StudyAbroad.com’s The Globe

It would be easy to confuse these 9 NYU students as tourists but they are actually studying the tourists. 

In an effort to teach students the tourist culture of a city, Professor Sharr Prohaska from the Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism and Sports Management at New York University has taken 9 NYU students to Prague to see how the rise of tourism has influenced the culture.

According to Prohaska “I’ve been here seven times since 1990. I’ve seen immense changes — how cultural tourism has evolved, the country coming out of communism. It’s a wonderful place for a case study.”

To read the full story please go here;

http://www.praguepost.com/articles/2008/08/27/an-educational-look-at-city-tourism.php

Are universities cheating their own students out of study abroad options?

Richard C. Sutton, the University System of Georgia Board of Regents, recently wrote a thought-provoking opinion piece for Inside Higher Ed which suggests just that. Sutton, vice chancellor for international programs at the Board, had some biting criticism of the ways in which some universities are limiting their students’ study abroad program options, all in the name of making a buck.

Sutton makes some interesting points in his piece, not the least of which being the assertion that some universities only make available those study abroad programs and opportunities from which the schools will profit. Sutton cites recent news of questionable policies and practices on the part of university study abroad departments, as well as rumors of kick-backs, as indications of a disturbing trend that could be counterintuitive to national interests.

During a period of time in which the United States is striving to increase study abroad numbers each year, it seems that in some cases, as study abroad has grown a great deal (to more than 200,000 students each year), ethics have sometimes been lost in the shuffle. Sutton also raises the issue of students being denied credit transfer by universities as a device to force students into the study abroad programs that schools can benefit from fiscally.

If universities deny credit transfer and limit students’ ability to enroll in outside programs, the nation is unlikely to reach its goal of one million students studying abroad in the next decade. These limitations not only force students into “university-approved” study abroad programs, but they can potentially discourage students from participating in studying abroad.

If students can’t afford the approved study abroad program options, or if the approved options don’t allow them to study what and where they want, why would students want to study abroad at all?

While universities may argue that they don’t want study abroad to become a buyer’s market for students, that argument is most likely based on universities being reluctant to give students credits if the study abroad tuition doesn’t end up in the university’s bank accounts. This paints the picture of universities making students buy their credits—and schools want students to “buy” from them. Sutton compares this to universities mandating that students buy their textbooks from the school bookstore, even though the students could pay much less at Amazon.com.

If study abroad is in the nation’s best interest, why shouldn’t students be seen as consumers of study abroad, just as in any market? The real question is where the control of study abroad options should lie. With students? With universities? And if the United States really needs students to study abroad for a secure national future, why set any limits at all? Now that the Senate is too tied up with energy issues to deal with the Simon Study Abroad foundation Act, it is not likely that these questions will be answered anytime soon. But what are your thoughts on the subject?

Sutton’s entire opinion piece in Inside Higher Ed can be accessed here.

Now that the spotlight has shown on Beijing for the Olympics will this generate more interest to study abroad there?  With great media coverage usually interest follows.  I would not be surprised to see an increase in student interest to study abroad in China.

On the flip side of the obvious I read a story that did seem part of the effect of the Olympics, more Chinese students looking to study outside of China.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-08/26/content_6970168.htm

Maybe having the world visit China for the Olympics will increase the number of Chinese students studying outside China?

Six ASU students earned Freeman Awards for Study in Asia, allowing them to participate in an intensive course on Chinese language and culture in Beijing this summer.

“ASU has a strong commitment to programming in China, so we are very pleased that six of our students competed successfully for the Freeman-ASIA scholarships,” says Kathleen Fairfax, associate vice president for global engagement.

To read more on this please go to;

http://asunews.asu.edu/20080818_freemanawards

To learn more about this award please go to;

http://www.iie.org/programs/Freeman-ASIA/

Amy Klapchuk a student at Grand Valley State University is taking advantage of a grant that will cover the costs of her travel and lodging while she studies in Poland and Hungary.  At a time when travel costs are high this grant will help students make studying abroad possible.

“It’ll be a chance to see the history and the culture,” said the 20-year-old from Dowagiac studying international relations.

To learn more about Grand Valley State University’s programs and this grant please go to;

http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/2008/08/grand_valley_state_university_10.html

For more funding information please go to;

http://www.studyabroadfunding.org/

Utica Community Schools was just awarded a $1.5 million federal grant to establish a Mandarin Chinese language program, according to the Macomb Daily.

Says Utica Superintendent Christine Johns, “We are thrilled with the aspect of providing instruction in Mandarin Chinese to our students.”

As the terrifically named Macomb staff writer Frank DeFrank writes in the article, “With more than 1 billion speakers, Mandarin Chinese is the most widely spoken language on Earth. U.S. educators have increasingly focused on Mandarin as a foreign language offering because of China’s meteoric rise as an emerging world economic power.”

We here at StudyAbroad.com couldn’t agree more, which is why we made Mandarin our Destination of the Month for August.  The accompanying StudyAbroad.com article details the many benefits of learning Mandarin Chinese as a U.S. student.

Utica is one of eight districts in the entire country to receive such a grant, and the article states that school officials expect roughly 650 students to have studied Mandarin Chinese by the time the grant expires five years from now.

What do you think of this grant, and the growing popularity of the official language of the official home of the 2008 Summer Olympics?

45 University of Delaware students and 3 faculty members arrived in China this week to begin a 4 week long study abroad program.

The program, run by the Department of Health, Nutrition and Exercise Sciences will allow the students to get (what may be) a once in lifetime experience of combing their studies and the Olympic games.

In addition to and excusions to Olympic venue sites during the games the students will also see some of the other sites of China and have access to Chinese faculty involved with the Olympics.

To read more please go to;

http://www.sussexcountian.com/news/education…

On Tuesday Inside Higher Ed reported on a story that us folks involved in study abroad have been following for a while now. To read the article please go here;

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/07/29/omnibus

Rather than go on with a long explanation of some of the technical civic terms in this article, or revisiting the history of this bill and the people that have been behind it for years I would like to simply acknowledge a missed opportunity and move forward.

Yes - the US could use more understanding of other peoples and cultures in the world and vise versa and with some government support study abroad would grow and greatly improve the situation.

Not every good thing gets supported - but that does not stop making it a good thing.

Does getting less for your dollar mean doing less? Students with little money to spare will have to put some more planning into their study abroad decisions and that could start with location. With airfare being a large cost to a program a shorter flight should be less cost. Heading to a country that has a better exchange rate is another way to stretch your dollar.

Here is a story from Greenville, SC about how students are comparing locations to study abroad;

comparing study abroad locations

And here is an article from Fort Worth, Texas with more of a business view on how the schools running the programs are watching the weak dollar;

study abroad article

It seems like a shift for American students to study abroad in closer locations where the exchange rate is better like in Central America and South America is likely, but will it happen?

In order to stay healthy during your study abroad experience, you’ll need to take a few precautions before you ever set foot on a plane. While there are no guarantees, taking a few simple steps before you leave and while you’re abroad can help you stay healthy and make the most of your experience. Also be sure to check in with your study abroad office before you leave to ensure you know of any special health and safety requirements.

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