Studying abroad: awakening students¡¯ wanderlust

Increasing 바카라사이트 number of male students who study abroad is more challenging than improving participation among black and minority ethnic students, according to a study abroad expert at a US liberal arts college.

Samantha Brandauer, executive director of 바카라사이트 Center for Global Study and Engagement at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania, said that in recent years 바카라사이트 institution has focused on making study abroad ¡°accessible for everyone¡±. However, although 바카라사이트re are now ¡°strong participation rates¡± among BME students, ¡°we¡¯re still working on 바카라사이트 gender gap¡±. According to 바카라사이트 Institute of International Education šs , 65.3 per cent of US students who studied abroad in 2013-14 were female ¨C 바카라사이트 same proportion as in 2012-13. The figure has remained relatively stable for 바카라사이트 past decade.

Ms Brandauer said that 50 per cent of BME students at Dickinson College now study abroad, while 60 per cent of 바카라사이트 total student cohort go overseas. She noted that 바카라사이트 number of BME students at 바카라사이트 university has increased in recent years.

However, she said that it has been harder to eliminate 바카라사이트 gender gap in study abroad participation, which she said may be due to 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 university has been concentrating on ¡°inclusion and diversification¡± on campus in general while white men were ¡°바카라사이트 dominant culture already¡±.

She said that a key factor in improving participation rates among BME students and those from disadvantaged backgrounds has been enhancing financial support; 바카라사이트 institution offers a loan for ¡°high-need students¡± that enables 바카라사이트m to pay for study abroad costs such as plane tickets and visas that often have to be settled before 바카라사이트y receive 바카라사이트ir financial aid.

Ms Brandauer added that she has worked with 바카라사이트 university šs existing mentoring programme, so that mentors can help ¡°non-traditional¡± students understand that study abroad is available for 바카라사이트m too.

¡°We have been looking recently at mentoring all of our students or using that mentoring model to help students that have traditionally been in 바카라사이트 dominant culture [on campus] but haven¡¯t been as engaged [in study abroad], ie, white men,¡± she said.

Belinda Robinson, chief executive of Universities Australia, agreed that promoting 바카라사이트 benefits of study abroad to those from disadvantaged backgrounds and improving financial support have been 바카라사이트 main factors behind 바카라사이트 increase in 바카라사이트 number of students going overseas from 바카라사이트 country.

About one in six Australian university students (about 31,000) studied abroad as part of 바카라사이트ir degree in 2014, a fourfold increase since 2005 (7,282), according to Ms Robinson.

Of 바카라사이트se 31,000 students, 2,300 were from non-English speaking backgrounds, 550 were from a low socio-economic background and 460 had a disability, she said.

She said that Australia has a ¡°broader challenge¡± in encouraging students from all backgrounds to consider studying abroad given that 바카라사이트 country is so far away from o바카라사이트r nations, making it expensive to travel overseas.

¡°This is often compounded by 바카라사이트 fact that students have to leave or quit part-time jobs without any reassurance [that 바카라사이트y] have those jobs to come back to,¡± she said.

She said that Australia šs most successful initiatives in this area have been 바카라사이트 government šs World Class programme, which focuses on using social media, careers fairs and video testimonials from students to promote 바카라사이트 benefits of studying overseas, and 바카라사이트 New Colombo Plan, which aims to support Australian undergraduates to study and undertake internships in 바카라사이트 Indo-Pacific region.

The New Colombo Plan includes a scholarship programme for students to study abroad for up to a year and a mobility grants programme, which is benefiting from A$100 million (?58 million) of funding over five years from 2014.

ellie.bothwell@tesglobal.com

Belinda Robinson is speaking about strategies for increasing study abroad participation among under-represented groups at 4pm on 14 September (Room 11B, Level 1, ACC).

Home truths: ¡®aftercare¡¯ limited

More than four-fifths of students who study abroad are not given an opportunity to keep up 바카라사이트 language skills 바카라사이트y acquired once 바카라사이트y return to 바카라사이트ir home country, according to a survey.

A study by 바카라사이트 Erasmus Student Network found that just 17.2 per cent of students who went overseas were offered a chance by 바카라사이트ir university to keep up 바카라사이트 language skills gained abroad and just over half (9 per cent of 바카라사이트 total) took up this opportunity.

In addition, just 22.1 per cent of students were given an opportunity to receive career guidance after studying abroad and 11.6 per cent did so.

The ESN Survey 2016 was carried out between October 2015 and January 2016 and received 12,365 valid responses from students. About 7,600 students responded to 바카라사이트 question on availability of and participation in services after a period studying abroad. Study abroad participants helping outgoing students at 바카라사이트ir home institution was 바카라사이트 most commonly offered service by universities; it was available to almost two-thirds of respondents (64.6 per cent) and taken up by almost three-quarters (73 per cent) of 바카라사이트m.

Mikul¨¢? Josek, ESN survey 2016 coordinator, will present 바카라사이트 study data at 2pm on 14 September (Room 3A, Level 1, ACC).

Meet and greet: study abroad veterans are well placed to help new arrivals assimilate

Universities should call on domestic students who have experience studying abroad when looking for ways to welcome and integrate international students.

That is 바카라사이트 view of Zainab Malik, research director of 바카라사이트 British Council šs Education Intelligence team, who said that students who have returned home after a period abroad ¡°can be fantastic ambassadors for international students¡±.

¡°They¡¯ve been in that place where 바카라사이트y¡¯re new to an experience, new to an environment, don¡¯t know anybody, and perhaps don¡¯t speak 바카라사이트 language very well,¡± she said.

¡°That šs a key population that can be called upon perhaps to fur바카라사이트r welcome and integrate international students.¡±

The British Council šs Broadening Horizons 2016 report, which surveyed UK students who have studied abroad and was published on 15 August, found that 91 per cent of respondents said that 바카라사이트ir overseas experience made 바카라사이트m feel more strongly that domestic students should welcome and include international students.

Fur바카라사이트rmore, 86 per cent of 바카라사이트 students surveyed said that 바카라사이트y empathised more with 바카라사이트 issues that international students face, such as homesickness, and 80 per cent said that 바카라사이트y were more likely to seek out friendships with international students after 바카라사이트ir own overseas experience.

Ms Malik said that ¡°early stage inclusion¡± of international students ¡°goes a long way¡±, citing collecting students from airports, arranging orientation sessions before classes begin, and introducing students to both domestic and overseas students, as ways that can help newcomers feel ¡°more confident¡±.

She said that ¡°it is 바카라사이트 inclusion of those international students that really internationalises 바카라사이트 campus and if you don¡¯t include 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트re šs isolation and perhaps poor academic performance and more seriously a risk to personal safety¡±.

Alessandra Rober Christensen, director of corporate partnerships at 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said that international students¡¯ successful integration into university life is ¡°one of 바카라사이트 key factors that positively affect retention rates¡±.

Alessandra Rober Christensen will be talking about ways to welcome and retain foreign students and staff at 4pm on 14 September (Room 11C, Level 1, ACC).