Teachers who are looking for a change of pace, or just feel like they are getting into a dull routine, might want to consider teaching overseas. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never worked, taught, or even traveled abroad, international schools are looking for teachers who can teach their subject in English.Many people hold the mistaken notion that teaching overseas means teaching local kids English,” says Forrest Broman, President of The International Educator, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping international schools find qualified teaching staff, But that’s not what teaching at an international school is all about, says Mr. Broman. Teachers in the U.S. are uniquely qualified to teach at overseas international schools because they are native speakers of English who can teach their subject to English-speaking students.To dispel some common myths, here is a quick guide to what you need to teach at an overseas international school.
Language Requirements
I don’t speak a foreign language, is the common reaction of most teachers, but knowledge or fluency in a foreign language is not necessary to teach at an international school. The only language requirement is that you speak English. In fact, native speakers of English, or those highly fluent, are exactly the types of candidates that international schools are looking for. American and international schools all over the world consist of diverse, multicultural student bodies whose common denominator is that they are all English-speaking.This means that regardless of what subject or grade-level you teach, you will be teaching your subject in English.
Education Requirements
International Schools are looking for teachers who hold a Bachelor’s degree or higher in their subject area. Therefore, if you are planning to teach Social Studies at the middle or high school level, you should have a degree in history, political science, sociology or any of the other social sciences. The same applies for secondary teachers of English, Mathematics, Science and other subjects. Elementary school teachers should hold a degree in education, childhood development, or other related subjects.
Experience
International experience is not required, but you do need a minimum of two years teaching experience. Contrary to a common misperception, teaching abroad is not the place to learn how to teach, or to get your first experience running a classroom. “International schools are looking for proven performers who can hit the ground running and are capable of managing their own classroom independently, explains Mr. Broman, of The International Educator.
Certification Requirements
Many international schools require that teachers be certified in their subject area and grade level from the state or region in which they are licensed. However, many international schools will waive the certification requirement if a teacher has valuable experience. “Private independent schools in the U.S. employ talented teachers who often are not certified,” explains Mr. Broman, a former head of international schools in Latin America and the Middle East. “International schools are willing to hire these teachers, despite the fact that they are not licensed, because they bring valuable experience to their schools,” according to Mr. Broman.
Once you’ve landed your first international teaching job, you are a more desirable candidate because you have already proven that you are adaptable in a foreign environment and that you have been successful at an international school. The expression, it’s a small world, really bears true in the international school community. School heads know one another, and will place greater value on a recommendation from a colleague they know well or have worked with in the past. For teachers getting into the international circuit, Mr. Broman has some sage advice: It’s important to honor contract agreements and maintain professionalism, because your reputation precedes you.
Don’t let your blank passport pages stop you. If you are a teacher with at least two years experience and you are fluent in English, then you are qualified to teach at an overseas international school. The only thing left is to look at a map and decide where in the world you want to go.The International Educator (TIE), located in Hyannis, MA, is a non-profit organization that for 25 years has been dedicated to developing links among teachers and the extensive American and international schools network worldwide. TIE publishes a quarterly newspaper featuring the latest in international school news and developments for K-12 educators around the world.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
More students will study abroad in 46 different countries
Between September and May of this academic year, a projected total of 215 students will study abroad in 46 different countries. Eighteen juniors will remain abroad for the entire year.According to Director of Off-Campus Study Christine Wintersteen, these numbers are consistent with study abroad trends.These numbers were expected, she said.In recent years, the percentage of the junior class that applied to study abroad varied slightly, but these minor fluctuations haven't had major impacts.
The OCS has reported that this year an estimated 47.1 percent of the Class of 2013 will study abroad, a marginal increase from 46.8 percent of the Class of 2012.During the 2008-2009 academic year, a record-high number of 264 students studied abroad.The number has hovered around 50 percent for the last 10 years,said Wintersteen.In comparison to our peer institutions, we're right in the middle. No school sees numbers higher than around 60 percent of the junior class.While the figures for academic year study away programs have remained more or less constant, students are considering an increasing number of summer programs abroad. Dean of Admissions Scott Meiklejohn commented on this increase.We're seeing a trend of students purs
uing shorter, more entrepreneurial-based study away experiences at different times of the year,said Meiklejohn.More students are applying to study away in the summer.
Thirty students studied abroad this past summer, a notable increase from the 22 students who were abroad during the summer of 2010.Some students are deterred from studying abroad during the summer due to the high cost and lower chance of earning course credits.Financial aid doesn't transfer to summer programs, but it does during the school year,said Wintersteen. "Also, students typically only earn about two credits abroad during the summer, as opposed to four in the fall or spring.
The ratio of male to female students who study abroad has remained relatively constant over the years. Across the nation, roughly 60 percent of college students who choose to study abroad are women.This figure is reflected at Bowdoin, where 61 percent of applicants to study abroad this year were female. Wintersteen explained that some believe this discrepancy is due to the tendency of men and women to pursue different areas of study.Historically, it's been thought that more women choose to study the social sciences while more men majored in the STEM science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields,she said, implying that it is harder for STEM majors to get credits off-campus.Yet there is no data to back the gender discrepancies up,she added.However this was exactly the case for junior Drew Zembruski.I decided not to go abroad in order to fulfill major requirements for my major, mathematics. I had no explicit academic reason for going abroad, so I felt it made more sense for me to stay at Bowdoin," he said.
But Bowdoin professors are flexible when it comes to giving students credit for off-campus study, according to the OCS.Our faculty is very well-versed in the transfer of academic credit from time spent abroad,said Wintersteen.Ultimately, Zembruski said he feels as though he made the wrong decision.In hindsight I realize the flaw in my logic, he said. While I will be able to finish my major by the end of my junior year, I regret not going abroad."
The OCS has reported that this year an estimated 47.1 percent of the Class of 2013 will study abroad, a marginal increase from 46.8 percent of the Class of 2012.During the 2008-2009 academic year, a record-high number of 264 students studied abroad.The number has hovered around 50 percent for the last 10 years,said Wintersteen.In comparison to our peer institutions, we're right in the middle. No school sees numbers higher than around 60 percent of the junior class.While the figures for academic year study away programs have remained more or less constant, students are considering an increasing number of summer programs abroad. Dean of Admissions Scott Meiklejohn commented on this increase.We're seeing a trend of students purs
uing shorter, more entrepreneurial-based study away experiences at different times of the year,said Meiklejohn.More students are applying to study away in the summer.Thirty students studied abroad this past summer, a notable increase from the 22 students who were abroad during the summer of 2010.Some students are deterred from studying abroad during the summer due to the high cost and lower chance of earning course credits.Financial aid doesn't transfer to summer programs, but it does during the school year,said Wintersteen. "Also, students typically only earn about two credits abroad during the summer, as opposed to four in the fall or spring.
The ratio of male to female students who study abroad has remained relatively constant over the years. Across the nation, roughly 60 percent of college students who choose to study abroad are women.This figure is reflected at Bowdoin, where 61 percent of applicants to study abroad this year were female. Wintersteen explained that some believe this discrepancy is due to the tendency of men and women to pursue different areas of study.Historically, it's been thought that more women choose to study the social sciences while more men majored in the STEM science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields,she said, implying that it is harder for STEM majors to get credits off-campus.Yet there is no data to back the gender discrepancies up,she added.However this was exactly the case for junior Drew Zembruski.I decided not to go abroad in order to fulfill major requirements for my major, mathematics. I had no explicit academic reason for going abroad, so I felt it made more sense for me to stay at Bowdoin," he said.
But Bowdoin professors are flexible when it comes to giving students credit for off-campus study, according to the OCS.Our faculty is very well-versed in the transfer of academic credit from time spent abroad,said Wintersteen.Ultimately, Zembruski said he feels as though he made the wrong decision.In hindsight I realize the flaw in my logic, he said. While I will be able to finish my major by the end of my junior year, I regret not going abroad."
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Brazil is offering grants to science students for study abroad
In the latest move in a campaign to boost its economy's scientific base, Brazil is offering 75,000 grants by the end of 2014 to science students keen to study abroad. The goal of the Science Without Frontiers programme is to increase the number of Brazilian pre- and post-doctoral students in leading foreign institutions. In return, the government says it will work to create similar opportunities for foreign students in Brazilian institutions.
Applications for the first tranche of grants closed on 20 October.Launching the programme President Dilma Rousseff said the objectiv
e was not to produce 75,000 Einsteins but instead build a knowledge base in the country; that these students return and with their capacity and training and transform the know-how and innovation of the country.Brazil's science and technology minister Aloizio Mercadante said the programme would focus on tackling the country's deficit in engineers and would count on a budget of US$1.8 billion. It would also help advance the government's ambitions to create a world-class
university in Brazil, according to the minister.
This year Rousseff has already agreed with US President Barack Obama and the European Union to commit to improved educational links between Brazil and two of the world's biggest economic areas.To get a grant, applicants will have to prove that their field of research or study falls within the 18 priority areas earmarked by the government for support. These range across the sciences but have a heavy emphasis on fields with obvious immediate industrial applications such as engineering, energy research, aerospace, biomedicine and information technology.
The programme will give priority to students wishing to study in the best-placed universities in international league tables. Although the government has worked to expand the third level sector over the last decade, only one Brazilian university - University of São Paulo - ranks among the world's top 200 universities, according to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
Responsibility for the programme will be spread across the education and science ministries in the capital Brasília.The education ministry's programme Coordination for the Improvement of Highly Trained Personnel Capes, after its Portuguese initials will hand out 40,000 grants while the science ministry's National Council for Scientific and Technological Development will award 35,000 more.In 2010, Capes offered 5,000 grants to study abroad. The government wants to boost that number to 10,200 by next year with further increases in 2013 and 2014.Science Without Frontiers will be spread out across six modules ranging from one-year programmes for graduate students right up to senior researchers or specialists in the private sector looking to do research abroad.
The government will also provide grants to try and convince Brazilians located abroad to return home to conduct research. Non-Brazilians will also be able to apply for a grant.Capes will offer free English classes to students who receive a grant. Early criticism of Science Without Frontiers centred on the claims that it would benefit children from richer families who received a private education as a lack of English would put off science students who graduated from Brazil's public secondary schools, where instruction in English is weak.As well as 75,000 publicly funded grants Brazil's Secretariat of Strategic Affairs will be tasked with securing financing from the private sector for a further 25,000 grants. According to the government, British Gas and Portugal Telecom as well as Brazil's auto industry have already expressed interest in participating.
Education experts welcome the initiative but warned that it does not tackle the root cause of Brazil's shortage of science graduates and poor performance in international rankings of its universities.In principle I think any government initiative to sponsor international exchange at the third level is important, especially as the number of grants to study abroad offered by the government had fallen over a significant period of time," said Simon Schwartzman of
the Institute for Studies on Labour and Society in Rio de Janeiro.But the programme does not deal with the deeper problems in Brazil's universities. They are very bureaucratic, very rigid, controlled by internal corporations that lack accountability.Science Without Frontiers will have an impact but it will not have an existential impact and the current government does not acknowledge these problems because it is supported by rectors and professors,Schwartzman said.
Applications for the first tranche of grants closed on 20 October.Launching the programme President Dilma Rousseff said the objectiv
e was not to produce 75,000 Einsteins but instead build a knowledge base in the country; that these students return and with their capacity and training and transform the know-how and innovation of the country.Brazil's science and technology minister Aloizio Mercadante said the programme would focus on tackling the country's deficit in engineers and would count on a budget of US$1.8 billion. It would also help advance the government's ambitions to create a world-classuniversity in Brazil, according to the minister.
This year Rousseff has already agreed with US President Barack Obama and the European Union to commit to improved educational links between Brazil and two of the world's biggest economic areas.To get a grant, applicants will have to prove that their field of research or study falls within the 18 priority areas earmarked by the government for support. These range across the sciences but have a heavy emphasis on fields with obvious immediate industrial applications such as engineering, energy research, aerospace, biomedicine and information technology.
The programme will give priority to students wishing to study in the best-placed universities in international league tables. Although the government has worked to expand the third level sector over the last decade, only one Brazilian university - University of São Paulo - ranks among the world's top 200 universities, according to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
Responsibility for the programme will be spread across the education and science ministries in the capital Brasília.The education ministry's programme Coordination for the Improvement of Highly Trained Personnel Capes, after its Portuguese initials will hand out 40,000 grants while the science ministry's National Council for Scientific and Technological Development will award 35,000 more.In 2010, Capes offered 5,000 grants to study abroad. The government wants to boost that number to 10,200 by next year with further increases in 2013 and 2014.Science Without Frontiers will be spread out across six modules ranging from one-year programmes for graduate students right up to senior researchers or specialists in the private sector looking to do research abroad.
The government will also provide grants to try and convince Brazilians located abroad to return home to conduct research. Non-Brazilians will also be able to apply for a grant.Capes will offer free English classes to students who receive a grant. Early criticism of Science Without Frontiers centred on the claims that it would benefit children from richer families who received a private education as a lack of English would put off science students who graduated from Brazil's public secondary schools, where instruction in English is weak.As well as 75,000 publicly funded grants Brazil's Secretariat of Strategic Affairs will be tasked with securing financing from the private sector for a further 25,000 grants. According to the government, British Gas and Portugal Telecom as well as Brazil's auto industry have already expressed interest in participating.
Education experts welcome the initiative but warned that it does not tackle the root cause of Brazil's shortage of science graduates and poor performance in international rankings of its universities.In principle I think any government initiative to sponsor international exchange at the third level is important, especially as the number of grants to study abroad offered by the government had fallen over a significant period of time," said Simon Schwartzman of
the Institute for Studies on Labour and Society in Rio de Janeiro.But the programme does not deal with the deeper problems in Brazil's universities. They are very bureaucratic, very rigid, controlled by internal corporations that lack accountability.Science Without Frontiers will have an impact but it will not have an existential impact and the current government does not acknowledge these problems because it is supported by rectors and professors,Schwartzman said.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Strategic Plan focuses on global engagement, access for 100 percent of students to gain international experience
Why did you not study abroad?This is a question that is being asked by many members of administration of the students who have not done either a winter term or semester abroad during their four years at Elon University.The first point of the Elon Commitment is an unprecedented university commitment to diversity and global engagement.The administration is aiming for 100 percent of students to have the opportunity to travel abroad during their studies and experience life immersed in a new culture.
We all believe study abroad is very valuable, said Woody Pelton, dean of international programs and director of the Isabella Cannon International Centre.Students who go abroad come back as changed for the better. It's important to gain that experience.Seventy-eight and one half percent of the Class of 2011 studied abroad and this is typical of other recent classes, as well.One of the hurdles that exists for the remaining 28.5 percent of students is money. The International Centre is trying to reduce the cost of study abroad, but there are limits because of
the cost of quality academics, housing and transportation.
We are looking to create more scholarships, but we're not the only group on campus trying to raise funds,Pelton said.We are trying to collaborate with the advancement office to find additional support.The current scholarships are enough to help someone if they have almost enough funds, but not students who do not have any money for study abroad, Pelton said. The International Centre sometimes encourages studying abroad for a semester because it is less expensive than Winter Term programs.The students who are less likely to study abroad are males, athletes, residents of North Carolina, participants in Greek Life, minorities and students from certain disciplines, like performing arts, according to Connie Book, associate provost for Academic Affairs. The International Centre is working with these academic departments, athletics, the office of Greek Life and the Multicultural Center to find out when the best time is for these students to study abroad and what obstacles they may have that would impede the feasibility of going abroad.
Students who are in the musical theatre program are more likely to not study abroad," Pelton said. "They are always auditioning for or performing in a production during the semester.There are also opportunities to study abroad in the summer and during Winter Term. But musical theatre students tend to try and get professional experience during those times, Book said. The administration is still trying to figure out why males do not study abroad as much.In focus groups, males have commented that they wanted it to count toward their professional experience," Book said. "If they just think about it as enrichment in culture, then they won't be as engaged.The trends that have been found for not studying abroad during these focus groups reflect national trends, Pelton said, including that student athletes do not have time to study abroad in their schedules.
"With student athletes it is a challenge and we are sympathetic,Pelton said.What we're trying to do is work with the Athletic Department to try and determine what time of year is best. Maybe we will create a program for, say, baseball. Since athletes tend to be committed for most of the year, they might need their own program.The International Centre is also following the new general studies program closely because the study abroad courses might meet those requirements, Pelton said.A survey will be sent out in the next few weeks for students in the Class of 2012 who have never studied abroad, to find out their reasons for not studying abroad.We want to identify all of these different reasons, so then we can try and help as many students study abroad as possible, Pelton said.It makes for a stronger student body and a more global community.
We all believe study abroad is very valuable, said Woody Pelton, dean of international programs and director of the Isabella Cannon International Centre.Students who go abroad come back as changed for the better. It's important to gain that experience.Seventy-eight and one half percent of the Class of 2011 studied abroad and this is typical of other recent classes, as well.One of the hurdles that exists for the remaining 28.5 percent of students is money. The International Centre is trying to reduce the cost of study abroad, but there are limits because of
the cost of quality academics, housing and transportation.We are looking to create more scholarships, but we're not the only group on campus trying to raise funds,Pelton said.We are trying to collaborate with the advancement office to find additional support.The current scholarships are enough to help someone if they have almost enough funds, but not students who do not have any money for study abroad, Pelton said. The International Centre sometimes encourages studying abroad for a semester because it is less expensive than Winter Term programs.The students who are less likely to study abroad are males, athletes, residents of North Carolina, participants in Greek Life, minorities and students from certain disciplines, like performing arts, according to Connie Book, associate provost for Academic Affairs. The International Centre is working with these academic departments, athletics, the office of Greek Life and the Multicultural Center to find out when the best time is for these students to study abroad and what obstacles they may have that would impede the feasibility of going abroad.
Students who are in the musical theatre program are more likely to not study abroad," Pelton said. "They are always auditioning for or performing in a production during the semester.There are also opportunities to study abroad in the summer and during Winter Term. But musical theatre students tend to try and get professional experience during those times, Book said. The administration is still trying to figure out why males do not study abroad as much.In focus groups, males have commented that they wanted it to count toward their professional experience," Book said. "If they just think about it as enrichment in culture, then they won't be as engaged.The trends that have been found for not studying abroad during these focus groups reflect national trends, Pelton said, including that student athletes do not have time to study abroad in their schedules.
"With student athletes it is a challenge and we are sympathetic,Pelton said.What we're trying to do is work with the Athletic Department to try and determine what time of year is best. Maybe we will create a program for, say, baseball. Since athletes tend to be committed for most of the year, they might need their own program.The International Centre is also following the new general studies program closely because the study abroad courses might meet those requirements, Pelton said.A survey will be sent out in the next few weeks for students in the Class of 2012 who have never studied abroad, to find out their reasons for not studying abroad.We want to identify all of these different reasons, so then we can try and help as many students study abroad as possible, Pelton said.It makes for a stronger student body and a more global community.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Idaho receives $23 million in federal grant
Our goal is to ensure every student graduates from high school prepared to go on to postsecondary education, and once there, they will not need remediation. Idaho was awarded $23 million in federal grant funding to help more Idaho students go on to postsecondary education.GEAR UP has proven to be a successful program in helping more students accomplish this goal, and I am proud we will continue this program in the coming years,Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna said.The Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Program (GEAR UP) Idaho grant is a federally funded program, matched by state, local and private funds, designed to prepare students and their families for postsecondary education beginning in the 7th grade and through their senior year.
The GEAR UP Idaho program implements statewide services and support to address financial, social and landscape barriers that Idaho students face on their path to postsecondary education. The program is aligned with Idaho’s Students Come First reform laws to improve student achievement, increase high school graduation rates and ensure successful entrance and completion of postsecondary programs.Officials say Idaho was one of 66 out of 236 state and partnership applicants to receive an award this year. Idaho first received a GEAR UP grant in 2006. Students involved in GEAR UP Idaho have shown progress in increasing academic achievement, they say taking more rigorous courses, and showing a greater interest in going on to postsecondary education after high school.
Through the new GEAR UP grant, Idaho will be able to serve 6,000 new students statewide. Local school districts and public charter schools have applied to be a part of the GEAR UP program. The grant program targets middle schools where 50 percent of students are eligible to receive free or reduced lunch.
The GEAR UP Idaho program implements statewide services and support to address financial, social and landscape barriers that Idaho students face on their path to postsecondary education. The program is aligned with Idaho’s Students Come First reform laws to improve student achievement, increase high school graduation rates and ensure successful entrance and completion of postsecondary programs.Officials say Idaho was one of 66 out of 236 state and partnership applicants to receive an award this year. Idaho first received a GEAR UP grant in 2006. Students involved in GEAR UP Idaho have shown progress in increasing academic achievement, they say taking more rigorous courses, and showing a greater interest in going on to postsecondary education after high school.
Through the new GEAR UP grant, Idaho will be able to serve 6,000 new students statewide. Local school districts and public charter schools have applied to be a part of the GEAR UP program. The grant program targets middle schools where 50 percent of students are eligible to receive free or reduced lunch.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
EU business training courses in Armenia
Within the framework of the East-Invest Project, the Armenian Chamber of Commerce is organizing two training courses in Armenia with EU acquis. These courses aim to provide Armenian companies assistance in export.The first training course was held from October 17 to 21, and it was intended for Starters Category. That is, for those companies that do not have much experience in working with EU countries, that have limited knowledge on EU standards, legislation and legal framework, and on 
internationalization, but have great potential and wide prospects.
The second training will be held between November 21 and 25, and it is for Advanced Category. That is, for those companies that have close ties and experiences with European companies. The course will be conducted by foreign experts. Top participants will get a chance to take part, at no cost, in large relevant exhibitions to be held in EU countries, and to meet with their European associates.
internationalization, but have great potential and wide prospects. The second training will be held between November 21 and 25, and it is for Advanced Category. That is, for those companies that have close ties and experiences with European companies. The course will be conducted by foreign experts. Top participants will get a chance to take part, at no cost, in large relevant exhibitions to be held in EU countries, and to meet with their European associates.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Study comes first
One hundred fifty-eight thousand that’s how many valid voter signatures it would take to push an early election and recall Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna.Members of the Committee to Recall Tom Luna announced Sunday that they had only collected about 50,000 signatures and thereby failed in their effort to recall Luna.But the real issue isn’t recalling Luna from office. It’s about recalling his policies and preventing further diminishment to the quality of public education in Idaho.
Last year, the Census Bureau confirmed that out of 50 states and the District of
Colombia, Idaho ranked 50th in terms of per-pupil spending. That same year, $128 million was cut from the K-12 education investment fund.As University of Idaho students, we should be concerned about public education on all levels. Approximately 82,000 high school students in 115 school districts will be adversely affected by Luna’s Students Come First education reform plan, including our younger siblings or children. As the quality of education decreases in public schools, it will slowly reach the university level. Luna’s education reform plan will only speed up this process.
Students Come First will mandate online education courses and make laptops available to every high school student in Idaho. Luna said the reform is about educating students at a higher level with limited resources, but in reality, students don’t come first. As a result of this reform, class sizes will increase by one or two students and almost 800 teaching positions will be eliminated. Laptops will substitute for the valuable one-on-one time between teachers and students.
Education is about preparing students for the future. Great teachers are able to fill a classroom with knowledge and make learning fun. Through public education, teachers have the ability to leave a lasting, positive impression and they are often the people who have one of the greatest impacts on our childhood. To help students succeed, teachers cultivate hidden talents and qualities in students.Talents that won’t be found in a student’s reflection as they stare into a computer screen.
Last year, the Census Bureau confirmed that out of 50 states and the District of
Colombia, Idaho ranked 50th in terms of per-pupil spending. That same year, $128 million was cut from the K-12 education investment fund.As University of Idaho students, we should be concerned about public education on all levels. Approximately 82,000 high school students in 115 school districts will be adversely affected by Luna’s Students Come First education reform plan, including our younger siblings or children. As the quality of education decreases in public schools, it will slowly reach the university level. Luna’s education reform plan will only speed up this process.Students Come First will mandate online education courses and make laptops available to every high school student in Idaho. Luna said the reform is about educating students at a higher level with limited resources, but in reality, students don’t come first. As a result of this reform, class sizes will increase by one or two students and almost 800 teaching positions will be eliminated. Laptops will substitute for the valuable one-on-one time between teachers and students.
Education is about preparing students for the future. Great teachers are able to fill a classroom with knowledge and make learning fun. Through public education, teachers have the ability to leave a lasting, positive impression and they are often the people who have one of the greatest impacts on our childhood. To help students succeed, teachers cultivate hidden talents and qualities in students.Talents that won’t be found in a student’s reflection as they stare into a computer screen.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
King of Prussia Rotary Club invited top graduate students apply for study abroad grant
The King of Prussia Rotary Club is pleased to invite top graduate students that are continuing their studies abroad in 2013-14 to apply for a $30,000 Global Grant. The grant program is provided by Rotary District 7450, comprising 53 Rotary clubs in the Greater Philadelphia area. The King of Prussia Club will forward the best applications from area students to the District.
The tentative deadline for submission of 2013-2014 Global Grant applications including study proposals to the King of Prussia Rotary Club is December 1, 2011. Applications selected by the King of Prussia Club will be forwarded to the Rotary District 7450 by January 17, 2012 for review. Interviews by the District 7450 Scholarship committee are slated for early February, 2012.
Specific Eligibility Requirements include: Permanent residency in Rotary District 7450; Demonstrated record of high academic achievement; Proficiency in the native language of the host country; Commitment to reside in the host Rotary District where the study will occur; and, commitment to graduate study abroad at a designated university of the student’s choice during 2013-2014 in one of the following areas:
Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution
Maternal and Child Health
Water and Sanitation
Disease Prevention and Treatment
Basic Education and Literacy
Economic and Community Development
Checklist for Global Grant Applicants
Personal Letter of Introduction
The tentative deadline for submission of 2013-2014 Global Grant applications including study proposals to the King of Prussia Rotary Club is December 1, 2011. Applications selected by the King of Prussia Club will be forwarded to the Rotary District 7450 by January 17, 2012 for review. Interviews by the District 7450 Scholarship committee are slated for early February, 2012.
Specific Eligibility Requirements include: Permanent residency in Rotary District 7450; Demonstrated record of high academic achievement; Proficiency in the native language of the host country; Commitment to reside in the host Rotary District where the study will occur; and, commitment to graduate study abroad at a designated university of the student’s choice during 2013-2014 in one of the following areas:
Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution
Maternal and Child Health
Water and Sanitation
Disease Prevention and Treatment
Basic Education and Literacy
Economic and Community Development
Checklist for Global Grant Applicants
Personal Letter of Introduction
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
new study abroad programs give students majoring in economics or English the chance
Beginning last year, economics majors can spend a semester or a year abroad at the Università Bocconi in Milan, Italy, and starting next fall, junior English majors will be able to study English literature in a yearlong program at Balliol College at Oxford University, said Karyn Jones, director of study abroad at the Center for International and Professional Experience. The programs, which are the only major-specific study abroad programs Yale offers, allow students to explore courses within their field beyond the ones offered at Yale.Two new study abroad programs give students majoring in economics or English the chance to focus exclusively on their chosen disciplines.
The global economy matters a lot more than it used to, and the European currency is kind of in crisis right now, Anthony Smith, director of undergraduate studies for the Economics Department, said.So I think it’s very valuable for students to get other perspectives by studying abroad.Both programs began after departments approached the study abroad office, Jones said. While Yale is not making a conscious effort to provide major-specific programs, she and Dean of International and Professional Experience Jane Edwards said they are receptive to proposals for new options. Having the full support of an academic department is important for a study abroad program’s success, Jones added.The new programs are not the only way for English and economics majors to earn credits toward their majors abroad. For example, economics majors have studied at the London School of Economics, at Cambridge and Oxford, and in Spain in the past, Smith said, but having a program at Bocconi in place helps
students to find a good place to go.
Bocconi, a private university in Italy that specializes in economics, management and business, is a top institution for students in these fields, Smith said. Yale began an exchange program with Bocconi last fall, when three graduate students from the university came to New Haven for the academic year. Yale, in turn, can send undergraduates majoring in economics to Bocconi for either a term or a full year, but only one student participated in the program last spring. While two graduate students from Bocconi are studying at Yale for the current academic year, the program was put on hold this semester for Yale students for administrative reasons, Jones said. Undergraduates will be able to go to Bocconi again in the spring, she said.
Jones said Yale students can study at Bocconi without any knowledge of Italian since the school offers many courses in English. Smith added that the school offers some economics courses related to Europe that are not found at Yale.I encourage students to take courses at Bocconi that wouldn’t be offered here things like the history of the Italian economy or the policy of the European Union, he said.Seinne Fleming ’12, the only student to take part in the program so far, said she took classes in monetary economics, financial economics, European economic policy, economic history and financial contracts. While she said taking five economics classes at once was difficult, she added that she felt “very focused” on her major and gained a deeper understanding of economics.
The students from Bocconi that come to Yale are placed in first-year economics graduate courses, said Truman Bewley, director of graduate studies for the Economics Department.Giovanni Compiani, one of the two students from Bocconi at Yale this year, said he was drawn to Yale for its outstanding faculty and academic environment.As a second-year student in a master’s program at Bocconi, Compiani said he is using his time at Yale to help decide whether to pursue a Ph.D.So far, the experience has been very good: the workload is quite heavy, but the courses are interesting and the atmosphere is overall friendly,Compiani wrote in an email.Living in New Haven is not as bad as many people told me.While the Bocconi exchange program is in its second year, the program at Balliol College is set to launch next fall. Balliol, which has the largest English department in the United Kingdom and is well known for the study of medieval literature, will accept three to five English majors entering their junior year. Unlike the Bocconi program, students commit to studying there for their entire junior year, and no students from Balliol will study at Yale.
John Rogers, director of undergraduate studies for the English Department, called the Balliol program an extraordinary opportunity for English majors. He said the school places a greater emphasis on historical breadth in its English literature courses than Yale does. Yale students at Balliol will also get to work closely with faculty in Oxford’s tutorial system, in which students are taught individually or in small groups by an instructor.The students who are selected will be able to live in the center of Balliol College itself and participate in the full life of college activity, Rogers said.The deadline to apply for a spring term abroad was Oct. 15.
The global economy matters a lot more than it used to, and the European currency is kind of in crisis right now, Anthony Smith, director of undergraduate studies for the Economics Department, said.So I think it’s very valuable for students to get other perspectives by studying abroad.Both programs began after departments approached the study abroad office, Jones said. While Yale is not making a conscious effort to provide major-specific programs, she and Dean of International and Professional Experience Jane Edwards said they are receptive to proposals for new options. Having the full support of an academic department is important for a study abroad program’s success, Jones added.The new programs are not the only way for English and economics majors to earn credits toward their majors abroad. For example, economics majors have studied at the London School of Economics, at Cambridge and Oxford, and in Spain in the past, Smith said, but having a program at Bocconi in place helps
students to find a good place to go.Bocconi, a private university in Italy that specializes in economics, management and business, is a top institution for students in these fields, Smith said. Yale began an exchange program with Bocconi last fall, when three graduate students from the university came to New Haven for the academic year. Yale, in turn, can send undergraduates majoring in economics to Bocconi for either a term or a full year, but only one student participated in the program last spring. While two graduate students from Bocconi are studying at Yale for the current academic year, the program was put on hold this semester for Yale students for administrative reasons, Jones said. Undergraduates will be able to go to Bocconi again in the spring, she said.
Jones said Yale students can study at Bocconi without any knowledge of Italian since the school offers many courses in English. Smith added that the school offers some economics courses related to Europe that are not found at Yale.I encourage students to take courses at Bocconi that wouldn’t be offered here things like the history of the Italian economy or the policy of the European Union, he said.Seinne Fleming ’12, the only student to take part in the program so far, said she took classes in monetary economics, financial economics, European economic policy, economic history and financial contracts. While she said taking five economics classes at once was difficult, she added that she felt “very focused” on her major and gained a deeper understanding of economics.
The students from Bocconi that come to Yale are placed in first-year economics graduate courses, said Truman Bewley, director of graduate studies for the Economics Department.Giovanni Compiani, one of the two students from Bocconi at Yale this year, said he was drawn to Yale for its outstanding faculty and academic environment.As a second-year student in a master’s program at Bocconi, Compiani said he is using his time at Yale to help decide whether to pursue a Ph.D.So far, the experience has been very good: the workload is quite heavy, but the courses are interesting and the atmosphere is overall friendly,Compiani wrote in an email.Living in New Haven is not as bad as many people told me.While the Bocconi exchange program is in its second year, the program at Balliol College is set to launch next fall. Balliol, which has the largest English department in the United Kingdom and is well known for the study of medieval literature, will accept three to five English majors entering their junior year. Unlike the Bocconi program, students commit to studying there for their entire junior year, and no students from Balliol will study at Yale.
John Rogers, director of undergraduate studies for the English Department, called the Balliol program an extraordinary opportunity for English majors. He said the school places a greater emphasis on historical breadth in its English literature courses than Yale does. Yale students at Balliol will also get to work closely with faculty in Oxford’s tutorial system, in which students are taught individually or in small groups by an instructor.The students who are selected will be able to live in the center of Balliol College itself and participate in the full life of college activity, Rogers said.The deadline to apply for a spring term abroad was Oct. 15.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Watsonville High students look to new courses to open up career
Noah Garcia examined the circuit board with his teammates last week in a Watsonville High School classroom.The task was to power a small LED light and measure the voltage, and around the room engaged students bent over boards, connecting wires, batteries and resisters.For the students in a new engineering course at Watsonville High School, the project was fun and the class is an opportunity to get a leg up in the competitive worlds of colleges and careers.
We're going to pick up that much more about engineering than everybody else,said Garcia, a 15-year-old sophomore who dreams of a career as a nuclear engineer in the Navy.Principles in Engineering is offered through the school's Engineering Technology Academy, one of the seven academies that center studies around career pathways. At Watsonville, student
s enroll in academies for their sophomore, junior and senior years.E-Tech, as the 2-year-old Engineering Technology Academy is more commonly known, offers courses in metal fabrication, green construction and engine repair. This year, two pre-engineering courses were introduced. Two more are scheduled to be added next year to complete implementation of a highly regarded curriculum developed by Project Lead the Way, a nonprofit that aims to increase the technological skills of the nation's middle and high school students. Watsonville is the first school in Santa Cruz County to offer the program, which relies heavily on hands-on activities.Cheryl Romo, who teaches the other course, Introduction to Engineering Design, said students who complete all four classes can check a box on California State University applications, giving them an edge for acceptance in engineering programs.
Senior Leonel Valencia, 17, said the program is a good fit for his generation, born into "the era of new technology.So we need to embrace it, added Moises Gutierrez, also a 17-year-old senior.Diana Villanueva, 17, signed up, even though she's a senior at Pajaro Valley.Girls are not really into math and science. They don't see it as a useful tool in life, Villanueva said, explaining why boys have a more than 3-1 advantage in the class.But they're wrong, Villanueva said. She's been attracted to architecture for as long as she can remember, her interest nourished by watching homes being built. As an architectural engineer, she hopes to combine her love of math and art.Watsonville sophomore Antoinette Martin, 15, is less sure about which branch of engineering she'll pursue, but she has no doubt she's headed on the right career path.As soon as I heard about the class, I took the opportunity. Technology is changing so much, and engineering is part of the change process,Martin said.It's exciting, something new, kind of like a puzzle."
We're going to pick up that much more about engineering than everybody else,said Garcia, a 15-year-old sophomore who dreams of a career as a nuclear engineer in the Navy.Principles in Engineering is offered through the school's Engineering Technology Academy, one of the seven academies that center studies around career pathways. At Watsonville, student
s enroll in academies for their sophomore, junior and senior years.E-Tech, as the 2-year-old Engineering Technology Academy is more commonly known, offers courses in metal fabrication, green construction and engine repair. This year, two pre-engineering courses were introduced. Two more are scheduled to be added next year to complete implementation of a highly regarded curriculum developed by Project Lead the Way, a nonprofit that aims to increase the technological skills of the nation's middle and high school students. Watsonville is the first school in Santa Cruz County to offer the program, which relies heavily on hands-on activities.Cheryl Romo, who teaches the other course, Introduction to Engineering Design, said students who complete all four classes can check a box on California State University applications, giving them an edge for acceptance in engineering programs.Senior Leonel Valencia, 17, said the program is a good fit for his generation, born into "the era of new technology.So we need to embrace it, added Moises Gutierrez, also a 17-year-old senior.Diana Villanueva, 17, signed up, even though she's a senior at Pajaro Valley.Girls are not really into math and science. They don't see it as a useful tool in life, Villanueva said, explaining why boys have a more than 3-1 advantage in the class.But they're wrong, Villanueva said. She's been attracted to architecture for as long as she can remember, her interest nourished by watching homes being built. As an architectural engineer, she hopes to combine her love of math and art.Watsonville sophomore Antoinette Martin, 15, is less sure about which branch of engineering she'll pursue, but she has no doubt she's headed on the right career path.As soon as I heard about the class, I took the opportunity. Technology is changing so much, and engineering is part of the change process,Martin said.It's exciting, something new, kind of like a puzzle."
Monday, October 17, 2011
Students who study abroad tend to graduate faster, study finds
Sixty percent of UT students who study abroad graduate in four years, compared to 45 percent of non-participants, according to a study by the assistant director of the Study Abroad Office.A University task force, assembled by President William Powers Jr. in July is looking for ways to increase UT’s 51 percent four-year graduation rate, according to a separate study by associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts, Marc Musick.
At an open forum about the task force last month,
Musick said some people think study abroad hinders the amount of time it takes students to graduate, but he said the study by Heather Barclay Hamir, director of the Study Abroad Office, shows that it has the opposite effect.This is a common perception, that it slows time to earn a degree, and what she found is that’s just not true, Musick said.Hamir said the study is quantitative research, so the results do not explain the reason for the results, but there does appear to be a correlation between graduating in four years and participating in programs like study abroad.
When students participate in these enriching educational activities, it deepens their educational experience, and that causes students to stay at that university, Hamir said.According to Hamir’s study, differences in the likelihood of graduating from UT were not attributable to motivational factors or differences in academic performance.What my research shows is that there’s something about study abroad different from academics that’s keeping them at the University until graduation,Hamir said.She said the cost of many study abroad programs include expenses that students would also have living in Austin and attending UT. Hamir said scholarships are available for students who want to study abroad, and there are a variety of study abroad programs that range in cost.
The more flexible you can be about where you go, the more options you’ll have so you can fit it into your financial comfort zone,Hamir said.She said it takes planning for study abroad to be integrated into a student’s four-year degree plan.We’re trying to reach freshmen so they have the information in order to plan, Hamir said.Advertising junior Casey Lewis studied abroad last summer with the Hong Kong International Advertising Maymester. Lewis said she understands the study’s results because the study abroad process takes planning.Lewis said she and her classmates on the Maymester created an advertising campaign geared at Hong Kong culture. She said she is developing similar advertising campaigns in her classes this semester and said the experience in Hong Kong translates to these projects.I feel like I’m more prepared for my classes, Lewis said.I think it was harder over there because it was a totally different culture, but I’m doing it for my own culture so it seems easier.She said the trip further sparked her interest in completing her degree on time so she can travel to Asia again when she enters the workforce.
It definitely lit the fire,Lewis said.When you’re in school you’re tied down, but when you graduate you’re able to do whatever you want and go wherever you want.
At an open forum about the task force last month,
Musick said some people think study abroad hinders the amount of time it takes students to graduate, but he said the study by Heather Barclay Hamir, director of the Study Abroad Office, shows that it has the opposite effect.This is a common perception, that it slows time to earn a degree, and what she found is that’s just not true, Musick said.Hamir said the study is quantitative research, so the results do not explain the reason for the results, but there does appear to be a correlation between graduating in four years and participating in programs like study abroad.When students participate in these enriching educational activities, it deepens their educational experience, and that causes students to stay at that university, Hamir said.According to Hamir’s study, differences in the likelihood of graduating from UT were not attributable to motivational factors or differences in academic performance.What my research shows is that there’s something about study abroad different from academics that’s keeping them at the University until graduation,Hamir said.She said the cost of many study abroad programs include expenses that students would also have living in Austin and attending UT. Hamir said scholarships are available for students who want to study abroad, and there are a variety of study abroad programs that range in cost.
The more flexible you can be about where you go, the more options you’ll have so you can fit it into your financial comfort zone,Hamir said.She said it takes planning for study abroad to be integrated into a student’s four-year degree plan.We’re trying to reach freshmen so they have the information in order to plan, Hamir said.Advertising junior Casey Lewis studied abroad last summer with the Hong Kong International Advertising Maymester. Lewis said she understands the study’s results because the study abroad process takes planning.Lewis said she and her classmates on the Maymester created an advertising campaign geared at Hong Kong culture. She said she is developing similar advertising campaigns in her classes this semester and said the experience in Hong Kong translates to these projects.I feel like I’m more prepared for my classes, Lewis said.I think it was harder over there because it was a totally different culture, but I’m doing it for my own culture so it seems easier.She said the trip further sparked her interest in completing her degree on time so she can travel to Asia again when she enters the workforce.
It definitely lit the fire,Lewis said.When you’re in school you’re tied down, but when you graduate you’re able to do whatever you want and go wherever you want.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Anita Guidera on the college courses that virtually guarantee you will get a job
As thousands of top graduates face the grim prospect of the dole queue or emigration, one set of courses almost guarantees instant employment.Ireland has emerged as a key player in the world of virtual gaming and demand for graduates in computer games development, digital media and software design is currently outstripping supply.Everybody is playing games now. This is not about spotty teenagers sitting at an Xbox all night. It's the Angry Birds. It's smart devices," said Hugh McAtamney, head of development in digital media at the Dublin Institute of Technology.
We desperately need more computer scientists across the board. All of our students are getting jobs. We had a projects' fair last May and students were being offered jobs on the spot.I am getting emails every day from game developers and start-up companies, looking for someone who can do particular programming.The story is replicated in more than 20 third-level institutions currently offering over 60 graduate and post-graduate courses in computer programming, digital media and software design that have been tai
lored to meet the new digital entertainment market.Thomas Dowling, head of the department of computing at the Letterkenny Institute of Technology, said that demand for places on gaming-related courses had doubled this year.
It's a recession-proof industry. The lack of graduates in this field is probably the biggest reason why more companies are not locating here,he said.Gaming has exploded over the past two decades and is now estimated to be worth €43.7bn globally. This is expected to reach €60.7bn by 2015.Millions of people are now playing games, not just on hand-held gaming devices and dedicated consuls, but on smartphones and web browsers.Gamers can play alone, or with friends on social media sites such as Facebook. They can also pit their skills online against strangers in complex quests lasting weeks or longer, while the demand for updates and new games is seemingly endless.
A report by Forfás, on behalf of Enterprise Minister Richard Bruton, which was published earlier this week, concluded that Ireland had the potential to more than double its employment in the video and electronic games sector to 4,500.The Games Sector in Ireland: An Action Plan for Growth' identifies six key focus areas and calls for the delivery of next-generation broadband and innovation incentives for Irish-based firms to ensure Ireland becomes "a global hub" for the gaming industry.The report also points out that games could be a catalyst for growth in a host of other inter-related activities in the digital economy, including social networks, search engines, animation film and video, and e-learning.
Welcoming its publication, Trinity graduate Dylan Collins, who has been behind a number of successful internet and online gaming companies, stressed that "talent, investment and competitive tax breaks were the three things that topped the wish list of people who run gaming companies.He is confident that Ireland is in pole position for further growth.Our big challenge is to make the world understand that we are already a huge games hub. There is an immense amount of employment opportunities. Just about all the games companies in Ireland are hiring right now, and there isn't enough graduates,he said.Eight out of 10 of the world's most powerful companies born on the web have chosen Ireland as a strategic hub for their businesses, including Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, Amazon, PayPal and, most recently, Twitter.
Also with an Irish base are gaming companies Zynga, Havok, Demonware, Jolt, Activision Blizzard, Big Fish Games, PopCap Games, Swrve, Riot Games, and Redwind Software.When the new Star Wars: The Old Republic game is launched by US-based BioWare next month, hundreds of thousands of players around the world will receive technical support from more than 200 workers at a state-of-the-art customer service centre in Galway.One of Ireland's biggest success stories, Havok software company, founded by TCD graduates Steven Collins and Hugh Reynolds, was subsequently sold to Intel for €76m.Dylan Collins was just 26 when he sold his software company Demoware to video games giant Activision for under $20m.His latest venture, Fight My Monster a browser game targeted at boys under the age of 12 has gained more than 300,000 users in its first six months and is being developed for television by award-winning Irish animators, Brown Bag Films.
I am pretty lucky. I have built a whole bunch of companies that have produced nothing physical. I am the most intangible person I know.Gaming has already changed the world. When I started my first company in 2000, the biggest online game had a quarter of a million players.The biggest online game today has nearly 100 million players in it. At some point in the near future there is going to be an online game that has 500 million players in it.We were laughed at when we started our first games' company for being nerds, he said.Who's laughing now?
We desperately need more computer scientists across the board. All of our students are getting jobs. We had a projects' fair last May and students were being offered jobs on the spot.I am getting emails every day from game developers and start-up companies, looking for someone who can do particular programming.The story is replicated in more than 20 third-level institutions currently offering over 60 graduate and post-graduate courses in computer programming, digital media and software design that have been tai
lored to meet the new digital entertainment market.Thomas Dowling, head of the department of computing at the Letterkenny Institute of Technology, said that demand for places on gaming-related courses had doubled this year.It's a recession-proof industry. The lack of graduates in this field is probably the biggest reason why more companies are not locating here,he said.Gaming has exploded over the past two decades and is now estimated to be worth €43.7bn globally. This is expected to reach €60.7bn by 2015.Millions of people are now playing games, not just on hand-held gaming devices and dedicated consuls, but on smartphones and web browsers.Gamers can play alone, or with friends on social media sites such as Facebook. They can also pit their skills online against strangers in complex quests lasting weeks or longer, while the demand for updates and new games is seemingly endless.
A report by Forfás, on behalf of Enterprise Minister Richard Bruton, which was published earlier this week, concluded that Ireland had the potential to more than double its employment in the video and electronic games sector to 4,500.The Games Sector in Ireland: An Action Plan for Growth' identifies six key focus areas and calls for the delivery of next-generation broadband and innovation incentives for Irish-based firms to ensure Ireland becomes "a global hub" for the gaming industry.The report also points out that games could be a catalyst for growth in a host of other inter-related activities in the digital economy, including social networks, search engines, animation film and video, and e-learning.
Welcoming its publication, Trinity graduate Dylan Collins, who has been behind a number of successful internet and online gaming companies, stressed that "talent, investment and competitive tax breaks were the three things that topped the wish list of people who run gaming companies.He is confident that Ireland is in pole position for further growth.Our big challenge is to make the world understand that we are already a huge games hub. There is an immense amount of employment opportunities. Just about all the games companies in Ireland are hiring right now, and there isn't enough graduates,he said.Eight out of 10 of the world's most powerful companies born on the web have chosen Ireland as a strategic hub for their businesses, including Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, Amazon, PayPal and, most recently, Twitter.
Also with an Irish base are gaming companies Zynga, Havok, Demonware, Jolt, Activision Blizzard, Big Fish Games, PopCap Games, Swrve, Riot Games, and Redwind Software.When the new Star Wars: The Old Republic game is launched by US-based BioWare next month, hundreds of thousands of players around the world will receive technical support from more than 200 workers at a state-of-the-art customer service centre in Galway.One of Ireland's biggest success stories, Havok software company, founded by TCD graduates Steven Collins and Hugh Reynolds, was subsequently sold to Intel for €76m.Dylan Collins was just 26 when he sold his software company Demoware to video games giant Activision for under $20m.His latest venture, Fight My Monster a browser game targeted at boys under the age of 12 has gained more than 300,000 users in its first six months and is being developed for television by award-winning Irish animators, Brown Bag Films.
I am pretty lucky. I have built a whole bunch of companies that have produced nothing physical. I am the most intangible person I know.Gaming has already changed the world. When I started my first company in 2000, the biggest online game had a quarter of a million players.The biggest online game today has nearly 100 million players in it. At some point in the near future there is going to be an online game that has 500 million players in it.We were laughed at when we started our first games' company for being nerds, he said.Who's laughing now?
Friday, October 14, 2011
A study abroad experience has the potential to change your life for the better
Open yourself to new possibilities and new experiences!" That's the advice of University of Missouri-St. Louis senior Kayla Strauss, who spent seven months living in Japan and studying at Kansai University during late 2010 and early 2011.Yes, she was there when the earthquake struck on Friday, March 11, 2011.I was on the 9th floor of a department store in Tokyo when it happened,Strauss explained.In fact, it was because of the earthquake that I cut my trip short and came home.She had planned to stay in Japan for a full year, but understandably her parents were concerned.Watching the drama of the earthquake and tsunami unfold, it's hard to imagine anything more memorable, but Strauss points to dozens and dozens of smaller ev
ents that shaped her study abroad experience.There are so many memorable moments! I saw people texting while riding their bikes. I even saw one person texting while riding a bike and holding an umbrella. My roommate, Eri, was a really great person. We talked all the time — in Japanese because she didn't speak any English, Kayla said. She noted that her roommate had an interesting perception of Americans. She thought we were all very skinny. I was talking about the obesity problem in our country, and she told me she thought all Americans looked like the super models she saw on TV."
Perhaps that is one of the greatest rewards of studying abroad being able to see yourself through someone else's eyes.Having red hair and being almost six feet tall made me stick out like a sore thumb,Strauss said.Studying abroad gave me the chance to experience what it felt like to be a minority.And, she said, it expanded her world view. Although Strauss is a modern languages major, she stressed that a study abroad experience is about so much more than just language.A study abroad experience has the potential to change your life for the better. It really allowed me to appreciate my world more,Strauss said, although she was quick to point out that the study abroad experience is not a vacation.You have to attend classes and learn to take care of yourself in a strange environment. It's not time away from school.And, she pointed out, "Short term and long term experiences are totally different."
At Fontbonne University, Study Abroad director, Gail Schafers, conceded that most students interested in study abroad opportunities were choosing summer and short term travel programs that last between three and four weeks. To conduct these programs, Fontbonne partners with a consortium of other private universities.For many students, the biggest deterrent to longer experiences is the cost,Schafers said, noting that time is also a hurdle that students have to overcome. "Students who plan to study abroad for a whole semester or a whole year need to consider that option earlier rather than later and plan it into their course load and schedule.
Joel Glassman, Ph.D., director of International Studies and Programs at UMSL echoed Schafers' assessment.We have some wonderful semester and full year programs, but 75 percent of our students who participate in international studies choose short-term experiences,he said. Many students, when you ask them about studying abroad, say, 'Oh, that's probably not something I'm going to do.Dr. Glassman's goal is to change their response.Until you think of something as a real, achievable goal, you don't target it or work toward it, but studying abroad is within the reach of most students with advance planning.Dr. Glassman noted,All of UMSL's deans enthusiastically support study aboard and our faculty does a wonderful job of working with students to achieve their goals. We provide a great deal of counseling for the student and offer quite a few scholarships."
I had to apply for a lot of scholarships to be able to go to Japan,Strauss admitted, noting that her experience at Kansai University took a year of careful planning.Webster University graduate Tim Abeln offered another option. "I paid for my study abroad experience the old-fashioned way with student loans.He laughed, then added,A less expensive option is to enroll directly at a foreign university. I did that for my second trip to Guadalajara. It was a summer program, so I took just four credit hours at a total admission cost of just $350.Schafers, however, cautioned that students who work outside the American university's study abroad office can run the risk of acquiring credits that will not transfer back to the student's school of choice. "On the internet there are program finders that students can use to find study abroad programs that meet their basic requirements, but not all of them are good. One of the main things I do, in assisting students, is determining if the credits they take abroad will be acceptable to Fontbonne.When students participate in the study abroad options sponsored by their American university that concern all but disappears.
Abeln said he can see it both ways. Currently, he is a Spanish language instructor at Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio, and previously he had conducted study abroad experiences for Ohio University. As both an undergraduate and graduate student, he acknowledged he was a very independent study abroad student.I really enjoyed being on my own, but not all students are like that. Some prefer the security of traveling with an instructor and students from their university," Abeln said. As an instructor, he was responsible for 10 to 15 students and taught a Study Abroad Experience class. As part of the class, his students were expected to keep a journal and participate in pre-established cultural experiences.
Traveling abroad brings quite a bit to a student's experience,Abeln said.They learn to see the world from a whole different perspective and that makes them more culturally competent and contributes to their overall growth as students and citizens of the world.I just started to see the world as it really is and it completely shocked me and changed my opinion on everything on life and my values and certainly my own sense of self.
ADVICE FOR STUDENTS WHO PLAN TO STUDY ABROAD
1. When selecting a college be sure to ask about study abroad availability. Find out if scholarships are available for this purpose. Ask whether the school conducts its own programs, is part of a consortium, or encourages independent study.
2. As a college freshmen, attend seminars and ask questions. Get to know the Study Abroad staff and stay abreast of current opportunities, changes in world travel and scholarship availability.
3. Seek advice from other students who have "been there, done that," especially if you are planning on a long-term experience. If possible talk with a variety students and try to include some who have the same temperament as you do.
ents that shaped her study abroad experience.There are so many memorable moments! I saw people texting while riding their bikes. I even saw one person texting while riding a bike and holding an umbrella. My roommate, Eri, was a really great person. We talked all the time — in Japanese because she didn't speak any English, Kayla said. She noted that her roommate had an interesting perception of Americans. She thought we were all very skinny. I was talking about the obesity problem in our country, and she told me she thought all Americans looked like the super models she saw on TV."Perhaps that is one of the greatest rewards of studying abroad being able to see yourself through someone else's eyes.Having red hair and being almost six feet tall made me stick out like a sore thumb,Strauss said.Studying abroad gave me the chance to experience what it felt like to be a minority.And, she said, it expanded her world view. Although Strauss is a modern languages major, she stressed that a study abroad experience is about so much more than just language.A study abroad experience has the potential to change your life for the better. It really allowed me to appreciate my world more,Strauss said, although she was quick to point out that the study abroad experience is not a vacation.You have to attend classes and learn to take care of yourself in a strange environment. It's not time away from school.And, she pointed out, "Short term and long term experiences are totally different."
At Fontbonne University, Study Abroad director, Gail Schafers, conceded that most students interested in study abroad opportunities were choosing summer and short term travel programs that last between three and four weeks. To conduct these programs, Fontbonne partners with a consortium of other private universities.For many students, the biggest deterrent to longer experiences is the cost,Schafers said, noting that time is also a hurdle that students have to overcome. "Students who plan to study abroad for a whole semester or a whole year need to consider that option earlier rather than later and plan it into their course load and schedule.
Joel Glassman, Ph.D., director of International Studies and Programs at UMSL echoed Schafers' assessment.We have some wonderful semester and full year programs, but 75 percent of our students who participate in international studies choose short-term experiences,he said. Many students, when you ask them about studying abroad, say, 'Oh, that's probably not something I'm going to do.Dr. Glassman's goal is to change their response.Until you think of something as a real, achievable goal, you don't target it or work toward it, but studying abroad is within the reach of most students with advance planning.Dr. Glassman noted,All of UMSL's deans enthusiastically support study aboard and our faculty does a wonderful job of working with students to achieve their goals. We provide a great deal of counseling for the student and offer quite a few scholarships."
I had to apply for a lot of scholarships to be able to go to Japan,Strauss admitted, noting that her experience at Kansai University took a year of careful planning.Webster University graduate Tim Abeln offered another option. "I paid for my study abroad experience the old-fashioned way with student loans.He laughed, then added,A less expensive option is to enroll directly at a foreign university. I did that for my second trip to Guadalajara. It was a summer program, so I took just four credit hours at a total admission cost of just $350.Schafers, however, cautioned that students who work outside the American university's study abroad office can run the risk of acquiring credits that will not transfer back to the student's school of choice. "On the internet there are program finders that students can use to find study abroad programs that meet their basic requirements, but not all of them are good. One of the main things I do, in assisting students, is determining if the credits they take abroad will be acceptable to Fontbonne.When students participate in the study abroad options sponsored by their American university that concern all but disappears.
Abeln said he can see it both ways. Currently, he is a Spanish language instructor at Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio, and previously he had conducted study abroad experiences for Ohio University. As both an undergraduate and graduate student, he acknowledged he was a very independent study abroad student.I really enjoyed being on my own, but not all students are like that. Some prefer the security of traveling with an instructor and students from their university," Abeln said. As an instructor, he was responsible for 10 to 15 students and taught a Study Abroad Experience class. As part of the class, his students were expected to keep a journal and participate in pre-established cultural experiences.
Traveling abroad brings quite a bit to a student's experience,Abeln said.They learn to see the world from a whole different perspective and that makes them more culturally competent and contributes to their overall growth as students and citizens of the world.I just started to see the world as it really is and it completely shocked me and changed my opinion on everything on life and my values and certainly my own sense of self.
ADVICE FOR STUDENTS WHO PLAN TO STUDY ABROAD
1. When selecting a college be sure to ask about study abroad availability. Find out if scholarships are available for this purpose. Ask whether the school conducts its own programs, is part of a consortium, or encourages independent study.
2. As a college freshmen, attend seminars and ask questions. Get to know the Study Abroad staff and stay abreast of current opportunities, changes in world travel and scholarship availability.
3. Seek advice from other students who have "been there, done that," especially if you are planning on a long-term experience. If possible talk with a variety students and try to include some who have the same temperament as you do.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
A pilot program will take students interested in studying abroad to Hong Kong over winter break this year
SEAS is trying to make its notoriously difficult study abroad process easier, partly through a new winter break program which will take students to Hong Kong in January.The School of Engineering and Applied Science is running a pilot winter break program this year, and Dean Feniosky Peña-Mora is also working on a summer international internship program. Those additions are part of the continuing evolution of the engineering school’s study abroad efforts, which now have a new coordinator, loosened requirements, and more options.
Following an administrative shake-up last semester, SEAS has hired Leora Brovman to oversee its study abroad programs, continuing the restructuring of its study abroad office.The objective of those programs, which we expect will grow, is to give students for whom study abroad or summer abroad or summer internship abroad, is not a viable option an opportunity to have an international experience in an engineering context,Brovman said.The winter break trip to Hong Kong will allow students to participate in site visits and seminars on sustainability, mass urban infrastructure, and mass transportation, and to interact with international engineering professionals. Applications are due at the end of this week.
The trip will be led by Earth and Environmental Engineering professor Xi Chen in collaboration with the City University of Hong Kong.In another change, Brovman said that SEAS students who want to travel abroad will no longer always have to meet a language requirement. Starting this year, if the study abroad program that they will be attending is taught in English, they will not have to meet the requirement for proficiency in the native language of the country they’re visiting.Despite this official change, students will still be encouraged to learn some aspects of the language in order to take full advantage of the foreign environment, Brovman said.
Peña-Mora is also beginning to fundraise for a Global Leaders Exploration program, which would allow students to do internships abroad over the summer. This will take a lot of money to accomplish, but Peña-Mora said he is hopeful that it will become a reality.Combining study abroad and internships gives students the best of two worlds,he said in a recent interview.These changes are taking place during a larger restructuring of the University’s Office of Global Programs and a broader re-evaluation of the engineering study abroad experience.
Brovman is the third SEAS administrator to oversee its study abroad programs in the last year. Last November, the SEAS director of global initiatives and education, Regine Lambrech, was dismissed and her position was eliminated. Her responsibilities were transferred to Jack McGourty, who was given the title of senior associate dean of corporate, government, and global engagement.This semester, Brovman was hired to be the SEAS assistant dean of undergraduate student affairs and global programs.It was recognized that SEAS needed a global component, a global undergraduate component,Brovman said.This was a natural outgrowth.Despite the changes, there are still barriers preventing engineering students from studying abroad. Eileen Li, SEAS ’15, said that while she would be interested in an international experience, it is much more difficult for engineers to study abroad than students in Columbia College.
We have so many requirements we have to do,Lee said.A lot of them [Columbia College students] go during their junior year, but that’s when we have to focus on our major and get all we have to do done. It’s very structured.Some SEAS students have successfully studied abroad, including Claire Duvallet, SEAS ’13, who studied at the University of New South Wales last semester. When she first arrived at Columbia, she believed would not be able to study abroad, but she found the process less difficult than she expected. During her time in Sydney, Australia, Duvallet took four classes, three of which counted towards her engineering major.
Part of it was also so I could leave Columbia and come back with a better understanding of life at Columbia and an appreciation of the things I took for granted here,Duvallet said.Brovman said that in the next few months, administrators will try to raise interest in studying abroad and make students aware of their new options. They will also encourage students to consider study abroad during the second semester of their sophomore years, Peña-Mora said.The key to me is that we want every SEAS student who wants an international experience to be able to have an international experience,Brovman said.
Following an administrative shake-up last semester, SEAS has hired Leora Brovman to oversee its study abroad programs, continuing the restructuring of its study abroad office.The objective of those programs, which we expect will grow, is to give students for whom study abroad or summer abroad or summer internship abroad, is not a viable option an opportunity to have an international experience in an engineering context,Brovman said.The winter break trip to Hong Kong will allow students to participate in site visits and seminars on sustainability, mass urban infrastructure, and mass transportation, and to interact with international engineering professionals. Applications are due at the end of this week.
The trip will be led by Earth and Environmental Engineering professor Xi Chen in collaboration with the City University of Hong Kong.In another change, Brovman said that SEAS students who want to travel abroad will no longer always have to meet a language requirement. Starting this year, if the study abroad program that they will be attending is taught in English, they will not have to meet the requirement for proficiency in the native language of the country they’re visiting.Despite this official change, students will still be encouraged to learn some aspects of the language in order to take full advantage of the foreign environment, Brovman said.
Peña-Mora is also beginning to fundraise for a Global Leaders Exploration program, which would allow students to do internships abroad over the summer. This will take a lot of money to accomplish, but Peña-Mora said he is hopeful that it will become a reality.Combining study abroad and internships gives students the best of two worlds,he said in a recent interview.These changes are taking place during a larger restructuring of the University’s Office of Global Programs and a broader re-evaluation of the engineering study abroad experience.
Brovman is the third SEAS administrator to oversee its study abroad programs in the last year. Last November, the SEAS director of global initiatives and education, Regine Lambrech, was dismissed and her position was eliminated. Her responsibilities were transferred to Jack McGourty, who was given the title of senior associate dean of corporate, government, and global engagement.This semester, Brovman was hired to be the SEAS assistant dean of undergraduate student affairs and global programs.It was recognized that SEAS needed a global component, a global undergraduate component,Brovman said.This was a natural outgrowth.Despite the changes, there are still barriers preventing engineering students from studying abroad. Eileen Li, SEAS ’15, said that while she would be interested in an international experience, it is much more difficult for engineers to study abroad than students in Columbia College.
We have so many requirements we have to do,Lee said.A lot of them [Columbia College students] go during their junior year, but that’s when we have to focus on our major and get all we have to do done. It’s very structured.Some SEAS students have successfully studied abroad, including Claire Duvallet, SEAS ’13, who studied at the University of New South Wales last semester. When she first arrived at Columbia, she believed would not be able to study abroad, but she found the process less difficult than she expected. During her time in Sydney, Australia, Duvallet took four classes, three of which counted towards her engineering major.
Part of it was also so I could leave Columbia and come back with a better understanding of life at Columbia and an appreciation of the things I took for granted here,Duvallet said.Brovman said that in the next few months, administrators will try to raise interest in studying abroad and make students aware of their new options. They will also encourage students to consider study abroad during the second semester of their sophomore years, Peña-Mora said.The key to me is that we want every SEAS student who wants an international experience to be able to have an international experience,Brovman said.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Study abroad programs at Oxford University and Cambridge University beginning next year
The University will offer only full-year study abroad programs at Oxford University and Cambridge University beginning next year. Students will no longer have the option to study abroad for one semester at those universities, and petitions for one-semester programs will not be approved.The decision was made to encourage students to benefit from a comprehensive immersion experience, said Kendall Brostuen, director of international programs and associate dean of the College. Until about nine years ago, Oxford and Cambridge did not offer a semester option at all, Brostuen said. The universities follow a trimester schedule, comprised of one eight-week term in the fall and two in the spring.
Oxford and Cambridge operate under a tutorial system, through which students take two intensive classes per term in a focused area of study. This tradition of highly individualized and independent work is unique to Oxford and Cambridge, which is why Brown's new policy applies specifically to these universities.Our aim is to expose more students to this system, respecting, at the same time, its traditional format for delivery,Brostuen said.Over the past five years, 44 students have spent a full year at one of the two universities, and 43 students have spent just a semester.
Akash Shah '12, an economics concentrator who spent his junior year at Oxford, said it is "100 percent worthwhile to do a full year.Shah said he took the opportunity to go abroad in order to become a more global person and chose Oxford because its curriculum focuses on applying your skills rather than just taking a test.Theresa Lii '12, a neuroscience concentrator, spent a full year studying abroad at Cambridge. She said full-year American students were much better integrated into the student body than those who came for only one semester. Being there for the entire year allowed her to make lasting friendships, she said.But for other students, a year abroad is too long. Ethan Reed '12, said he can't imagine not having attended Cambridge during the spring semester of his junior year, but his decision to study abroad was dependent on the semester option. He said he would not have gone for a full year because students returning to Brown after an entire junior year abroad "hit the ground running and immediately have to start thinking about jobs.
The November deadline to apply to study abroad for the full year at Oxford or Cambridge is too early for some students considering the year-long commitment. Currently, students hoping to study at Oxford or Cambridge in the following spring semester need to apply by May.You need to give people the opportunity to discover themselves,said Mica Fidler '12, who studied at Cambridge spring semester of her junior year. "The desire to study abroad came late for me, and I got the best of it.Students in favor of the semester option also said it is more difficult for double-concentrators to spend an entire year abroad because they have more requirements to fulfill at Brown.The London School of Economics and Political Science, Imperial College London and the University of Durham also only offer year-long study abroad programs. The Office of International Programs still offers semester-long programs at 25 other institutions in the United Kingdom.
Oxford and Cambridge operate under a tutorial system, through which students take two intensive classes per term in a focused area of study. This tradition of highly individualized and independent work is unique to Oxford and Cambridge, which is why Brown's new policy applies specifically to these universities.Our aim is to expose more students to this system, respecting, at the same time, its traditional format for delivery,Brostuen said.Over the past five years, 44 students have spent a full year at one of the two universities, and 43 students have spent just a semester.
Akash Shah '12, an economics concentrator who spent his junior year at Oxford, said it is "100 percent worthwhile to do a full year.Shah said he took the opportunity to go abroad in order to become a more global person and chose Oxford because its curriculum focuses on applying your skills rather than just taking a test.Theresa Lii '12, a neuroscience concentrator, spent a full year studying abroad at Cambridge. She said full-year American students were much better integrated into the student body than those who came for only one semester. Being there for the entire year allowed her to make lasting friendships, she said.But for other students, a year abroad is too long. Ethan Reed '12, said he can't imagine not having attended Cambridge during the spring semester of his junior year, but his decision to study abroad was dependent on the semester option. He said he would not have gone for a full year because students returning to Brown after an entire junior year abroad "hit the ground running and immediately have to start thinking about jobs.
The November deadline to apply to study abroad for the full year at Oxford or Cambridge is too early for some students considering the year-long commitment. Currently, students hoping to study at Oxford or Cambridge in the following spring semester need to apply by May.You need to give people the opportunity to discover themselves,said Mica Fidler '12, who studied at Cambridge spring semester of her junior year. "The desire to study abroad came late for me, and I got the best of it.Students in favor of the semester option also said it is more difficult for double-concentrators to spend an entire year abroad because they have more requirements to fulfill at Brown.The London School of Economics and Political Science, Imperial College London and the University of Durham also only offer year-long study abroad programs. The Office of International Programs still offers semester-long programs at 25 other institutions in the United Kingdom.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Study Abroad Fair
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Physics last Tuesday to three astronomers from the U.S. and Australia for their work demonstrating that a mysterious force, which physicists have named dark energy, is causing galaxies to speed apart from each other and may eventually destroy the universe.Saul Perlmutter of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, Calif., Adam Riess of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Md., and Brian Schmidt of the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia, shared the Nobel Prize after leading two teams that independently found that dark energy is propelling the expansion of the universe at ever-increasing speeds.
It was as if, when you tossed your car keys in the air, instead of coming down, they flew faster and faster to the ceiling, a report in The New York Times describing the groups' findings read.
These astronomers began studying the light cast off by exploding stars, or supernovae, in the late 1990s in an attempt to measure the rate at which the universe's expansion was slowing down since the Big Bang 13.7 billion years ago. Instead, they discovered that the universe continues to expand exponentially throughout time, a finding that has amazed and baffled many physicists.Subsequent research by scientists has indicated that about 70 percent of the universe is comprised of an anti-gravitational force called dark energy that pushes matter, such as planets, stars and galaxies outward. Perlmutter, Riess and Schmidt now hypothesize that galaxies will ultimately become so distant from one another that all energy will disappear from the universe.
Charles Nelson, a professor of applied physics and astronomy at Binghamton University, said dark energy is not well understood by physicists because current satellites and telescopes are inadequate to study it properly. He said that telescopes built within the next decade may begin to provide answers.The universe has been expanding ever since the Big Bang, but the discovery that it is continuing to increase in size can potentially change how we view things," Nelson said.David Rios, a freshman majoring in bioengineering who is enrolled in "PHYS 131: Gen. Physics I, said he was intrigued to see "how the discipline of physics will progress now due to this finding.
NASA has been working to build its James Webb Space Telescope, which is intended to take the place of the Hubble Space Telescope in orbit around the Earth. However, the telescope's launch is still years away and plans for its development have become bogged down in political battles related to its budget.The European Space Agency (ESA) has announced it will launch a satellite to study dark energy in 2019.Jenn Serigano, a senior majoring in physics, said that these findings show that physicists' understanding of the universe is always evolving.
"As physicists, we use the speed of light as an important constant in our quantum theories. That aspects of the theory of the speed of light are being put into question is what makes physics so exciting," Serigano said.Research like this is so valuable because it challenges old theories and produces new ideas the universe is always expanding and there is still so much we don't understand yet, but we are learning more all the time. The magnificence of the universe would be sorely underappreciated if it were so easily figured out.
It was as if, when you tossed your car keys in the air, instead of coming down, they flew faster and faster to the ceiling, a report in The New York Times describing the groups' findings read.
These astronomers began studying the light cast off by exploding stars, or supernovae, in the late 1990s in an attempt to measure the rate at which the universe's expansion was slowing down since the Big Bang 13.7 billion years ago. Instead, they discovered that the universe continues to expand exponentially throughout time, a finding that has amazed and baffled many physicists.Subsequent research by scientists has indicated that about 70 percent of the universe is comprised of an anti-gravitational force called dark energy that pushes matter, such as planets, stars and galaxies outward. Perlmutter, Riess and Schmidt now hypothesize that galaxies will ultimately become so distant from one another that all energy will disappear from the universe.
Charles Nelson, a professor of applied physics and astronomy at Binghamton University, said dark energy is not well understood by physicists because current satellites and telescopes are inadequate to study it properly. He said that telescopes built within the next decade may begin to provide answers.The universe has been expanding ever since the Big Bang, but the discovery that it is continuing to increase in size can potentially change how we view things," Nelson said.David Rios, a freshman majoring in bioengineering who is enrolled in "PHYS 131: Gen. Physics I, said he was intrigued to see "how the discipline of physics will progress now due to this finding.
NASA has been working to build its James Webb Space Telescope, which is intended to take the place of the Hubble Space Telescope in orbit around the Earth. However, the telescope's launch is still years away and plans for its development have become bogged down in political battles related to its budget.The European Space Agency (ESA) has announced it will launch a satellite to study dark energy in 2019.Jenn Serigano, a senior majoring in physics, said that these findings show that physicists' understanding of the universe is always evolving.
"As physicists, we use the speed of light as an important constant in our quantum theories. That aspects of the theory of the speed of light are being put into question is what makes physics so exciting," Serigano said.Research like this is so valuable because it challenges old theories and produces new ideas the universe is always expanding and there is still so much we don't understand yet, but we are learning more all the time. The magnificence of the universe would be sorely underappreciated if it were so easily figured out.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Study abroad opportunities
International study is among the most valuable experiences that can form part of a collegiate undergraduate education. Living and learning in a foreign country exposes students to divergent ways of thinking and living, providing an education in cultural diversity an end closely connected to the core ideals of a modern liberal arts education and thereby a new perspective from which one may better reflect upon and evaluate one’s own presuppositions, values and beliefs. It is both unsurprising and commendable, then, that the University, through the Office of International Programs, devotes considerable resources to encouraging and supporting those who seek to study abroad.
Nonetheless, it remains the case that Princeton’s engagement with study abroad is less substantial than that of many of our peer schools. While many Princetonians do travel abroad at some point during their undergraduate career, relatively few devote an entire semester to study abroad; rather, the norm is for students to limit their international activities to the summer months. Summer programs, however, are shorter than programs during the year and hence typically provide a more superficial engagement with the country of study. Of course, this is not to say that students are necessarily wrong to choose not to go abroad during the academic year the benefits of spending time on campus are numerous, and it is unsurprising that many would hesitate to forego an additional semester on campus. It is still worth examining, though, to what extent present obstacles to in-semester study abroad still exist.
In particular, there do not exist a substantial number of Princeton-run study abroad opportunities during the academic year. Undergraduates seeking to spend a semester abroad must enroll in separate programs not part of their overall Princeton curriculum. This difficulty is rendered especially acute by the fact that Princetonians are committed to producing independent work in their junior year the time during which students are most likely to study abroad and this commitment does not often fit well with a study abroad program.
It is implausible that, at least in the short term, the quantity of Princeton-run study abroad programs during the semester will substantially increase. In the meantime, though, OIP and, in particular, the University’s academic departments ought to do a better job of integrating study-abroad opportunities into their curricula. Some departments, such as English or Wilson School, already run exemplary programs in which junior independent work is incorporated into the study abroad academic curriculum. For smaller departments in which it may be impractical to run a program of this nature, stronger efforts should be made to work with study abroad programs to reduce the problems that may arise when academic work at foreign universities forms part of a student’s Princeton academic program.There are surely many factors that affect the decision whether or not to study abroad; for some students, it may be inevitable that the balance of reasons will favor remaining here. It would be unfortunate, though, if students otherwise interested in studying abroad chose not to because of these complications. Hence, we encourage academic departments to take a larger role in making study abroad feasible for their students.
Nonetheless, it remains the case that Princeton’s engagement with study abroad is less substantial than that of many of our peer schools. While many Princetonians do travel abroad at some point during their undergraduate career, relatively few devote an entire semester to study abroad; rather, the norm is for students to limit their international activities to the summer months. Summer programs, however, are shorter than programs during the year and hence typically provide a more superficial engagement with the country of study. Of course, this is not to say that students are necessarily wrong to choose not to go abroad during the academic year the benefits of spending time on campus are numerous, and it is unsurprising that many would hesitate to forego an additional semester on campus. It is still worth examining, though, to what extent present obstacles to in-semester study abroad still exist.
In particular, there do not exist a substantial number of Princeton-run study abroad opportunities during the academic year. Undergraduates seeking to spend a semester abroad must enroll in separate programs not part of their overall Princeton curriculum. This difficulty is rendered especially acute by the fact that Princetonians are committed to producing independent work in their junior year the time during which students are most likely to study abroad and this commitment does not often fit well with a study abroad program.
It is implausible that, at least in the short term, the quantity of Princeton-run study abroad programs during the semester will substantially increase. In the meantime, though, OIP and, in particular, the University’s academic departments ought to do a better job of integrating study-abroad opportunities into their curricula. Some departments, such as English or Wilson School, already run exemplary programs in which junior independent work is incorporated into the study abroad academic curriculum. For smaller departments in which it may be impractical to run a program of this nature, stronger efforts should be made to work with study abroad programs to reduce the problems that may arise when academic work at foreign universities forms part of a student’s Princeton academic program.There are surely many factors that affect the decision whether or not to study abroad; for some students, it may be inevitable that the balance of reasons will favor remaining here. It would be unfortunate, though, if students otherwise interested in studying abroad chose not to because of these complications. Hence, we encourage academic departments to take a larger role in making study abroad feasible for their students.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Engineering study in national development
Engineering represents the single most important sector vital for national development. Expertise in engineering lies at the heart of all national development strategies as it determines the level of industrial growth as well as self-reliance in defence manufacture. The steel industry, special alloys, engineering goods, manufacture of industrial machinery, automobile manufacture, electronic, household appliances, robotics and computer science, textiles, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, industrial design indeed every sector of the national economy depends on engineering.
The emphasis on human resource development, with a special emphasis on engineering, has resulted in the growth of a strong middle class in India that today accounts for about 32 percent of its population, which is increasing by about one percent each year. In Pakistan our neglect of education over the decades has meant a much smaller middle class, only about 12 percent of our population, which is shrinking due to increasing inflation, growing poverty, mounti
ng debt that has doubled in the last three years and rampant corruption.India collaborated with various technologically advanced countries to help establish seven world class engineering institutions, the Indian Institutes of Technology in different cities of India.The extremely poor state of our engineering universities in Pakistan in the year 2000 is reflected from the appalling fact that in the 53 years between 1947 to 2000 our nine engineering universities had together produced only about 10 PhDs in all! In comparison IIT Delhi produced 176 PhDs last year while Tsing Hua university in Beijing produces over a thousand PhDs annually. This is truly shameful for Pakistan, a country claiming to be a nuclear state. Indeed in 2003 we did not have a single genuine engineering university. They were, at best, low level colleges labelling themselves as universities.
Realising the importance of engineering education and research we created significant endowments of Rs100-200 million for every engineering university to promote research. The key to a high quality university is faculty. Good universities are not developed by building beautiful buildings but by training and attracting highly creative and eminent faculty members. Some 11,000 scholarships were awarded, about 5,000 of them to send our brightest students to top universities in the USA, Europe, Australia and China. Almost 2,500 of these were in engineering sciences, including IT and computer sciences.The availability of liberal research grants and other such measures resulted in a spectacular increase in international research publications from only 500 per year in the year 2000 to about 4600 per year by 2010, about a 900 percent growth. Pakistan was producing only 200 PhDs annually in 2002, but this increased to 700 PhDs per year by 2010. The PhD output of our engineering universities also grew from a total of 10 PhDs in 55 years (an average of 0.2 PhDs per year between 1947-2002) to an average of about 14 per year by 2010, a 150 fold growth.
By the year 2009, two of our engineering universities were ranked among the top 300 of the world (NUST and UET Lahore). While this represents a promising beginning, our international standing is still dismally low. All our nine engineering universities have together produced only 131 PhDs in the last seven years (an average of about two PhDs per year per university), a 70-fold lower productivity than that of IIT Delhi.Rapid advances being made in Pakistan during 2003-2008 under the Higher Education Commission caused alarm bells to ring in India. A detailed presentation was made by Prof C N R Rao adviser to the Indian government on Science & Technology to the Indian prime minister about the rapid progress being made in Pakistan in the higher education sector. This resulted in far reaching decisions by the Indian government to accelerate the development of its higher education institutions.
Over the next five years India will establish 29 new universities and 40 new high level institutes. Nine additional IITs will be established so that India will have 16 world class IITs providing state-of-the-art engineering education. In international rankings of engineering universities, IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi are already ranked at 47 and 52, respectively in the world while IIT Kanpur, IIT Madras and IIT Kharagpur are also ranked in the top 100.In 2005 we embarked on an a visionary project to establish several world class engineering universities in collaboration with Germany, France, Italy, Sweden, Austria, China and Korea that would provide world-class engineering education in Pakistan with degrees being awarded by top foreign universities. Each university was to be established in collaboration with a consortium of top foreign universities. Thus nine top German engineering universities formed a consortium of nine top German universities to establish the Pak-German university in Lahore.Similar consortia were formed with the other countries to establish universities in Karachi, Islamabad, Sialkot, and later when the security situation improved, in Peshawar and Quetta. An attractive feature of each university was an integrated technology park in which foreign companies such as Siemens and Eriksson had agreed to establish their Research & Development Centres.
This would have led to a surge in international patents of new products and processes and a huge increase in high tech exports. Pakistani parents spend about Rs100 billion each year on sending their children to foreign universities. Besides saving this expenditure, the scheme would have led to significant earnings of foreign exchange due to many foreign students coming to Pakistan for study.The development schemes to establish four of these foreign engineering universities were approved by ECNEC in February 2008, and classes were scheduled to begin in October 2008. Unfortunately disaster struck. The HEC budget was slashed in 2008, scholarships frozen and most development projects, including the establishment of the foreign engineering universities in Pakistan, halted.
A wonderful and unique opportunity to provide high quality engineering education from top foreign universities within Pakistan and to make rapid advances in industry and defence was thrown away. When the scholarships of thousands of Pakistani students studying abroad, many in the engineering sciences, were withheld, causing huge misery in 2008, I resigned in protest in October 2008.Things did not stop there. A notification was issued by the government on November 30th, 2010 shredding the HEC into pieces. HEC was almost destroyed. Fortunately the Supreme Court of Pakistan accepted my appeal and declared the government notification unconstitutional. HEC has fortunately survived this onslaught. It continues to exist and limp along under difficult financial circumstances in a hostile environment.
The emphasis on human resource development, with a special emphasis on engineering, has resulted in the growth of a strong middle class in India that today accounts for about 32 percent of its population, which is increasing by about one percent each year. In Pakistan our neglect of education over the decades has meant a much smaller middle class, only about 12 percent of our population, which is shrinking due to increasing inflation, growing poverty, mounti
ng debt that has doubled in the last three years and rampant corruption.India collaborated with various technologically advanced countries to help establish seven world class engineering institutions, the Indian Institutes of Technology in different cities of India.The extremely poor state of our engineering universities in Pakistan in the year 2000 is reflected from the appalling fact that in the 53 years between 1947 to 2000 our nine engineering universities had together produced only about 10 PhDs in all! In comparison IIT Delhi produced 176 PhDs last year while Tsing Hua university in Beijing produces over a thousand PhDs annually. This is truly shameful for Pakistan, a country claiming to be a nuclear state. Indeed in 2003 we did not have a single genuine engineering university. They were, at best, low level colleges labelling themselves as universities.Realising the importance of engineering education and research we created significant endowments of Rs100-200 million for every engineering university to promote research. The key to a high quality university is faculty. Good universities are not developed by building beautiful buildings but by training and attracting highly creative and eminent faculty members. Some 11,000 scholarships were awarded, about 5,000 of them to send our brightest students to top universities in the USA, Europe, Australia and China. Almost 2,500 of these were in engineering sciences, including IT and computer sciences.The availability of liberal research grants and other such measures resulted in a spectacular increase in international research publications from only 500 per year in the year 2000 to about 4600 per year by 2010, about a 900 percent growth. Pakistan was producing only 200 PhDs annually in 2002, but this increased to 700 PhDs per year by 2010. The PhD output of our engineering universities also grew from a total of 10 PhDs in 55 years (an average of 0.2 PhDs per year between 1947-2002) to an average of about 14 per year by 2010, a 150 fold growth.
By the year 2009, two of our engineering universities were ranked among the top 300 of the world (NUST and UET Lahore). While this represents a promising beginning, our international standing is still dismally low. All our nine engineering universities have together produced only 131 PhDs in the last seven years (an average of about two PhDs per year per university), a 70-fold lower productivity than that of IIT Delhi.Rapid advances being made in Pakistan during 2003-2008 under the Higher Education Commission caused alarm bells to ring in India. A detailed presentation was made by Prof C N R Rao adviser to the Indian government on Science & Technology to the Indian prime minister about the rapid progress being made in Pakistan in the higher education sector. This resulted in far reaching decisions by the Indian government to accelerate the development of its higher education institutions.
Over the next five years India will establish 29 new universities and 40 new high level institutes. Nine additional IITs will be established so that India will have 16 world class IITs providing state-of-the-art engineering education. In international rankings of engineering universities, IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi are already ranked at 47 and 52, respectively in the world while IIT Kanpur, IIT Madras and IIT Kharagpur are also ranked in the top 100.In 2005 we embarked on an a visionary project to establish several world class engineering universities in collaboration with Germany, France, Italy, Sweden, Austria, China and Korea that would provide world-class engineering education in Pakistan with degrees being awarded by top foreign universities. Each university was to be established in collaboration with a consortium of top foreign universities. Thus nine top German engineering universities formed a consortium of nine top German universities to establish the Pak-German university in Lahore.Similar consortia were formed with the other countries to establish universities in Karachi, Islamabad, Sialkot, and later when the security situation improved, in Peshawar and Quetta. An attractive feature of each university was an integrated technology park in which foreign companies such as Siemens and Eriksson had agreed to establish their Research & Development Centres.
This would have led to a surge in international patents of new products and processes and a huge increase in high tech exports. Pakistani parents spend about Rs100 billion each year on sending their children to foreign universities. Besides saving this expenditure, the scheme would have led to significant earnings of foreign exchange due to many foreign students coming to Pakistan for study.The development schemes to establish four of these foreign engineering universities were approved by ECNEC in February 2008, and classes were scheduled to begin in October 2008. Unfortunately disaster struck. The HEC budget was slashed in 2008, scholarships frozen and most development projects, including the establishment of the foreign engineering universities in Pakistan, halted.
A wonderful and unique opportunity to provide high quality engineering education from top foreign universities within Pakistan and to make rapid advances in industry and defence was thrown away. When the scholarships of thousands of Pakistani students studying abroad, many in the engineering sciences, were withheld, causing huge misery in 2008, I resigned in protest in October 2008.Things did not stop there. A notification was issued by the government on November 30th, 2010 shredding the HEC into pieces. HEC was almost destroyed. Fortunately the Supreme Court of Pakistan accepted my appeal and declared the government notification unconstitutional. HEC has fortunately survived this onslaught. It continues to exist and limp along under difficult financial circumstances in a hostile environment.
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