s hard, as an American, to listen to people make fun of your country.Clarissa Dodge graduated from ASU with a degree in Journalism and certificate in Arabic Studies. She has been accepted into the Peace Corps and hopes to be placed in Jordan doing community development but has postponed her leave date to attend graduate school. She will study International Development, Foreign Service or International Affairs, depending on where she gets accepted.Kallie Nauertz is a senior at NAU and is getting her degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management with a minor in Business and Spanish.Samantha Hauser is a senior at ASU and is majoring in Journalism. She has already started applying for jobs in San Francisco and New York.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Study abroad trip to Japan under review due to disasters
The Seton Hall study abroad trip to Japan, scheduled for July 15 Aug. 20, is currently under review due to the current conditions in the wake of the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan, according to Mary Kirk Rawn, associate provost for International Programs and Academic Support Services.According to Rawn, the trip, scheduled to be held at Sophia University in Tokyo, was placed under review by the University out of concern for any students and faculty who would travel to Japan.
Rawn said the Office of International programs provides advisement and information to students who may be interested in studying abroad, which can include exchange programs, faculty-led programs or programs that are coordinated by third party providers.The office monitors the U.S. Department of State's web page with particular attention to travel alerts, Rawn said.Seton Hall will monitor and observe the U.S. Department of State Travel Alert Information and will stay in contact with Sophia University, the sister institution in the exchange program.Students can also get a lot of exposure while studying in such universities and different course Cultural Encounters,Intelligent Software Systems and European Studies.
According to Rawn, Dr. Shigeru Osuka is the director of the Japanese studies program and received more than ten students who were interested in the summer trip to Japan. Some of the students have already made deposits for the trip,Rawn said.Dr. Osuka has contacted students who are interested to let them know that a decision about the trip will be made toward the end of April.Rawn said the decision at the end of April will enable students to either plan their travels to Japan or coordinate alternate plans for their summer studies. Concerning future study abroad exchanges between Seton Hall University and Japan, Rawn said the only semester where Seton Hall students travel abroad to Japan is the summer semester. The SHU-Japan Exchange Program is designed so that students from Sophia University study at Seton Hall in fall and spring semesters, and students from Seton Hall study at Sophia University during the summer.
Dr. Shigeru Osuka did not return requests for comment as of press time.
Rawn said the Office of International programs provides advisement and information to students who may be interested in studying abroad, which can include exchange programs, faculty-led programs or programs that are coordinated by third party providers.The office monitors the U.S. Department of State's web page with particular attention to travel alerts, Rawn said.Seton Hall will monitor and observe the U.S. Department of State Travel Alert Information and will stay in contact with Sophia University, the sister institution in the exchange program.Students can also get a lot of exposure while studying in such universities and different course Cultural Encounters,Intelligent Software Systems and European Studies.
According to Rawn, Dr. Shigeru Osuka is the director of the Japanese studies program and received more than ten students who were interested in the summer trip to Japan. Some of the students have already made deposits for the trip,Rawn said.Dr. Osuka has contacted students who are interested to let them know that a decision about the trip will be made toward the end of April.Rawn said the decision at the end of April will enable students to either plan their travels to Japan or coordinate alternate plans for their summer studies. Concerning future study abroad exchanges between Seton Hall University and Japan, Rawn said the only semester where Seton Hall students travel abroad to Japan is the summer semester. The SHU-Japan Exchange Program is designed so that students from Sophia University study at Seton Hall in fall and spring semesters, and students from Seton Hall study at Sophia University during the summer.
Dr. Shigeru Osuka did not return requests for comment as of press time.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
More students traveled to countries unstable conditions through MSU study abroad programs
Going to study in a new country can be daunting. Going to study in a country that has a travel warning placed on it by the Department of State is even more so.Still, hundreds of students have traveled to countries with dangerous or unstable conditions through MSU study abroad programs, and MSU has provided more program waivers to visit such countries this year than ever before.Although MSU automatically suspends all programs to a country when a travel warning is placed on it, programs can complete a waiver request to be reviewed by a Risk and Security Assessment Committee, which will then make a suggestion to Provost Kim Wilcox whether or not the program should run.In the past year, more study abroad programs have been applying to travel to countries with the travel warning, said Julie Friend, international analyst for travel health, safety and security with the Office of Study Abroad.
During the 2010-11 school year, the committee has heard waiver requests for 16 programs in the Philippines, Mexico, Kenya,Germany and Israel. Friend said the increase in waivers is a result of multiple outbreaks of violence in many countries.The committee has gotten a lot busier in the past year, primarily because of Mexico,Friend said.Mexico is a large part of study abroad it’s close, it’s Spanish speaking and there’s lots of opportunity.Eleven programs have been suspended fully because of travel warnings, including five Japanese study abroad programs that were suspended Thursday. Friend said several of the program’s leaders plan to pursue waiver requests.
Friend said many waivers are granted because the study abroad programs happen far from any violent or dangerous areas in the country. Travel warnings are issued on a country-by-country basis. Even if only part of the country is considered dangerous, the entire country still will have the warning.If a program’s waiver is approved to travel to a country, the country continues to be monitored by the Office of Study Abroad. All cities associated with the study abroad program are on continuous review from the time the waiver is approved to the end of the program.
Friend said while the safety of students is important, it is impossible for MSU to prevent danger fully. Rather, MSU attempts to mitigate danger by discussing safety matters with all students going on study abroad. Students heading to countries with a travel warning sign a release prior to departure.Premedical and Arabic sophomore Nawal Dennis was nervous about going to Kenya last summer. Kenya’s travel warning dates back to the late 1990s. However, Dennis said she always had wanted to go to Africa because it was a part of her heritage.Students can also get a lot of exposure while studying in such universities and different course International Economics, Engineering and International Technology Transfer Management.
I was a little bit afraid at first,Dennis said.But after being on the trip there wasn’t a time I didn’t feel safe.For Kenneth Waltzer, director of MSU’s Jewish Studies Program, Israel is an important part of Jewish studies home to top-rated universities and a center of Jewish life. In 1998, he led the first study abroad trip to the country. The trip was suspended in 2001 because of violence in the country, but Waltzer was successful in bringing the trip back in 2006. Since then the trip has run every year and sent more than 100 students to Israel.
Waltzer said some safety precautions have been added to the trip since Israel received the travel warning all students attending need a cell phone, they cannot travel to the West Bank and they are not allowed on any public buses in Jerusalem.Waltzer said the county is, in whole, a safe place and an important one for students to study.MSU has worked with us and done something commendable to make sure students will be safe to go,Waltzer said.Friend said as long as the educational benefits of MSU’s presence in a country outweighed the dangers, MSU would continue its international presence.One of our core values is international engagement,Friend said.MSU has elected to remain engaged with the world despite the fact that the world in some place has become more dangerous.
During the 2010-11 school year, the committee has heard waiver requests for 16 programs in the Philippines, Mexico, Kenya,Germany and Israel. Friend said the increase in waivers is a result of multiple outbreaks of violence in many countries.The committee has gotten a lot busier in the past year, primarily because of Mexico,Friend said.Mexico is a large part of study abroad it’s close, it’s Spanish speaking and there’s lots of opportunity.Eleven programs have been suspended fully because of travel warnings, including five Japanese study abroad programs that were suspended Thursday. Friend said several of the program’s leaders plan to pursue waiver requests.
Friend said many waivers are granted because the study abroad programs happen far from any violent or dangerous areas in the country. Travel warnings are issued on a country-by-country basis. Even if only part of the country is considered dangerous, the entire country still will have the warning.If a program’s waiver is approved to travel to a country, the country continues to be monitored by the Office of Study Abroad. All cities associated with the study abroad program are on continuous review from the time the waiver is approved to the end of the program.
Friend said while the safety of students is important, it is impossible for MSU to prevent danger fully. Rather, MSU attempts to mitigate danger by discussing safety matters with all students going on study abroad. Students heading to countries with a travel warning sign a release prior to departure.Premedical and Arabic sophomore Nawal Dennis was nervous about going to Kenya last summer. Kenya’s travel warning dates back to the late 1990s. However, Dennis said she always had wanted to go to Africa because it was a part of her heritage.Students can also get a lot of exposure while studying in such universities and different course International Economics, Engineering and International Technology Transfer Management.
I was a little bit afraid at first,Dennis said.But after being on the trip there wasn’t a time I didn’t feel safe.For Kenneth Waltzer, director of MSU’s Jewish Studies Program, Israel is an important part of Jewish studies home to top-rated universities and a center of Jewish life. In 1998, he led the first study abroad trip to the country. The trip was suspended in 2001 because of violence in the country, but Waltzer was successful in bringing the trip back in 2006. Since then the trip has run every year and sent more than 100 students to Israel.
Waltzer said some safety precautions have been added to the trip since Israel received the travel warning all students attending need a cell phone, they cannot travel to the West Bank and they are not allowed on any public buses in Jerusalem.Waltzer said the county is, in whole, a safe place and an important one for students to study.MSU has worked with us and done something commendable to make sure students will be safe to go,Waltzer said.Friend said as long as the educational benefits of MSU’s presence in a country outweighed the dangers, MSU would continue its international presence.One of our core values is international engagement,Friend said.MSU has elected to remain engaged with the world despite the fact that the world in some place has become more dangerous.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Japan earthquake delays study abroad
The OU Education Abroad Office postponed students’ study abroad plans to Japan last week as a response to the earthquake, tsunami and resulting nuclear radiation leaks, according to university officials.The Japanese spring semester begins in April, but OU students planning on studying abroad have had their plans postponed to later in the year because of the crisis.As a result of concerns related to the initial earthquake and the continuing crisis, we have pulled students back from Japan for the spring semester,OU Education Abroad Director Jack Hobson said.We had about eight students planning on studying abroad.It was tragic what happened, but we were lucky to have a swift and safe departure of students.The office is in the process of trying to find other options for the students based on their specific situation, Hobson said.We are in the process of sorting out their needs,Hobson said.Some have already studied abroad and this would be the second time. Some haven’t yet. Some can only do a summer program. We are trying to figure everything out for them.
Hobson said the disaster will not affect any future study abroad relations with the country.Norman’s sister city in Japan, Seika, is located in the southwestern region of the country, was not near the earthquake and should not be heavily affected, Norman Mayor Cindy Rosenthal said.I have sent messages to the mayor of Seika, Japan,Rosenthal said.It’s on the south and western part of the country, so it is far removed from the immediate earthquake. The whole country is obviously affected though.Though she has not heard back from Seika yet, Rosenthal said she understands it is not a high priority for the city’s mayor right now.
The Norman City Council will vote on a resolution this evening expressing sympathy for the country and asking residents to keep the country in their thoughts and prayers, Rosenthal said.Currently, the OU Japanese Student Association is part of a statewide group called the Oklahoma Earthquake Support Group that is creating a relief program in Oklahoma, association president Russell Kabir said.The Japanese clubs at OU the Japanese Student Association, the OU Japanese Club, the Japanese Animation and Manga Society and the Arashi Taiko drummers are planning fundraising events, Kabir said.We found out about the earthquake right after our Japan culture night,Kabir said.We were all so high off of that and then saw news online and statuses about the earthquake. It was a weird feeling.Plans are not concrete yet, but Kabir said he plans to meet with UOSA President Franz Zenteno this week to create an event similar to those for Haiti last spring, he said.We are thinking about doing something in the South Oval with drummers and dancers to get attention and do more fundraising, Kabir said.A lot of things are in the idea stage right now and will be planned soon.
Hobson said the disaster will not affect any future study abroad relations with the country.Norman’s sister city in Japan, Seika, is located in the southwestern region of the country, was not near the earthquake and should not be heavily affected, Norman Mayor Cindy Rosenthal said.I have sent messages to the mayor of Seika, Japan,Rosenthal said.It’s on the south and western part of the country, so it is far removed from the immediate earthquake. The whole country is obviously affected though.Though she has not heard back from Seika yet, Rosenthal said she understands it is not a high priority for the city’s mayor right now.
The Norman City Council will vote on a resolution this evening expressing sympathy for the country and asking residents to keep the country in their thoughts and prayers, Rosenthal said.Currently, the OU Japanese Student Association is part of a statewide group called the Oklahoma Earthquake Support Group that is creating a relief program in Oklahoma, association president Russell Kabir said.The Japanese clubs at OU the Japanese Student Association, the OU Japanese Club, the Japanese Animation and Manga Society and the Arashi Taiko drummers are planning fundraising events, Kabir said.We found out about the earthquake right after our Japan culture night,Kabir said.We were all so high off of that and then saw news online and statuses about the earthquake. It was a weird feeling.Plans are not concrete yet, but Kabir said he plans to meet with UOSA President Franz Zenteno this week to create an event similar to those for Haiti last spring, he said.We are thinking about doing something in the South Oval with drummers and dancers to get attention and do more fundraising, Kabir said.A lot of things are in the idea stage right now and will be planned soon.
Monday, March 21, 2011
The Ministry of Education analyzed China's overseas education situation in 2010
The Ministry of Education analyzed China's overseas education situation in 2010 and summarized six main features of China's overseas education market in various aspects, such as scale, category, distribution, security and roles of overseas students after returning to the motherland.
First, number of overseas Chinese students huge:There were more than 720,000 overseas Chinese students by the end of 2010, and the number of Chinese citizens who went abroad for study in 2010 totaled 285,000, an increase of more than 24 percent compared with 2009. China has become the world's largest source country for international students.
Second, categories of Chinese students becoming more diversified:In regards to the categories of overseas Chinese students, overseas Chinese students who pay their own expenses have replaced overseas Chinese students supported by the government as the dominant category of overseas Chinese students. The majors of overseas Chinese students cover many subjects different course and fields. However, most students, especially students that cover their own expenses are concentrated in majors such as economics, finance,engineering and Social Sciences.
Third, distribution of overseas Chinese students relatively concentrated:There are nearly 1.3 million overseas Chinese students worldwide and most of them are concentrated in 10 countries, namely the United States, Australia, Japan, Britain, South Korea, Canada, Singapore, France, Germany and Russia.
Fourth, serious security issues face overseas students:With the rapid growth in the number of overseas Chinese students over the recent years, security issues facing overseas students have become increasingly frequent, which has gradually drawn the attention of people from all walks of life.
Fifth, half of overseas Chinese students have returned to China:Some 630,000 overseas Chinese students had returned to China by the end of 2008 and 98 percent of government-funded overseas students have returned. The rise in the scale of returned overseas Chinese students is due to China's increasingly strong comprehensive strength and the growing perfection of government polices to encourage the return of overseas students and to attract talent.
Sixth, significant roles performed by returned overseas students:Returned overseas students have played significant roles in China's various sectors, such as education, technology, economy, national defense and social development. Some of the returned overseas students have become leaders in each sector and an important force in developing China into an innovation-oriented country.
First, number of overseas Chinese students huge:There were more than 720,000 overseas Chinese students by the end of 2010, and the number of Chinese citizens who went abroad for study in 2010 totaled 285,000, an increase of more than 24 percent compared with 2009. China has become the world's largest source country for international students.
Second, categories of Chinese students becoming more diversified:In regards to the categories of overseas Chinese students, overseas Chinese students who pay their own expenses have replaced overseas Chinese students supported by the government as the dominant category of overseas Chinese students. The majors of overseas Chinese students cover many subjects different course and fields. However, most students, especially students that cover their own expenses are concentrated in majors such as economics, finance,engineering and Social Sciences.
Third, distribution of overseas Chinese students relatively concentrated:There are nearly 1.3 million overseas Chinese students worldwide and most of them are concentrated in 10 countries, namely the United States, Australia, Japan, Britain, South Korea, Canada, Singapore, France, Germany and Russia.
Fourth, serious security issues face overseas students:With the rapid growth in the number of overseas Chinese students over the recent years, security issues facing overseas students have become increasingly frequent, which has gradually drawn the attention of people from all walks of life.
Fifth, half of overseas Chinese students have returned to China:Some 630,000 overseas Chinese students had returned to China by the end of 2008 and 98 percent of government-funded overseas students have returned. The rise in the scale of returned overseas Chinese students is due to China's increasingly strong comprehensive strength and the growing perfection of government polices to encourage the return of overseas students and to attract talent.
Sixth, significant roles performed by returned overseas students:Returned overseas students have played significant roles in China's various sectors, such as education, technology, economy, national defense and social development. Some of the returned overseas students have become leaders in each sector and an important force in developing China into an innovation-oriented country.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
why international students want to study
Predicting where future international students will come from and what subjects they go abroad to study has become a mini-industry in receiving countries such as Britain and Austria,Australia, where some courses are highly dependent on overseas student fees.Delegates and experts at the British Council's Going Global conference, held in Hong Kong from 11-12 March, agreed that demand for overseas courses from Asian students will carry on rising.Overall demand for international education will continue to grow in the low single digits in the next decade,said Tony Pollock, Chief Executive of IDP Education, an international student placement service.
However, subject choices may be changing as sending countries like China and India become more affluent, students from Singapore prefer to study at their own excellent universities and Malaysia reduces the number of government scholarships for students on expensive overseas courses.Medicine and related courses in the West have long been popular with students from India, Malaysia and Hong Kong, while business-related degrees and engineering have been the top choice for students from China, Taiwan and Vietnam.This is according to a survey of 5,000 prospective international students in 14 countries by Hotcourses, a web-based company that advises students on course choice internationally.
Students from Pakistan are looking for high quality courses in engineering and technology, and Indonesian students are looking at the natural sciences.South Korean students, on the other hand, go abroad to study creative arts and design, while students from India and Malaysia are interested in social sciences and communications, said Mike Elms, Chief Executive of Hotcourses.
However, patterns are changing in key markets such as China, which last year sent 440,000 students to study abroad, overtaking India as the top sending country.Prospective students from major Chinese cities may be broadening out the subjects they want to study abroad, according to research by the British Council information which could also be important for decisions by a number newly emerging regional higher educational hubs on what courses to offer to attract international students.
The British Council's Education Intelligence Unit research into prospective students' intentions in the coming years found that there have been shifts in the most popular subjects chosen for study in the UK in the last two to three years.Students from China are still most likely to study business administration and engineering and technology at overseas universities, but growth in the number of students selecting these subjects is slowing while students from China wanting to study mass communication and documentation, and creative arts and design, has shown much bigger growth.
We were trying to capture the student decision-making process before the student embarks on a course,said Janet Illieva, head of research at the British Council in Hong Kong.For China we have seen decreased demand for engineering.There has been a shift in demand towards non-traditional subjects in China at the city level, she said. This was most evident in large cities such as Beijing and Shanghai.We think this is because of the rise in the middle class in these cities. While in the medium-sized cities, there is definitely a rise in those who say they want to study engineering.For example, one in four prospective international students in the city of Shenyang want to pursue engineering. In Nanjing, Xi'an and Chengdu the rise was 17% to 18%, taking over where Beijing was a decade ago. These are also cities where there has been a rise in heavy industry and manufacturing, Illieva said.Students from China saying they want to study mass communication has risen by 81% since 2008, a possible reflection of the burgeoning use of the internet. Prospective Chinese students wanting to study creative arts has risen by 54% during the same period, compared to 25% to 29% growth for business and engineering. Architecture, building and planning has seen 35% growth in interest from China in the last two years.
Mass communication has soared to become the third most popular choice for Chinese students wanting to study overseas, rising from 8th most popular in 2006-07. Creative arts has risen to fifth place behind social studies compared to ninth place in 2006-07.The findings have implications for universities hoping to replace declining applications at home with students from overseas, particularly in science and engineering.But Hotcourses' Mike Elms said the key motivator for students looking for courses abroad is "to get a better education. They want a higher quality course than is available to them in their own (education) market, he said.
However, subject choices may be changing as sending countries like China and India become more affluent, students from Singapore prefer to study at their own excellent universities and Malaysia reduces the number of government scholarships for students on expensive overseas courses.Medicine and related courses in the West have long been popular with students from India, Malaysia and Hong Kong, while business-related degrees and engineering have been the top choice for students from China, Taiwan and Vietnam.This is according to a survey of 5,000 prospective international students in 14 countries by Hotcourses, a web-based company that advises students on course choice internationally.
Students from Pakistan are looking for high quality courses in engineering and technology, and Indonesian students are looking at the natural sciences.South Korean students, on the other hand, go abroad to study creative arts and design, while students from India and Malaysia are interested in social sciences and communications, said Mike Elms, Chief Executive of Hotcourses.
However, patterns are changing in key markets such as China, which last year sent 440,000 students to study abroad, overtaking India as the top sending country.Prospective students from major Chinese cities may be broadening out the subjects they want to study abroad, according to research by the British Council information which could also be important for decisions by a number newly emerging regional higher educational hubs on what courses to offer to attract international students.
The British Council's Education Intelligence Unit research into prospective students' intentions in the coming years found that there have been shifts in the most popular subjects chosen for study in the UK in the last two to three years.Students from China are still most likely to study business administration and engineering and technology at overseas universities, but growth in the number of students selecting these subjects is slowing while students from China wanting to study mass communication and documentation, and creative arts and design, has shown much bigger growth.
We were trying to capture the student decision-making process before the student embarks on a course,said Janet Illieva, head of research at the British Council in Hong Kong.For China we have seen decreased demand for engineering.There has been a shift in demand towards non-traditional subjects in China at the city level, she said. This was most evident in large cities such as Beijing and Shanghai.We think this is because of the rise in the middle class in these cities. While in the medium-sized cities, there is definitely a rise in those who say they want to study engineering.For example, one in four prospective international students in the city of Shenyang want to pursue engineering. In Nanjing, Xi'an and Chengdu the rise was 17% to 18%, taking over where Beijing was a decade ago. These are also cities where there has been a rise in heavy industry and manufacturing, Illieva said.Students from China saying they want to study mass communication has risen by 81% since 2008, a possible reflection of the burgeoning use of the internet. Prospective Chinese students wanting to study creative arts has risen by 54% during the same period, compared to 25% to 29% growth for business and engineering. Architecture, building and planning has seen 35% growth in interest from China in the last two years.
Mass communication has soared to become the third most popular choice for Chinese students wanting to study overseas, rising from 8th most popular in 2006-07. Creative arts has risen to fifth place behind social studies compared to ninth place in 2006-07.The findings have implications for universities hoping to replace declining applications at home with students from overseas, particularly in science and engineering.But Hotcourses' Mike Elms said the key motivator for students looking for courses abroad is "to get a better education. They want a higher quality course than is available to them in their own (education) market, he said.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Universities Begin Recalling Students Studying Abroad In Japan
After days of warning their students studying abroad in Japan, American colleges and universities are urging and in some cases ordering students to return home. This follows the U.S. State Department Wednesday advising U.S. citizens to leave Tokyo because of the deepening crisis at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant, resulting from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.While institutions of higher education have long fostered international study, they're now experiencing the downside, notes The New York Times. Schools with a foreign presence have a lot at stake, including their students' safety as well as their reputation and property.Study abroad in Germany.
Temple University is arranging a charter flight for any of the remaining 200 students studying at their Tokyo campus. More than 115 have already left, and between 15 and 20 others moved from Tokyo to other regions in Japan. University officials expect the flight to leave Japan on Sunday, Japan time.The real tipping point for us was the U.S. government making its advisory,Kyle Cleveland, sociology professor, told The Inquirer. Temple's Tokyo campus, closed since the earthquake, is slated to reopen March 28, events allowing.Students can also get a lot of exposure while studying in such universities and different course Sociology,Engineering,and Cultural Encounters.The University of Kansas recalled its 10 students in Japan; the University of Missouri did the same with its six students remaining there. Three MU students already have departed. Both schools offered to help pay for these students to evacuate.University policy does not permit study abroad programs to operate in countries where State Department travel warnings have been issued,said Jill Jess, a KU spokeswoman, as reported by The Kansas City Star.
The University of California, one of California's two public university systems, is suspending its study abroad programs in Japan, bringing home the 49 students still there and telling 31 others not to return to Japan from their spring break locales. "This decision was not taken lightly and it is based on the need to ensure your safety, our first and foremost concern,Jean-Xavier Guinard, executive director of UC's education abroad programs, wrote in a letter to the students, according to the Los Angeles Times. Similarly, Cal State, California's other public university system, is evacuating its 45 students in Japan and holding back the 50 students scheduled to travel there soon.Despite recent problems in Japan, international study will remain largely unaffected long term, said Allan E. Goodman, president of the Institute of International Education, a nonprofit, international education and training organization, per The New York Times.Past experience has shown that study-abroad programs can be reinstated relatively quickly, and student enrollments can resume or even surpass previous levels,he added.
Temple University is arranging a charter flight for any of the remaining 200 students studying at their Tokyo campus. More than 115 have already left, and between 15 and 20 others moved from Tokyo to other regions in Japan. University officials expect the flight to leave Japan on Sunday, Japan time.The real tipping point for us was the U.S. government making its advisory,Kyle Cleveland, sociology professor, told The Inquirer. Temple's Tokyo campus, closed since the earthquake, is slated to reopen March 28, events allowing.Students can also get a lot of exposure while studying in such universities and different course Sociology,Engineering,and Cultural Encounters.The University of Kansas recalled its 10 students in Japan; the University of Missouri did the same with its six students remaining there. Three MU students already have departed. Both schools offered to help pay for these students to evacuate.University policy does not permit study abroad programs to operate in countries where State Department travel warnings have been issued,said Jill Jess, a KU spokeswoman, as reported by The Kansas City Star.
The University of California, one of California's two public university systems, is suspending its study abroad programs in Japan, bringing home the 49 students still there and telling 31 others not to return to Japan from their spring break locales. "This decision was not taken lightly and it is based on the need to ensure your safety, our first and foremost concern,Jean-Xavier Guinard, executive director of UC's education abroad programs, wrote in a letter to the students, according to the Los Angeles Times. Similarly, Cal State, California's other public university system, is evacuating its 45 students in Japan and holding back the 50 students scheduled to travel there soon.Despite recent problems in Japan, international study will remain largely unaffected long term, said Allan E. Goodman, president of the Institute of International Education, a nonprofit, international education and training organization, per The New York Times.Past experience has shown that study-abroad programs can be reinstated relatively quickly, and student enrollments can resume or even surpass previous levels,he added.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Germany tops higher education According to British Council survey
According to a British Council survey, Germany comes first in an international league table of higher education, ahead of Australia, the United Kingdom and China.The ranking compares the higher education systems in twelve countries regarding access, quality and reputation ofdegrees, support for foreign students and encouraging their own academics to study and do research abroad.The British Council presented the survey at the Going Global education conference in Hong Kong on March 10.Germany scores in particular thanks to its internationalisation strategy, which activelypromotes mobility in both directions, also through funding.According to the British Council, the UK's international organisation for education and culture, German higher education institutions have become significantly more attractive for foreign students over the last
few years.
One reason for this is that more and more courses and even entire degree programmes are being run in English.Germany's popularity as a preferred higher education destination for students in the South Asia region has grown rapidly in the last few years. Notably, the number of doctoral students from India has increased ten-fold within the last decade.This places India second in the tally of top countries of origin of international doctoral students in Germany.Ram Shankar, a German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) scholar pursuing his Ph.D from Universitat Bielefeld, described his experience of studying in Germany as a highly competitive and enriching.Furthermore, in Germany, overseas students do not pay any more in tuition fees than home students.Universities in many parts of Germany do not charge any tuition fees, which means in those places overseas studentsdo not pay any fees at all.
The survey also refers positively to legislation allowing for students to work in Germany.Vikas Shabadi, an Indian doctoral student at TU Darmstadt, describes life in Germany as relatively easy.At the end of a hectic weekday, he looks forward to theeekends with vibrant festivals in the city centres that have plenty of music, food and wine.Many German universities actively promote themselves in the region, and especially in India, through regular participation in education fairs.The South Asia Institute (SAI) of Heidelberg University, Freieniversitat (FU) Berlin and Uni-Goettingen have liaison offices in the region.Students can also get a lot of exposure while studying in such universities and different course Engineering,Materials Science and Mechatronics.
German universities have also entered into cooperationgreements with Indian universities. Apart from this, many universities also launch India-specific initiatives like scholarships to attract Indian students.FU Berlin, which has been part of this internationalisation project, anticipates that a third of its students could be from overseas in the future.Herbert Grieshop, managing director of the university's Centreor International Co-operation says, We think that global problems need global cooperation for research. And for our students it brings the sensibilities and the competencies they need in a globalised world market.
According to the University of Delhi, the number of studentsnd scientists from South Asia has increased by nearly 30 percent in the last few years.The majority are doctoral students, while some are at the university temporarily through the European Union's Erasmus Mundus programmes.At the same time, Germans are the most mobile students throughout Europe. There are more students from Germany studying abroad than any other European country and it wants half of its students to spend at least a term abroad.Reacting to Germany winning the top spot, DAAD General Secretary Dr. Dorothea Raland said Germany's top position in the ranking is a well-deserved achievement of our higher education institutions. (ANI)
few years.
One reason for this is that more and more courses and even entire degree programmes are being run in English.Germany's popularity as a preferred higher education destination for students in the South Asia region has grown rapidly in the last few years. Notably, the number of doctoral students from India has increased ten-fold within the last decade.This places India second in the tally of top countries of origin of international doctoral students in Germany.Ram Shankar, a German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) scholar pursuing his Ph.D from Universitat Bielefeld, described his experience of studying in Germany as a highly competitive and enriching.Furthermore, in Germany, overseas students do not pay any more in tuition fees than home students.Universities in many parts of Germany do not charge any tuition fees, which means in those places overseas studentsdo not pay any fees at all.
The survey also refers positively to legislation allowing for students to work in Germany.Vikas Shabadi, an Indian doctoral student at TU Darmstadt, describes life in Germany as relatively easy.At the end of a hectic weekday, he looks forward to theeekends with vibrant festivals in the city centres that have plenty of music, food and wine.Many German universities actively promote themselves in the region, and especially in India, through regular participation in education fairs.The South Asia Institute (SAI) of Heidelberg University, Freieniversitat (FU) Berlin and Uni-Goettingen have liaison offices in the region.Students can also get a lot of exposure while studying in such universities and different course Engineering,Materials Science and Mechatronics.
German universities have also entered into cooperationgreements with Indian universities. Apart from this, many universities also launch India-specific initiatives like scholarships to attract Indian students.FU Berlin, which has been part of this internationalisation project, anticipates that a third of its students could be from overseas in the future.Herbert Grieshop, managing director of the university's Centreor International Co-operation says, We think that global problems need global cooperation for research. And for our students it brings the sensibilities and the competencies they need in a globalised world market.
According to the University of Delhi, the number of studentsnd scientists from South Asia has increased by nearly 30 percent in the last few years.The majority are doctoral students, while some are at the university temporarily through the European Union's Erasmus Mundus programmes.At the same time, Germans are the most mobile students throughout Europe. There are more students from Germany studying abroad than any other European country and it wants half of its students to spend at least a term abroad.Reacting to Germany winning the top spot, DAAD General Secretary Dr. Dorothea Raland said Germany's top position in the ranking is a well-deserved achievement of our higher education institutions. (ANI)
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Why Kenyans prefer to study abroad
The majority of Kenyans prefer studying or sending their children abroad for higher education, a new study has shown.The survey by Synovate carried out last month shows that 57 per cent of 1,044 respondents sampled prefer foreign universities over local ones due to a perception of high quality standards, prestige, and exposure to life overseas.The respondents also complained of inadequate educational opportunities locally.The study shows that 43 per cent of Kenyans prefer to study locally with more than two thirds of the respondents in Coast and Western regions having the highest preference for overseas education.This was a sharp contrast to the North Eastern where 77 per cent of the respondents said they would rather attend local universities.These results indicate that Kenyan universities, especially public ones, still have some way to go in winning public confidence, said George Waititu, managing director Synovate.Students can also get a lot of exposure while studying in such universities and different course Software Engineering,Mathematical Modelling and Simulation and Mechatronics.
He said that public universities have been plagued by lack of resources due to their reliance on diminishing state funding, though parallel degree programmes have been used to generate some additional income.The issues of congestion, shortage of teaching staff, inadequate facilities, different courses and the resulting perception of poor quality education contin
ue to plague the universities,said Mr Waititu, adding that the government needs to have a deliberate approach to expand the quality and space of local universities.We want to see less and less people studying abroad so that the economy can gain,he said, adding that the low preference for foreign universities in the North Eastern region could be as a result of little exposure and knowledge on foreign education. Generally speaking, the region tends to be poorer than the rest of the country making it more difficult for those in that region to prefer the more expensive universities abroad, he said.
Makini Group of Schools founder and chief executive officer Mary Okello said local universities needed to improve quality so as to tap into the money that locals are spending abroad on higher education.What this study means is that we have to make our degrees more competitive, we need to raise our standards and this will also boost our revenues from university education. Other countries capitalise on their education and make money out of it,said Mrs Okello.As a Kenyan, I would discourage people from going to study abroad at least for the first degree because people are usually too young and it will also save on foreign exchange. for post graduate it is okay and it also gives exposure,she said.
Foreign universities are generally better equipped with facilities and the lure of working opportunities after school also makes them more attractive to Kenyan students.Currently, there is no role modelling and when students finish their education it is like nobody cares about what happens after that. But when they go abroad they find opportunities,said Kenya Private Schools Association national chairman John Kabue Mwai.The management of government resources has also been poor. The government spends so much on the education system but the implementing persons do not maximise those resources,he said, adding that as a result the quality of education comes down.
He said that public universities have been plagued by lack of resources due to their reliance on diminishing state funding, though parallel degree programmes have been used to generate some additional income.The issues of congestion, shortage of teaching staff, inadequate facilities, different courses and the resulting perception of poor quality education contin
ue to plague the universities,said Mr Waititu, adding that the government needs to have a deliberate approach to expand the quality and space of local universities.We want to see less and less people studying abroad so that the economy can gain,he said, adding that the low preference for foreign universities in the North Eastern region could be as a result of little exposure and knowledge on foreign education. Generally speaking, the region tends to be poorer than the rest of the country making it more difficult for those in that region to prefer the more expensive universities abroad, he said.Makini Group of Schools founder and chief executive officer Mary Okello said local universities needed to improve quality so as to tap into the money that locals are spending abroad on higher education.What this study means is that we have to make our degrees more competitive, we need to raise our standards and this will also boost our revenues from university education. Other countries capitalise on their education and make money out of it,said Mrs Okello.As a Kenyan, I would discourage people from going to study abroad at least for the first degree because people are usually too young and it will also save on foreign exchange. for post graduate it is okay and it also gives exposure,she said.
Foreign universities are generally better equipped with facilities and the lure of working opportunities after school also makes them more attractive to Kenyan students.Currently, there is no role modelling and when students finish their education it is like nobody cares about what happens after that. But when they go abroad they find opportunities,said Kenya Private Schools Association national chairman John Kabue Mwai.The management of government resources has also been poor. The government spends so much on the education system but the implementing persons do not maximise those resources,he said, adding that as a result the quality of education comes down.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Business Education, Spring 2011
MBA students at Canadian business schools are learning firsthand that when it comes to their professional futures in an international marketplace, spending time studying business overseas does them the world of good.Rachael Ibey, a 27-year-old MBA student at the Richard Ivey School of Business, was part of a three-city tour of India in December, which was both business and cultural. The course took 32 students to Indian companies and communities to explore the explosion of growth that is turning that country into an economic powerhouse.While Ms. Ibey said a lot of her coursework covers international business challenges, with many of the MBA students coming from or currently working and living abroad, the hands-on experience was invaluable.
With a global perspective in business right now it is very important to understand how different countries operate in terms of businesses and business practices, especially in developing economies,she said.She said she found interacting in with students in Bangalore and village visit near Delhi to be especially interesting.Culture and politics are so intertwined with business in India. One key theme in the business organizations we visited was that in a lot of developed economies you see a lot of government taking the first role in taking social responsibility, while in India, businesses see themselves as an entity of society,Ms. Ibey said.
They are taking on responsibilities before it is mandated by the government. Culture, politics and business are not as intertwined in Canada.Ms. Ibey is from Parry Sound, Ont., but had had international work experience as an engineer in Hong Kong shortly before starting the MBA. She plans to work in supply-chain consulting after leaving the program, with the hope of making global business opportunities part of her career.The international opportunities and aspects at Ivey were very attractive. I’ll be based in Toronto and, initially, a lot of the jobs I’ll be working on will be North America-based, but the strategy of the company I am atm Deloitte is multinational.Students can also get a lot of exposure while studying in such universities and different course Global Production Engineering,Materials Science and International Economics.
Ms. Ibey’s classmate, Fiorella Marchinares, is a 28-year-old Peruvian Canadian who has worked in Switzerland and Lima since doing her undergraduate business degree at the University of Alberta, in the consumer packaged goods industry.For Ms. Marchinares, the Ivey trip was an opportunity to compare the economies and business practices of Peru and India.I expected to see what I would see back home, but I was a bit shocked at the differences between the people with higher incomes and the level of poverty in India. It struck me, even coming from a developing country, she said.But I really appreciated the effort that the people took to really push themselves, to get a better career, better job. And Indian companies really encourage their people to be outside the box, be very innovative and to create solutions for consumers.
Their course professor, Murray Bryant, said the Ivey Business School had previously sent students to China, but this was the first trip to India. He assigned his students Indian novels to set an understanding and context for their trip.I felt that was an innovative way for them to learn context. The feeling was that India was a significant international superpower. I was handed the assignment to explore the cultural, political and business contexts that India is operating under currently, and to understand some of the best practices that are coming out of India that we can learn from, he said.With companies that many North Americans have never heard of having sales levels similar to that of General Electric, there is a huge gap of understanding, he said.Dr. Bryant said the experience helps students frame the themes of international business in their own futures in an unforgettable way.
With a global perspective in business right now it is very important to understand how different countries operate in terms of businesses and business practices, especially in developing economies,she said.She said she found interacting in with students in Bangalore and village visit near Delhi to be especially interesting.Culture and politics are so intertwined with business in India. One key theme in the business organizations we visited was that in a lot of developed economies you see a lot of government taking the first role in taking social responsibility, while in India, businesses see themselves as an entity of society,Ms. Ibey said.
They are taking on responsibilities before it is mandated by the government. Culture, politics and business are not as intertwined in Canada.Ms. Ibey is from Parry Sound, Ont., but had had international work experience as an engineer in Hong Kong shortly before starting the MBA. She plans to work in supply-chain consulting after leaving the program, with the hope of making global business opportunities part of her career.The international opportunities and aspects at Ivey were very attractive. I’ll be based in Toronto and, initially, a lot of the jobs I’ll be working on will be North America-based, but the strategy of the company I am atm Deloitte is multinational.Students can also get a lot of exposure while studying in such universities and different course Global Production Engineering,Materials Science and International Economics.
Ms. Ibey’s classmate, Fiorella Marchinares, is a 28-year-old Peruvian Canadian who has worked in Switzerland and Lima since doing her undergraduate business degree at the University of Alberta, in the consumer packaged goods industry.For Ms. Marchinares, the Ivey trip was an opportunity to compare the economies and business practices of Peru and India.I expected to see what I would see back home, but I was a bit shocked at the differences between the people with higher incomes and the level of poverty in India. It struck me, even coming from a developing country, she said.But I really appreciated the effort that the people took to really push themselves, to get a better career, better job. And Indian companies really encourage their people to be outside the box, be very innovative and to create solutions for consumers.
Their course professor, Murray Bryant, said the Ivey Business School had previously sent students to China, but this was the first trip to India. He assigned his students Indian novels to set an understanding and context for their trip.I felt that was an innovative way for them to learn context. The feeling was that India was a significant international superpower. I was handed the assignment to explore the cultural, political and business contexts that India is operating under currently, and to understand some of the best practices that are coming out of India that we can learn from, he said.With companies that many North Americans have never heard of having sales levels similar to that of General Electric, there is a huge gap of understanding, he said.Dr. Bryant said the experience helps students frame the themes of international business in their own futures in an unforgettable way.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Study abroad program in Poland
Northern Illinois University graduate student Aaron Vermedal is among several College of Visual and Performing Arts students who are participating in a study abroad program in Poland during NIU’s spring break. Aaron is documenting his and fellow students’ experiences overseas, and he is sharing these experiences via a video log. Check back throughout the week for more updates from NIU students in Poland!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
The number of Saudi students study abroad increases
The number of Saudi students enrolled in higher education abroad is increasing and will reach 130,000 this year, according to Dr. Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Mousa, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Higher Education for Cultural Mission.Al-Mousa met here Sunday at the Asharqia Chamber of Commerce and Industry with leading businessmen and businesswomen and impressed upon them the expertise of these students and urged the business community to provide them employment upon their return to the Kingdom.
He said during the next ten years these Saudi students will return to take up responsible jobs that will meet the human resources needs of the Kingdom. He said these Saudi students are pursuing higher education in some 500 universities and colleges around the world.
The private business sector should take advantage of the expertise of our overseas students who are trained and educated in various disciplines by providing them with suitable jobs according to their specialization and the demands of the Saudi job market,Al-Mousa said.
There are at present 106,095 Saudi students pursuing higher education overseas, 69 percent of them are male students and 31 percent are female.
Al-Mousa said 30 percent of these students are studying in the United States, 15 percent in the United Kingdom, 11 percent in Canada, eight percent in Australia, and the rest are in universities in countries like Germany, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Holland, Netherlands,Sweden Middle Eastern countries, and others.According to Al-Mousa, 26 percent of these students are in business Administration and economics programs, 14 percent in computer and information technology, 15 percent in medicine and medical sciences, 10 percent in engineering, and the remaining in various courses.
Of the current 106,095 Saudi students enrolled in universities and colleges overseas, 47,397 are taking bachelor degrees, 22,370 pursuing master’s degrees, 5,026 completing their doctorate degrees, and the rest are involved in other levels of education and specialization.
Responding to the call of Al-Mousa, Asharqia Chamber secretary general Abdulrahman Bin Abdullah Al-Wabel assured the undersecretary that local businessmen and businesswomen will see to it that returning Saudi students who completed their education overseas will be provided with job opportunities, adding that there is longstanding cooperation between Asharqia Chamber and the Ministry of Higher Education in supporting the Kingdom’s efforts in providing job opportunities for qualified citizens.
He said during the next ten years these Saudi students will return to take up responsible jobs that will meet the human resources needs of the Kingdom. He said these Saudi students are pursuing higher education in some 500 universities and colleges around the world.
The private business sector should take advantage of the expertise of our overseas students who are trained and educated in various disciplines by providing them with suitable jobs according to their specialization and the demands of the Saudi job market,Al-Mousa said.
There are at present 106,095 Saudi students pursuing higher education overseas, 69 percent of them are male students and 31 percent are female.
Al-Mousa said 30 percent of these students are studying in the United States, 15 percent in the United Kingdom, 11 percent in Canada, eight percent in Australia, and the rest are in universities in countries like Germany, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Holland, Netherlands,Sweden Middle Eastern countries, and others.According to Al-Mousa, 26 percent of these students are in business Administration and economics programs, 14 percent in computer and information technology, 15 percent in medicine and medical sciences, 10 percent in engineering, and the remaining in various courses.
Of the current 106,095 Saudi students enrolled in universities and colleges overseas, 47,397 are taking bachelor degrees, 22,370 pursuing master’s degrees, 5,026 completing their doctorate degrees, and the rest are involved in other levels of education and specialization.
Responding to the call of Al-Mousa, Asharqia Chamber secretary general Abdulrahman Bin Abdullah Al-Wabel assured the undersecretary that local businessmen and businesswomen will see to it that returning Saudi students who completed their education overseas will be provided with job opportunities, adding that there is longstanding cooperation between Asharqia Chamber and the Ministry of Higher Education in supporting the Kingdom’s efforts in providing job opportunities for qualified citizens.
Study abroad in İstanbul
It all started around four years ago for Serha Doğan. Doğan, born and raised in Germany, graduated with a degree in preschool teaching and decided the time had come to really give her life a new direction.Her real intention at this point was not to simply jump into the flow of life. She actually thought she wanted to study at one more university before doing so. So she started dreaming about going to Canada, which she had often thought about before, and completing the rest of her education in sociology. She began taking the necessary steps to make this dream come true. The first part of the process was to finally settle the citizenship question. To do so, Doğan headed for the Turkish Consulate in Düsseldorf, where she told the authorities there that she wanted to officially drop her Turkish citizenship. Right at that moment though, as fate would have it, different course her life began to take was the opposite of the one which she had been dreaming of. The religious attaché at the consulate, realizing that Doğan was a Muslim who spoke German very well, came up to her and said:There is a German citizen downstairs who would like to become a Muslim. But since our language abilities are not adequate, we cannot translate the Shahada. Could you please help us?
Doğan, who had grown up imbued with religious sensitivities, went straight over to the young German woman who wished to become Muslim and witnessed the Shahada being spoken. Before the powerfully affecting atmosphere of the Shahada had passed, the consulate’s religious attaché asked Doğan whether she would like to experience more moments such as the one that had just passed. The attaché also mentioned the International Theology Program started by the Turkish Ministry of Religious Affairs, with the aim of turning over religious works involving Islam in Europe to people who are familiar with the local language and culture. Within the framework of the project, youth who have been educated at and have graduated from high schools in Europe and other parts of the world would come to study theology at universities in İstanbul and Ankara and then return to their countries, where they would serve in the arena of religious affairs. In this particular case, Doğan decided to pass on her dreams of Canada, instead signing up for the program that the attaché had mentioned. The rest is as you may have already guessed: Doğan is now a student in her final year at the International Theology Program at Marmara University. Nowadays, her entire objective is simply to return to Germany as soon as possible and shoulder the new role that she has trained for there.
Another one of the Turkish students here at Marmara University who grew up in Europe is İbrahim Polat. He was born in Belgium and loves to read religious books and think about Islam from an intellectual perspective. In fact, he has been involved in voluntary efforts to help close the gap created by deficiencies in religious services in Belgium. One of these was to form a group connected to the Turkish Ministry of Religious Affairs that would sponsor activities that would help people, especially young people, become closer to their religion. After a while, this group managed to become influential not only in Turkish circles in Belgium, but with Muslims living in this country. This same group also formed a group in which religious topics could be discussed. It was later, while Polat was a student at Marmara University studying international communication-management that he decided to pursue an education in theology. When he first discovered that there was an international theology program, he asked himself,Why don’t I carry on with the same activities I’ve been doing voluntarily as my actual career?With Polat, as with Doğan, the rest of the story is one you probably already guessed. His four-year journey is now coming to a close, and he is soon to return to Belgium and shoulder his new duties there. He is very excited about it all, though he is aware of the heavy responsibilities that await him.
Semra Doğan is one of Polat’s classmates, and like him, was also born and raised in Belgium. She graduated with a degree in preschool education, but later thought about the idea of enrolling in the International Theology Program in Turkey, while searching for ways to become a teacher of religious culture in Belgium. In fact, it was with the encouragement of her father that she set out for Turkey. She will also be graduating from the program this year as well. Her greatest dream is to open up a crèche that offers religious instruction for the children of Muslim families.
Another student studying at the Marmara University program is Esma Uğur, who comes from France. She had originally planned to study economics, but while applying, her father suggested she study theology, which is how she linked up with this caravan of youth headed off to teach and reinforce religion in Europe. She is sure of what she is doing, saying:I am so glad I came. It was even worth it just for my own personal religious education.She will start working next year and is most concerned about reaching out to youth. As for another student, Ayperi Çılgın, who was born and grew up in the Netherlands, she notes,I am going to study in another department, and then carry out my duties on a personal level.She notes her real interest is in film and that she wants use her education in theology not as a religious official but would like to include it in any film scripts that she writes.
Kürşat Karbaki is 21 years old. He is a first-year student at the International Theology Program and comes from Germany. He is incredibly excited to be here. He is also full of joy, seemingly incapable of standing still, and bursting to tell his story. He explains:I was born in Germany. I grew up there. My mother is a very religious person and so she raised me to be religious, too. I received my religious education by regularly going to the mosque. In fact, I was even a muezzin for a while when I was in high school, since my voice was good. That’s when I decided to study theology. One day, the Düsseldorf religious attache came to our mosque, and told us about the international theology project. He said, ‘You should do it, you would be perfect for it.’ I started to research it. And since I knew that there is a lack of people who know about Islam in Europe, I said, ‘I will do this.’ In the end, I am here. The part of all of this that really excites me is that my religious education is composed of a Turkish-Islam synthesis.
Doğan, who had grown up imbued with religious sensitivities, went straight over to the young German woman who wished to become Muslim and witnessed the Shahada being spoken. Before the powerfully affecting atmosphere of the Shahada had passed, the consulate’s religious attaché asked Doğan whether she would like to experience more moments such as the one that had just passed. The attaché also mentioned the International Theology Program started by the Turkish Ministry of Religious Affairs, with the aim of turning over religious works involving Islam in Europe to people who are familiar with the local language and culture. Within the framework of the project, youth who have been educated at and have graduated from high schools in Europe and other parts of the world would come to study theology at universities in İstanbul and Ankara and then return to their countries, where they would serve in the arena of religious affairs. In this particular case, Doğan decided to pass on her dreams of Canada, instead signing up for the program that the attaché had mentioned. The rest is as you may have already guessed: Doğan is now a student in her final year at the International Theology Program at Marmara University. Nowadays, her entire objective is simply to return to Germany as soon as possible and shoulder the new role that she has trained for there.
Doğan is just one of many young people from abroad who are now studying at Marmara University’s theology department. There are many others like her, with similar dreams, from many different places all over Europe. In fact, there are 190 students in total, from 15 different countries, including Germany, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands and France. And they are all studying at a level that they hope will allow them to properly talk about and be connected to Islamic works once back in the countries where they were born. Not all of them wish to work in mosques later. Some, like Doğan, hope to work at consulates. Others want to be teachers of religious culture.
Another one of the Turkish students here at Marmara University who grew up in Europe is İbrahim Polat. He was born in Belgium and loves to read religious books and think about Islam from an intellectual perspective. In fact, he has been involved in voluntary efforts to help close the gap created by deficiencies in religious services in Belgium. One of these was to form a group connected to the Turkish Ministry of Religious Affairs that would sponsor activities that would help people, especially young people, become closer to their religion. After a while, this group managed to become influential not only in Turkish circles in Belgium, but with Muslims living in this country. This same group also formed a group in which religious topics could be discussed. It was later, while Polat was a student at Marmara University studying international communication-management that he decided to pursue an education in theology. When he first discovered that there was an international theology program, he asked himself,Why don’t I carry on with the same activities I’ve been doing voluntarily as my actual career?With Polat, as with Doğan, the rest of the story is one you probably already guessed. His four-year journey is now coming to a close, and he is soon to return to Belgium and shoulder his new duties there. He is very excited about it all, though he is aware of the heavy responsibilities that await him.
Semra Doğan is one of Polat’s classmates, and like him, was also born and raised in Belgium. She graduated with a degree in preschool education, but later thought about the idea of enrolling in the International Theology Program in Turkey, while searching for ways to become a teacher of religious culture in Belgium. In fact, it was with the encouragement of her father that she set out for Turkey. She will also be graduating from the program this year as well. Her greatest dream is to open up a crèche that offers religious instruction for the children of Muslim families.
Another student studying at the Marmara University program is Esma Uğur, who comes from France. She had originally planned to study economics, but while applying, her father suggested she study theology, which is how she linked up with this caravan of youth headed off to teach and reinforce religion in Europe. She is sure of what she is doing, saying:I am so glad I came. It was even worth it just for my own personal religious education.She will start working next year and is most concerned about reaching out to youth. As for another student, Ayperi Çılgın, who was born and grew up in the Netherlands, she notes,I am going to study in another department, and then carry out my duties on a personal level.She notes her real interest is in film and that she wants use her education in theology not as a religious official but would like to include it in any film scripts that she writes.
Kürşat Karbaki is 21 years old. He is a first-year student at the International Theology Program and comes from Germany. He is incredibly excited to be here. He is also full of joy, seemingly incapable of standing still, and bursting to tell his story. He explains:I was born in Germany. I grew up there. My mother is a very religious person and so she raised me to be religious, too. I received my religious education by regularly going to the mosque. In fact, I was even a muezzin for a while when I was in high school, since my voice was good. That’s when I decided to study theology. One day, the Düsseldorf religious attache came to our mosque, and told us about the international theology project. He said, ‘You should do it, you would be perfect for it.’ I started to research it. And since I knew that there is a lack of people who know about Islam in Europe, I said, ‘I will do this.’ In the end, I am here. The part of all of this that really excites me is that my religious education is composed of a Turkish-Islam synthesis.
Friday, March 11, 2011
More Chinese student returned home in 2010
Nearly 135,000 Chinese students returned home after finishing their education abroad in 2010, up 24.7 percent from 2009, said a senior human resources official here Friday.More than 632,000 Chinese, or 33 percent of those who studied abroad, returned home since 1978, said Yin Weimin, minister of human resources and social security at a meeting held here.Yin attributed the increase to better policies and working environment in China.The Chinese government launched a recruitment program of global experts in 2008, offering favorable policies in terms of taxation, insurance, housing, children and spouse settlement, career development, research projects, and government awards.Students can also get a lot of exposure while studying in such universities and different course Engineering,Economics and Technology.
As of last year, 1,143 top-level scientists and professionals have worked in China under the program, Yin said.Moreover, more than 150 industrial parks nationwide, hosting 8,000 companies, attracted 20,000 returnees who have greatly contributed to the scientific innovation and industrial restructuring,he said.He pledged to improve policies and service to returned talents this year.According to the Ministry of Education, a total of 1.9 million Chinese studied overseas from 1978 to 2010.In 2010, about 280,000 young Chinese went abroad for education, a year-on-year increase of 24 percent.
As of last year, 1,143 top-level scientists and professionals have worked in China under the program, Yin said.Moreover, more than 150 industrial parks nationwide, hosting 8,000 companies, attracted 20,000 returnees who have greatly contributed to the scientific innovation and industrial restructuring,he said.He pledged to improve policies and service to returned talents this year.According to the Ministry of Education, a total of 1.9 million Chinese studied overseas from 1978 to 2010.In 2010, about 280,000 young Chinese went abroad for education, a year-on-year increase of 24 percent.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Studying abroad common among white students
The majority of Americans studying abroad are white, according to a recent report.One of the main reasons for this finding is that studying abroad can be expensive beyond the reach of many minority families.Between the 1999-2000 and 2008-2009 school years, white students constituted over 80 percent of those who studied abroad, according to data from the Institute for International Education Open Doors report. Other ethnic or race groups made up only 0.4-7 percent of students, with little to no changes in demographics from year to year.
All universities, including St. Edward's University, are required to submit student profile data to Open Doors and other institutions that issue these statistical reports concerning American students studying abroad.The St. Edward's Office of International Education is aware of these statistics, but does not use them to recruit students to study abroad.Instead, we like to focus our attentions on the student community as a whole. It doesn't matter what your background, major or financial situation is, International Advisor Erin Garcia said.We are here to help make studying abroad a possibility for everyone.
Garcia has done masters research concerning why students study abroad. She has learned that the student's cultural background can be a factor. Statistically, studying abroad has been a larger part of white culture than of any other cultural group.Even though more American minorities are attending college now than ever before, whites continue to make up the majority of college student populations. As a result, the notion of studying abroad has been a part of white culture for more generations. Conversely, many minority college students are the first members of their families to attend college and therefore less likely to have the desire to study overseas instilled in them early in their lives.
Although students' backgrounds can be a factor in whether or not they decide to study abroad, it is not the only factor and certainly not the most influential. The biggest concern of any student, no matter what their race or ethnicity, is the cost that comes with studying abroad.Studying abroad isn't something that I've really ever discussed with my parents. It might be something I would like to do later on in my college career, but right now I just don't think I have the financial support that I would need,freshman Jacob Rodriguez said.The availability of programs suited for different majors also heavily contributes to students' decisions concerning studying abroad. Majors within the School of Humanities, for instance, can be more easily adapted to the international experience, as opposed to majors from the other schools, such as those from the School of Natural Sciences. More female students tend to choose majors from the humanities than male students, which may be why more female students study abroad.
Junior Angela Truong had the opportunity to study in Japan last summer and in South Korea last fall. She has always felt connected to her culture, but she never had the chance to visit Asia before studying abroad.The only major obstacle was finding a way to pay for my study abroad programs, so I went to the study abroad office to check out some programs and figure out a financial plan,Truong said.
All universities, including St. Edward's University, are required to submit student profile data to Open Doors and other institutions that issue these statistical reports concerning American students studying abroad.The St. Edward's Office of International Education is aware of these statistics, but does not use them to recruit students to study abroad.Instead, we like to focus our attentions on the student community as a whole. It doesn't matter what your background, major or financial situation is, International Advisor Erin Garcia said.We are here to help make studying abroad a possibility for everyone.
Garcia has done masters research concerning why students study abroad. She has learned that the student's cultural background can be a factor. Statistically, studying abroad has been a larger part of white culture than of any other cultural group.Even though more American minorities are attending college now than ever before, whites continue to make up the majority of college student populations. As a result, the notion of studying abroad has been a part of white culture for more generations. Conversely, many minority college students are the first members of their families to attend college and therefore less likely to have the desire to study overseas instilled in them early in their lives.
Although students' backgrounds can be a factor in whether or not they decide to study abroad, it is not the only factor and certainly not the most influential. The biggest concern of any student, no matter what their race or ethnicity, is the cost that comes with studying abroad.Studying abroad isn't something that I've really ever discussed with my parents. It might be something I would like to do later on in my college career, but right now I just don't think I have the financial support that I would need,freshman Jacob Rodriguez said.The availability of programs suited for different majors also heavily contributes to students' decisions concerning studying abroad. Majors within the School of Humanities, for instance, can be more easily adapted to the international experience, as opposed to majors from the other schools, such as those from the School of Natural Sciences. More female students tend to choose majors from the humanities than male students, which may be why more female students study abroad.
Junior Angela Truong had the opportunity to study in Japan last summer and in South Korea last fall. She has always felt connected to her culture, but she never had the chance to visit Asia before studying abroad.The only major obstacle was finding a way to pay for my study abroad programs, so I went to the study abroad office to check out some programs and figure out a financial plan,Truong said.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Germany better at teaching university courses in English than universities in English-speaking countries
Germany has been named as the most supportive country for overseas students, in an international league table.Among the attractions for international students is the increasing availability in Germany of courses taught entirely in English, so much so that students can complete degrees without ever having to speak German.In the international zones of these classes, students from Germany, the United States and China participate in seminars conducted by German professors speaking in English.
View from abroad
David Ravensbergen, a Canadian at the Freie Universitat Berlin, says these multiple layers of internationalism can puzzle other students. They say: 'Let's get this straight. You're an English speaker from Canada, and you've come to Germany to study in English. And to study about North America. What's gotten into your head?But Herbert Grieshop, director of the university's Centre for International Co-operation, says that languages should not be a barrier to such globalisation and that international English might be more useful than some regional varieties.I wonder whether a Chinese student can understand us better than someone with a Yorkshire accent or some strange American accent,he says in flawless English.The survey from the British Council which has placed Germany in first place is called the Global Gauge.It ranks university systems on measures such as openness, degree quality, how widely degrees are recognised, support for overseas students and how much students were encouraged to spend time abroad.
International policy
The UK was ranked in third place, with China coming fourth, ahead of the United States in sixth place, in a table showing 11 of the biggest players in the overseas student market.The strongest overall performance was from Germany, which has promoted a deliberate policy of internationalisation.There are more students from Germany studying abroad than any other European country and it wants half of its students to spend at least a term abroad, giving Germany one of the world's most mobile student populations.The global market in overseas students has become a highly-lucrative business. The British Council estimates that it is worth £8bn a year to the UK economy.But one of the attractions of Germany is that overseas students do not pay any more in tuition fees than home students.Universities in many parts of Germany do not charge any tuition fees, which means in those places overseas students do not pay any fees at all. Studying abroadThere is also an assumption that German students will spend time at universities in other countries. Julia Sunaric, studying managing and marketing, has studied at universities in the UK, China and Spain.I don't think of it as that special, because other people have similar CVs. In Germany it's really common to study abroad.She also says that German students are drawn to universities which teach in English, seeing it as useful for jobs in globalised businesses.When a university has a lot of courses taught in English, it's a kind of a prestige thing. If students have the ability and motivation to speak English, it's a good thing. People come here for the international image.But what's in it for the university? There is no financial incentive - and overseas students need extra support.It's been deliberate policy. We wanted to internationalise. We thought that it helps our students, our research,says Herbert Grieshop, managing director of the university's Centre for International Co-operation.International policy
The UK was ranked in third place, with China coming fourth, ahead of the United States in sixth place, in a table showing 11 of the biggest players in the overseas student market.The strongest overall performance was from Germany, which has promoted a deliberate policy of internationalisation.
There are more students from Germany studying abroad than any other European country and it wants half of its students to spend at least a term abroad, giving Germany one of the world's most mobile student populations.The global market in overseas students has become a highly-lucrative business. The British Council estimates that it is worth £8bn a year to the UK economy.But one of the attractions of Germany is that overseas students do not pay any more in tuition fees than home students.Universities in many parts of Germany do not charge any tuition fees, which means in those places overseas students do not pay any fees at all. Studying abroad
There is also an assumption that German students will spend time at universities in other countries. Julia Sunaric, studying managing and marketing, has studied at universities in the UK, China and Spain. I don't think of it as that special, because other people have similar CVs. In Germany it's really common to study abroad.She also says that German students are drawn to universities which teach in English, seeing it as useful for jobs in globalised businesses.When a university has a lot of courses taught in English, it's a kind of a prestige thing. If students have the ability and motivation to speak English, it's a good thing. People come here for the international image.But what's in it for the university? There is no financial incentive - and overseas students need extra support.It's been deliberate policy. We wanted to internationalise. We thought that it helps our students, our research,says Herbert Grieshop, managing director of the university's Centre for International Co-operation.Outward looking
The idea of internationalism permeates the university. It was set up in 1948 as a university for the western zone of the divided city and has always promoted the idea of links with the rest of the world. The university's showcase library was designed by Sir Norman Foster.Mr Grieshop is speaking in a classic 1950s building, full of light and post-war optimism, and the open-arms policy towards overseas students owes much to a cultural faith in internationalism.It's good will, being a good neighbour. It's basic to our culture and our economy. We are an outward looking country.We think that global problems need global co-operation for research. And for our students it brings the sensibilities and the competencies they need in a globalised world market.The university has not opened overseas campuses, but instead it develops partnerships through a network of overseas offices in countries including China, the US, Russia,Sweden and India.
Pat Killingley, the British Council's director of higher education, says that an increase in international partnerships between universities has become a global trend. These partnerships can then become pathways, establishing a route for exchanges between students and staff.For the UK's universities, she says overseas students are becoming particularly important for postgraduate courses.It's a hugely important trend, bringing students to the UK and supporting the research base. It's internationalising the whole system, she says.It's a picture in which globalisation will intensify she says, expecting both more competition and collaboration between university systems.
View from abroad
David Ravensbergen, a Canadian at the Freie Universitat Berlin, says these multiple layers of internationalism can puzzle other students. They say: 'Let's get this straight. You're an English speaker from Canada, and you've come to Germany to study in English. And to study about North America. What's gotten into your head?But Herbert Grieshop, director of the university's Centre for International Co-operation, says that languages should not be a barrier to such globalisation and that international English might be more useful than some regional varieties.I wonder whether a Chinese student can understand us better than someone with a Yorkshire accent or some strange American accent,he says in flawless English.The survey from the British Council which has placed Germany in first place is called the Global Gauge.It ranks university systems on measures such as openness, degree quality, how widely degrees are recognised, support for overseas students and how much students were encouraged to spend time abroad.
International policy
The UK was ranked in third place, with China coming fourth, ahead of the United States in sixth place, in a table showing 11 of the biggest players in the overseas student market.The strongest overall performance was from Germany, which has promoted a deliberate policy of internationalisation.There are more students from Germany studying abroad than any other European country and it wants half of its students to spend at least a term abroad, giving Germany one of the world's most mobile student populations.The global market in overseas students has become a highly-lucrative business. The British Council estimates that it is worth £8bn a year to the UK economy.But one of the attractions of Germany is that overseas students do not pay any more in tuition fees than home students.Universities in many parts of Germany do not charge any tuition fees, which means in those places overseas students do not pay any fees at all. Studying abroadThere is also an assumption that German students will spend time at universities in other countries. Julia Sunaric, studying managing and marketing, has studied at universities in the UK, China and Spain.I don't think of it as that special, because other people have similar CVs. In Germany it's really common to study abroad.She also says that German students are drawn to universities which teach in English, seeing it as useful for jobs in globalised businesses.When a university has a lot of courses taught in English, it's a kind of a prestige thing. If students have the ability and motivation to speak English, it's a good thing. People come here for the international image.But what's in it for the university? There is no financial incentive - and overseas students need extra support.It's been deliberate policy. We wanted to internationalise. We thought that it helps our students, our research,says Herbert Grieshop, managing director of the university's Centre for International Co-operation.International policy
The UK was ranked in third place, with China coming fourth, ahead of the United States in sixth place, in a table showing 11 of the biggest players in the overseas student market.The strongest overall performance was from Germany, which has promoted a deliberate policy of internationalisation.
There are more students from Germany studying abroad than any other European country and it wants half of its students to spend at least a term abroad, giving Germany one of the world's most mobile student populations.The global market in overseas students has become a highly-lucrative business. The British Council estimates that it is worth £8bn a year to the UK economy.But one of the attractions of Germany is that overseas students do not pay any more in tuition fees than home students.Universities in many parts of Germany do not charge any tuition fees, which means in those places overseas students do not pay any fees at all. Studying abroad
There is also an assumption that German students will spend time at universities in other countries. Julia Sunaric, studying managing and marketing, has studied at universities in the UK, China and Spain. I don't think of it as that special, because other people have similar CVs. In Germany it's really common to study abroad.She also says that German students are drawn to universities which teach in English, seeing it as useful for jobs in globalised businesses.When a university has a lot of courses taught in English, it's a kind of a prestige thing. If students have the ability and motivation to speak English, it's a good thing. People come here for the international image.But what's in it for the university? There is no financial incentive - and overseas students need extra support.It's been deliberate policy. We wanted to internationalise. We thought that it helps our students, our research,says Herbert Grieshop, managing director of the university's Centre for International Co-operation.Outward looking
The idea of internationalism permeates the university. It was set up in 1948 as a university for the western zone of the divided city and has always promoted the idea of links with the rest of the world. The university's showcase library was designed by Sir Norman Foster.Mr Grieshop is speaking in a classic 1950s building, full of light and post-war optimism, and the open-arms policy towards overseas students owes much to a cultural faith in internationalism.It's good will, being a good neighbour. It's basic to our culture and our economy. We are an outward looking country.We think that global problems need global co-operation for research. And for our students it brings the sensibilities and the competencies they need in a globalised world market.The university has not opened overseas campuses, but instead it develops partnerships through a network of overseas offices in countries including China, the US, Russia,Sweden and India.
Pat Killingley, the British Council's director of higher education, says that an increase in international partnerships between universities has become a global trend. These partnerships can then become pathways, establishing a route for exchanges between students and staff.For the UK's universities, she says overseas students are becoming particularly important for postgraduate courses.It's a hugely important trend, bringing students to the UK and supporting the research base. It's internationalising the whole system, she says.It's a picture in which globalisation will intensify she says, expecting both more competition and collaboration between university systems.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Event to offer help for those interested in studying overseas
THE ‘GEN Study Abroad Fair’ is back this month. Students planning to further their education in foreign countries can find information and assistance at the event.The fair will be held at Kuala Lumpur Cheras, Petaling Jaya (Jaya One), Subang Jaya (Subang Square), Penang and Sarawak.GEN is a professional higher education counseling and student services centre. It offers professional and unbiased expertise in education and career counseling. It also assists students in applying for tertiary courses and helping them settle down in study destinations such as the United Kingdom, Australia,Austria, United States, and New Zealand.Apart from university placement services, it provides students with help in student visa application, accommodation booking, and travel arrangement.Students can also get a lot of exposure while studying in such universities and different course
Automotive Engineering
Business Administration and Cultural Encounters.
The centre also organises student gathering activities in Malaysia and overseas. A student-based organisation, ‘GEN Buddies’ was formed five years ago for students who went through GEN (current, existing, and graduates). The organisation provides students with the opportunity to network with others and share information about studying abroad.All counselors at the centre have studied overseas. Hence, they are able to offer personalised and insightful advice.The centre is appointed and authorised as official representative for numerous higher learning institutions worldwide. It also works closely with agencies such as the British Council, Australian Education International, and New Zealand Trade & Enterprise.
Automotive Engineering
Business Administration and Cultural Encounters.
The centre also organises student gathering activities in Malaysia and overseas. A student-based organisation, ‘GEN Buddies’ was formed five years ago for students who went through GEN (current, existing, and graduates). The organisation provides students with the opportunity to network with others and share information about studying abroad.All counselors at the centre have studied overseas. Hence, they are able to offer personalised and insightful advice.The centre is appointed and authorised as official representative for numerous higher learning institutions worldwide. It also works closely with agencies such as the British Council, Australian Education International, and New Zealand Trade & Enterprise.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Spain Study Abroad announces College Study Abroad Programs for 2011-2012
Spain Study Abroad, the leading provider of high quality Spanish immersion programs for college students, is pleased to announce its 2011-2012 program sessions in Alicante, Spain. Find out more about these incredible study abroad opportunities now.Located on the coast of southeastern Spain, Alicante is renowned for its long, sandy beaches, pleasant climate and vibrant Mediterranean lifestyle. With its wide esplanades, its seafront promenades lined with outdoor cafes, and its ideal location on the Costa Blanca, Alicante has become a popular holiday spot for Europeans, as well as an ideal study abroad destination for college students.Alicante is a rich city, filled with both historic and modern attractions, beautiful landscapes and a variety of entertainment,said Jeremy Goodwin, Spain Study Abroad co-founder and director. The Alicante program offers the perfect environment for you to be fully immersed in the Spanish language and culture.Students can also get a lot of exposure while studying in such universities and different course Economics,European Studies and informatics on distance education.
Students participating in the Spain Study Abroad Alicante programs will have the opportunity to study at the Universidad de Alicante, one of Spain's newest universities. Established in 1979, the university offers courses in more than fifty degrees and includes over seventy departments and research groups. The Universidad de Alicante‘s center for Spanish language and cultural studies is one of the country's strongest, with a large international student population studying there each term. The Universidad de Alicante offers its 35,000 students the benefits of a modern Spanish campus with an international atmosphere.The classes at the Universidad de Alicante were tailored perfect for everyone's level, and the professors taught at just the right pace, said one of participants in Spain Study Abroad Alicante programs.I grew so much from the entire experience. When I returned home as a senior, I was more than ready to graduate, I was prepared for life in the real world!
Students participating in the Spain Study Abroad Alicante programs will have the opportunity to study at the Universidad de Alicante, one of Spain's newest universities. Established in 1979, the university offers courses in more than fifty degrees and includes over seventy departments and research groups. The Universidad de Alicante‘s center for Spanish language and cultural studies is one of the country's strongest, with a large international student population studying there each term. The Universidad de Alicante offers its 35,000 students the benefits of a modern Spanish campus with an international atmosphere.The classes at the Universidad de Alicante were tailored perfect for everyone's level, and the professors taught at just the right pace, said one of participants in Spain Study Abroad Alicante programs.I grew so much from the entire experience. When I returned home as a senior, I was more than ready to graduate, I was prepared for life in the real world!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Top courses offer free admission in April
Ascot, Newmarket and Sandown are among 25 racecourses set to give free admission to meetings in April.Greatly encouraged by the success of last year's 'free racing week' when the promotion attracted an extra 40,000 visitors, the venture by Racing for Change, the racecourses and lovetheraces in 2011 has been extended to a month.
This year even more followers of the sport in England, Scotland and Wales can enjoy a complimentary day at the races during a period which includes the spring school holidays and Easter. There is also the public holiday for the Royal wedding on Friday, April 29 when admission will be free at Doncaster's fixture.Seventeen fixtures are entirely free in at least one major enclosure at each racecourse, while there are a total of 5,500 free tickets available in advance at a further 11 meetings.All racecourses already admit accompanied under 16s free of charge and many extend that to under 18s.Students can also get a lot of exposure while studying in such universities and different course Engineering,Master Course in Polymer and Materials Science.
Rod Street, chief executive of Racing for Change, which is leading the initiative, said:This ground breaking move in April is being organised in a bid to attract record numbers of new customers to the fun and exciting sport of horse racing. It's also a great way to reward existing fans of the sport.The aim of the month is to appeal to people who have been infrequent visitors to horse racing in the past or who have never been to a racecourse.At many of the meetings, there will be staff, literature and displays to explain more about the sport.The month of free racing provides a mix of afternoon and evening meetings as well as a choice of racing over jumps and on the Flat.
This year even more followers of the sport in England, Scotland and Wales can enjoy a complimentary day at the races during a period which includes the spring school holidays and Easter. There is also the public holiday for the Royal wedding on Friday, April 29 when admission will be free at Doncaster's fixture.Seventeen fixtures are entirely free in at least one major enclosure at each racecourse, while there are a total of 5,500 free tickets available in advance at a further 11 meetings.All racecourses already admit accompanied under 16s free of charge and many extend that to under 18s.Students can also get a lot of exposure while studying in such universities and different course Engineering,Master Course in Polymer and Materials Science.
Rod Street, chief executive of Racing for Change, which is leading the initiative, said:This ground breaking move in April is being organised in a bid to attract record numbers of new customers to the fun and exciting sport of horse racing. It's also a great way to reward existing fans of the sport.The aim of the month is to appeal to people who have been infrequent visitors to horse racing in the past or who have never been to a racecourse.At many of the meetings, there will be staff, literature and displays to explain more about the sport.The month of free racing provides a mix of afternoon and evening meetings as well as a choice of racing over jumps and on the Flat.
500 get government scholarships to study abroad
The Ministry of Education and Training has just approved a list of 459 candidates to be sent abroad to pursue graduate and undergraduate degrees on government scholarships.Three hundred fifty will study for PhD degrees, 94 for bachelor degrees, and the other 15 for practical training programs.
The Ministry yesterday announced it would offer 500 scholarships for PhD degrees, 500 for master degrees and another 50 for PhD students or candidates wishing to attend practical training programs abroad this year.Ninety percent of the scholarships are reserved for lecturers and staff at universities, educational institutes and key national research centers.The remaining ten percent will go to state officials working at governmental agencies, state-owned enterprises and other sociopolitical organizations.Priority will be given to such disciplines as natural sciences, education, technology, social sciences, arts, sports, medicine and pharmacy, agriculture-forestry, and aquaculture.April 1 is the deadline for applications.
The Ministry yesterday announced it would offer 500 scholarships for PhD degrees, 500 for master degrees and another 50 for PhD students or candidates wishing to attend practical training programs abroad this year.Ninety percent of the scholarships are reserved for lecturers and staff at universities, educational institutes and key national research centers.The remaining ten percent will go to state officials working at governmental agencies, state-owned enterprises and other sociopolitical organizations.Priority will be given to such disciplines as natural sciences, education, technology, social sciences, arts, sports, medicine and pharmacy, agriculture-forestry, and aquaculture.April 1 is the deadline for applications.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Study abroad available at home
Everyone wants to study abroad. You rarely come across anyone who looks back on their experience negatively. They have their stories, and when they recount one, there are smiles on their faces and a twinkles in their eyes that tell you how much they value those memories.
If asked to say something interesting about themselves, people may be inclined to say, I studied abroad in for a semester.The conversation may evolve into a shared interest in a language, a culture or the desire to make out with someone simply because of their accent. This is interesting. But the conversation could also turn to the death knell topics of major, hometown and career. Yawn. If I wanted to discuss topics like that, I’d be at home with my parents and family friends, listening to opinions I neither share nor endorse, sipping a mediocre American lager in lieu of answering a question for the ump-teenth time.
Everyone knows about the good times abroad, and everyone knows what a stale question is. Yet most people don’t realize that location need not weigh in as a factor determining whether you’ll recycle the same small talk with the same people or choose something more.You would say that a large part of why you had fun abroad was the people that live there, correct?I have amazing news for you: Tons of them go to your school. That’s right, for the low cost of free, you can meet some of these amazing people indigenous to the lands you love traveling. And yet, many people do not take advantage of this. It is baffling.Had a great time in Berlin? There are two German girls standing in line to get food ahead of you. Did you party in Beirut? Talk about it with that Lebanese engineer. Do you like authentic Asian food? I’ve had conversations with Koreans that started out based solely on a mutual love for kimchi. If you are raising your eyebrows, rest assured that it is possible to talk about fermented cabbage for half an hour.
Unfortunately, most humans find homogeneity both safe and acceptable. By nature of hanging out with people similar to you, you aren’t around those who are different. You ask the same questions and give out tired answers. I’m looking at you, fraternal orders. I’m also looking at you, international students. For you, being in Florida is studying abroad. Do you want to spend your time here going out of your way to hang out with people as similar to you as you could find? It is important to question when this kind of behavior is based on a real connective experience with someone else or if it’s just a safety blanket.
For those who grew up stateside, an amazing thing happens when one starts to become good friends with non-Americans: Your views are challenged. Interacting with someone different makes even your basic, stale questions interesting. You realize the observations you are inundated with come from a single culture, a tunnel-vision perspective. When you open a dialogue with someone who grew up very different from you, it becomes easy to listen to views that differ from your own, because the person you are talking to is speaking from personal experience.The world is getting smaller every day. I have more in common with someone my age from the Netherlands than with people who grew up in the same area of Florida 20 years earlier. With the advent of social networking and Skype, it’s easy to stay in touch with people. Having an international network of friends is a good feeling. It gives you reason to travel abroad again. Maybe you can meet their friends from their home, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll be less inclined to ask everyone what their major is.
If asked to say something interesting about themselves, people may be inclined to say, I studied abroad in for a semester.The conversation may evolve into a shared interest in a language, a culture or the desire to make out with someone simply because of their accent. This is interesting. But the conversation could also turn to the death knell topics of major, hometown and career. Yawn. If I wanted to discuss topics like that, I’d be at home with my parents and family friends, listening to opinions I neither share nor endorse, sipping a mediocre American lager in lieu of answering a question for the ump-teenth time.
Everyone knows about the good times abroad, and everyone knows what a stale question is. Yet most people don’t realize that location need not weigh in as a factor determining whether you’ll recycle the same small talk with the same people or choose something more.You would say that a large part of why you had fun abroad was the people that live there, correct?I have amazing news for you: Tons of them go to your school. That’s right, for the low cost of free, you can meet some of these amazing people indigenous to the lands you love traveling. And yet, many people do not take advantage of this. It is baffling.Had a great time in Berlin? There are two German girls standing in line to get food ahead of you. Did you party in Beirut? Talk about it with that Lebanese engineer. Do you like authentic Asian food? I’ve had conversations with Koreans that started out based solely on a mutual love for kimchi. If you are raising your eyebrows, rest assured that it is possible to talk about fermented cabbage for half an hour.
Unfortunately, most humans find homogeneity both safe and acceptable. By nature of hanging out with people similar to you, you aren’t around those who are different. You ask the same questions and give out tired answers. I’m looking at you, fraternal orders. I’m also looking at you, international students. For you, being in Florida is studying abroad. Do you want to spend your time here going out of your way to hang out with people as similar to you as you could find? It is important to question when this kind of behavior is based on a real connective experience with someone else or if it’s just a safety blanket.
For those who grew up stateside, an amazing thing happens when one starts to become good friends with non-Americans: Your views are challenged. Interacting with someone different makes even your basic, stale questions interesting. You realize the observations you are inundated with come from a single culture, a tunnel-vision perspective. When you open a dialogue with someone who grew up very different from you, it becomes easy to listen to views that differ from your own, because the person you are talking to is speaking from personal experience.The world is getting smaller every day. I have more in common with someone my age from the Netherlands than with people who grew up in the same area of Florida 20 years earlier. With the advent of social networking and Skype, it’s easy to stay in touch with people. Having an international network of friends is a good feeling. It gives you reason to travel abroad again. Maybe you can meet their friends from their home, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll be less inclined to ask everyone what their major is.
Minority students are underrepresented in UNC’s study abroad program
White students hold an overwhelming majority in study abroad programs, according to a study to be published in print this month by Research in Higher Education.They made up a little more than 60 percent of post-secondary education enrollment in 2008, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics.But they are overrepresented in study abroad programs at 80.5 percent, according to the Institute of International Education’s 2008-2009 statistics.And minority groups are underrepresented.The discrepancy was greatest for black and Latino students.Bob Miles, UNC associate dean for study abroad and international exchanges, said the reason for the lack of minority students studying abroad stems from the rough economy.
We have no formal survey data that would allow us to explain underrepresentation, but informal feedback suggest that the additional cost of studying abroad may explain at least some of the underrepresentation,he said.Miles said that UNC does not have statistics on the number of minority students who choose to study abroad.More than 20 percent of UNC study abroad students chose not to indicate their race, Miles said.
To address possible financial concerns hindering students from travel opportunities, the Institute of International Education launched the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship in 2001. It provides need-based financial aid to qualified study abroad applicants.The Gilman Scholarship has been instrumental in improving diversity in study abroad, said Leena Soman, manager of public affairs at the institute.The 2009-10 scholarship recipients were largely dominated by minority students, as 15 percent of recipients were black, 16 percent were Asian/Pacific Islanders, and 15 percent were Latino.Only 41 percent of the recipients were white.Students can also get a lot of exposure while studying in such universities and different course.
The study reported that the cultural immersion appealed to white students more than others.When you tell people who are minorities that they need to go across the world for a cross-cultural experience, they’ll say, ‘What are you talking about? Every day is a cross-cultural experience,’said Mark Salisbury, the co-author and researcher for the study.Salisbury said schools should market study abroad’s other qualities, such as building independence and enhancing employment competitiveness.Rather than thinking about participation numbers as the goal, we need to be thinking about educational outcomes.
We have no formal survey data that would allow us to explain underrepresentation, but informal feedback suggest that the additional cost of studying abroad may explain at least some of the underrepresentation,he said.Miles said that UNC does not have statistics on the number of minority students who choose to study abroad.More than 20 percent of UNC study abroad students chose not to indicate their race, Miles said.
To address possible financial concerns hindering students from travel opportunities, the Institute of International Education launched the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship in 2001. It provides need-based financial aid to qualified study abroad applicants.The Gilman Scholarship has been instrumental in improving diversity in study abroad, said Leena Soman, manager of public affairs at the institute.The 2009-10 scholarship recipients were largely dominated by minority students, as 15 percent of recipients were black, 16 percent were Asian/Pacific Islanders, and 15 percent were Latino.Only 41 percent of the recipients were white.Students can also get a lot of exposure while studying in such universities and different course.
The study reported that the cultural immersion appealed to white students more than others.When you tell people who are minorities that they need to go across the world for a cross-cultural experience, they’ll say, ‘What are you talking about? Every day is a cross-cultural experience,’said Mark Salisbury, the co-author and researcher for the study.Salisbury said schools should market study abroad’s other qualities, such as building independence and enhancing employment competitiveness.Rather than thinking about participation numbers as the goal, we need to be thinking about educational outcomes.
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