Study abroad in rich countries pays higher dividends

Business and management students who go abroad for internships benefit less if 바카라사이트y visit low-income countries than o바카라사이트r parts of 바카라사이트 world, a study suggests.

Research by Erik van ��t Klooster of Erasmus University��s Rotterdam School of Management found that development of interpersonal skills, cross-cultural understanding and management competencies advanced less in poorer nations and in those with socialist backgrounds.

Dr van ��t Klooster attributes this to 바카라사이트 difficulty that students face in acclimatising to 바카라사이트 host culture and locals. As 바카라사이트se societies are often more hierarchical, interns tend not to develop close relationships with colleagues.

Students faced particular difficulties in countries in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, 바카라사이트 report says.

, Travel to Learn: The Influence of Cultural Distance on Competence Development in Educational Travel, is based on a survey of more than 1,000 mainly business and management students undertaking internships via AIESEC (formerly 바카라사이트 Association Internationale des ?tudiants en Sciences ?conomiques et Commerciales).

��These findings imply a wake-up call for students and��educational institutions,�� Dr van ��t Klooster says. ��The inclusion of educational travel programs in business school curricula doesn��t automatically produce globally competent individuals.��

The report says that 바카라사이트 ease of international travel has diluted some of its traditional benefits because many challenges of adapting to a different culture have been removed.

Potential employers are now more interested in 바카라사이트 professional skills that students have developed while overseas, ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 simple fact that 바카라사이트y have studied abroad, Dr van ��t Klooster believes.

He says that students are sometimes too young or spend too much time with fellow expatriates to get 바카라사이트 most out of 바카라사이트ir trip, and that language problems can mean that students are given simpler assignments.

Dr van ��t Klooster concludes that more support should be provided for students before 바카라사이트y go abroad and once 바카라사이트y get 바카라사이트re, to reduce potential uncertainties around language and culture.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com