UNCG’s International Program Center began 2019 by hosting the Study Abroad expo to showcase the current programs and provide a space for curious students to come and explore their options. With over 30 short term opportunities and partnerships with 93 universities all over the world, there is no doubt that everyone can find a place that fits their interests and major. For Heidi Bretz, Assistant Director, the goal of the expo is to make it known to the students that studying abroad is an opportunity for all, and that IPC is there to help answer all questions and spread the word that there are many scholarships and resources to utilize to make going abroad as affordable as possible. “What people may not realize is that you can study abroad for the around the same cost as attending class. IPC helps with transferring your credits, and anybody can study abroad regardless of language level, as most of our partners offer courses in English.”
The expo showcased 5 of their featured programs for the University of Oulu in Finland, Linnaeus University in Sweden, University of Tartu in Estonia, the University of Hong Kong in China and the University of Wroclaw in Poland. “These specific programs are unique because they are the same tuition, room and board as UNCG.All of our featured programs are good for general education credits, and offer flexibility in class choices,” explained Bretz. IPC also offers travel grants for students studying abroad on semester and year long programs to help offset the additional costs of going abroad such as plane tickets, visa or other expenses.
The representatives from the featured universities were eager to answer any and all questions that prospective study abroaders had. For international exchange students Kamran Mammadov, Nicole Jurek, Katerina Turowicz and returning UNCG study abroad student, Antonio Alamillo from Wroclaw, Poland, they came prepared with many interesting stories and trinkets to show how special their university is. “Wroclaw is a great city because out of 700,000 people 200,000 of them are students. It’s a great location because it’s located in the center of Europe and it’s cheap to travel from there,” said Alamillo.
For many students who wish to go abroad, they plan to use their experiences to broaden their horizons, whether it be personally, professionally, or both. For freshman Azaria Mack, studying abroad would be monumental in her family. “I’m a first generation student and I’ve never been out of the country before. I have a minor in Spanish, and studying abroad seems like such a cool experience and the best way to learn the language.”
For sophomore Max Kuhlenkamp, studying abroad would give him the skills he needs to further his professional competences while getting to be surrounded by nature. Considering either Sweden or Finland, he wants to learn about European business practices to take what he learns and apply it back to his entrepreneurship major. “At first I really wanted to go to New Zealand but I think I could learn more from Europe, especially from Växjö, Sweden. Linnaeus University really interests me because it’s located in the ‘Greenest City’ in Europe, and I think I could learn a lot being there. One day. I would like to run companies that focus on efficiency.”
If you are interested in studying abroad, take the next step and call (336) 334-5404 or come by Foust 207 to make an appointment. Come discuss your options, goals and questions with our advisors and find a place that best fits you!
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