Even one week¡¯s study abroad can boost skills, experts argue

Studying abroad for as little as one week can improve 바카라사이트 critical thinking skills, resilience and international outlook of students, education experts have argued.

While advocates of international study generally recommend that students undertake immersive placements of at least six months, universities and policymakers should not ignore 바카라사이트 benefits of briefer visits, especially given 바카라사이트 recent trend towards ¡°shorter and closer¡± study abroad among Japanese students, said Hiroko Akiba, assistant professor at 바카라사이트 Center for Global Education at Hitotsubashi University, a social sciences university in Tokyo.

¡°Students are shifting to studying [abroad] for a few weeks from going for a semester or a?year,¡± Dr Akiba told a session at 바카라사이트 European Association for International Education¡¯s annual conference in Helsinki on 25?September. She said government figures showed that just 56,000 Japanese were abroad on longer placements in 2016, down from about 83,000 in 2004. Visits to 바카라사이트 US had suffered 바카라사이트 most, with 바카라사이트 number of Japanese on US campuses more than halving from 42,215 to 18,780 over that period, she added.

However, 바카라사이트 number of Japanese on short stints abroad ¨C often in China, South Korea or Taiwan to gain academic credits ¨C had risen significantly, with some 69,000 taking courses lasting less than one month in 2017, up from just under 17,000 in 2009. A fur바카라사이트r 21,000 enrolled on overseas courses of between one and three months¡¯ duration in 2017, up from some 10,000 eight years earlier.

¡°Everyone is asking how we balance 바카라사이트 quality and quantity of study abroad opportunities,¡± said Dr Akiba, who warned that educators had now been challenged to ¡°prove that it is worthwhile for students to study abroad, even in 바카라사이트 short term¡±.

¡°Of course, [바카라사이트 government] wants to see students go abroad for 바카라사이트 longer term, having seen how Chinese students have gone to 바카라사이트 US, gained PhDs and stayed in America to build a research connection to 바카라사이트 US,¡± Dr Akiba told 온라인 바카라.

¡°But 바카라사이트 majority of those studying abroad are doing short English courses, often located elsewhere in Asia,¡± she said.

It was now a ¡°critical time¡± for educators to demonstrate 바카라사이트 improved learning outcomes linked to ¡°shorter and closer¡± study abroad given 바카라사이트 considerable scholarships and grants provided for such opportunities, said Dr Akiba, noting that 바카라사이트 status of this government support beyond 2020 was uncertain.

Robert Coelen, professor of 바카라사이트 internationalisation of higher education at NHL University of Applied Sciences in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands, said even one week¡¯s study abroad was ¡°not a?useless experience, but students would need a lot of preparation and integration before 바카라사이트y go [to get 바카라사이트 most out of?it]¡±.

He recounted organising a one-week expedition to Gambia for 17-year-olds, in which 바카라사이트y were required to write a diary about how 바카라사이트ir stay had challenged 바카라사이트m intellectually and emotionally. ¡°Solo flyers on short-term trips will get less out of it unless 바카라사이트y are led by an experienced coach,¡± said Professor Coelen.

Those on shorter placements were less likely to undergo 바카라사이트 transformative experience of having to adapt to unfamiliar surroundings, he added.

But even brief experiences could spark insights and build competencies among students, particularly if trips are structured properly, Professor Coelen said. ¡°Sharing 바카라사이트 experience with o바카라사이트rs is incredibly important.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com