“Everyone should do it,” says an ardent Nicole Arthur, who went on exchange to the University of Central Lancashire in England in 2006 and will graduate from HSU in May, 2009. “You have the opportunity to meet people from all over the world and learn about different cultures. It opens your eyes to what else is out there.”
Emily Kirsch, who attended Xi’an International Studies University in the People’s Republic of China, couldn’t agree more. “Studying abroad should be part of everyone’s college experience,” she asserts. “It costs the same as studying at HSU—incredibly affordable! I got a scholarship and my financial aid covered it. If it is the same cost as HSU, why not go?!”
Overseas opportunities are multiplying all the time. In recent months, Humboldt State has formed three new academic partnerships with schools in Australia and the Czech Republic.
The exchange program with Deakin University in Victoria, Australia offers concentrations in anthropology, dance, information technology, international studies, marine biology, environmental science, natural resources, wildlife management, biology, natural resource planning, GIS, freshwater fisheries, nursing, psychology and visual and performing arts. Professor Llyn Smith of the Department of Anthropology is HSU faculty director of this program and information is available at http://www.deakin.edu.au/about
Students can study at campuses in either Melbourne or Geelong, a smaller city on the coast only an hour and a $13.00 return train trip from Melbourne. “Melbourne is an amazing Australian city with rich cultural traditions, a multi-cultural population and a never ending list of things to do,” says Dr. Smith, herself an Australian.
She adds, “All the students I know who have been lucky enough to study abroad have found the experience deeply life-changing. International travel and study abroad are a unique opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of other cultures (politics, history and geography), and the chance to make lifelong new friends and have a lot of fun. The Anthropology Department encourages students to make study abroad a part of their degree.”
At Charles Sturt University in Australia (named after a 19th century explorer), courses for HSU students include recreation, theater, communication, journalism, jewelry, graphic design, social work, psychology, business, photography, computer science, education, environmental science, exercise science, nursing and psychology. Details are at http://www.csu.edu.au/ and Brian Arbogast is the HSU faculty director.
The University of Pardubice, about an hour east of Prague in the Czech Republic, teaches English, economics, philosophy, sociology, anthropology, history, religious studies, education, chemistry, ecology, environmental engineering, art (restoration), nursing and information technology.
“Pardubice is a beautiful city with a stunning main square and historical center, and the Labe (Elbe) River runs through the town,” says HSU faculty director Mary Bockover of the Department of Philosophy. “Pardubice has approximately 90,000 permanent residents, and the university has about 9,000 full-time students. The Czech Republic is a country known for its architectural and natural beauty, as well as for having a long and fascinating history.”
The University is known primarily for its science programs, but Dr. Bockover says it is “one of the most up-and-coming universities in the Czech Republic in all areas, and it is arguably one of the best universities in Central Europe.” She teaches at Pardubice every spring semester. Click on http://www.upce.cz for in-depth information.
“For a university like Humboldt State that prides itself on promoting diversity and the mutual exchange of ideas, our building exchanges with universities in other countries are one of the best ways of living this mission out,” Professor Bockover says. “Students who live and study abroad routinely report that it has offered them one of the most valuable learning experiences of their lives. I can say without hesitation, as a former Fulbrighter and ongoing guest lecturer in the Czech Republic, that sustaining this international relation continues to be one of the most enriching parts of my life.”
Undergrad Keith Lambert wholeheartedly agrees. Like Nicole Arthur, he went on exchange to the University of Central Lancashire. His verdict: “It is an opportunity for an experience you may never have again in your life; you’ll never be in the same setting as a young student learning in a different culture. You learn just as much outside the classroom as you do inside.”
HSU encourages study abroad through the International Programs Office on the first floor of Siemens Hall, Room 129. Interested students should get in touch with Study Abroad Advisor Penelope Shaw at pjs25@humboldt.edu. Pre-requisites generally include a minimum 2.75 GPA, full completion of the application process, one year of study at HSU and a commitment to study overseas either one semester or one year. (HSU students attend Pardubice spring semester only.)
Exchange students pay fees at HSU only, no international fees. They are responsible for their own housing, food, airfare and insurance. “It is an economical way to study abroad,” Shaw says, “and our partners are truly partners. We send them our students, they send us their students, our faculty teach in our partner institutions, their faculty teach here. The possibilities are endless!”
Shaw notes the mutual adventures HSU undergraduates share with their overseas counterparts. “This year, two students, one from HSU and an exchange student from a partner university, will be sharing an apartment in Paris. A Finnish exchange student met an HSU student, who ended up going back to Finland to be with her. Groups of exchange students have met up with HSU students and travelled the length of California.”
HSU students enjoy unique educational experiences at a sweeping array of destinations abroad, including Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Senegal, Vietnam, New Zealand, Ghana and South Africa. Bilateral exchange partners include the University of Central Lancashire in England, Martin Luther Universitat in Germany, Universite Paul-Valery Montpellier in France, the University of Turku in Finland and Universidad Autonoma Benito Juarez de Oaxaca in Mexico.
For more information, dial Study Abroad Advisor Penelope Shaw at 707/826-3942 or email pjs25@humboldt.edu