News
Study Abroad Options Expand with New Exchange Programs
Photo courtesy of Sina Feng
Study abroad options for Temple students have just expanded significantly, thanks
to a number of new exchange agreements with partner universities around the world. Not only has our geographic scope expanded, but the curricular options for students have also grown, with many new study abroad opportunities available for engineering and science majors.
Foreign language skills, or the lack thereof, need not be a barrier for students. Exchange programs are available in English-speaking countries such as England, Hong Kong, Ireland, and Scotland. In addition, our partners in China, Denmark, Korea, Sweden and Taiwan offer courses in English. Students who do have foreign language skills will find even more opportunities, as a broader range of courses is available taught in the local language at our Asian and European partners.
Denise Connerty, assistant vice president for education abroad notes, “We’re a
large university and our students have a broad range of academic interests and geographic preferences. We’re delighted to be able to expand our offerings and accommodate those varied interests through our exchanges.”
Studying abroad through an exchange program offers Temple students a unique experience. Unlike study abroad programs designed specifically for American students, exchange programs enable Temple students to have a full academic
and cultural immersion experience. They become members of the host university community, sitting in classrooms with students from the host country, engaged in a different educational system, and taking full advantage of student life. While a little more challenging, this kind of experience offers increased rewards.
Moriah Baxevane-Connell, a Temple student majoring in Information Systems and Psychology notes, “The semester I spent on a Temple exchange in England was extremely rewarding. While it required me to be more independent, I felt like a true Brit during my time there. With the friends I made, I know I always have a place to stay when I visit again!”
Financially, exchange programs are very affordable. Temple students pay Temple tuition and continue to receive whatever financial aid they normally receive. Some of the exchange partners offer additional financial incentives, and students may apply for special exchange scholarships. Housing is provided at all of Temple’s partner institutions, and in some cases may be less expensive than what is available in Philadelphia.
For more information, students should stop by the Education Abroad office in 200 Tuttleman Learning Center, or check out the Exchange Programs brochure. Semester and academic year options are available, and depending on the institution, short-term summer study abroad may be an option. The application deadline for Fall 2012 and/or Spring 2013 is April 1.
Celebration of Globalization
A biannual event to showcase Temple University and Philadelphia’s dedication to globalization.
Festivities will include: Fashion Show, Cultural Performances & Awards Program
Friday, March 30, 2012
4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Temple Performing Arts Center
1837 N. Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA
Honoring 2012 Global Award Winners
Global Philadelphia Award
Nancy J. Gilboy
President & CEO, International Visitors Council of Philadelphia
Read about IVC
Global Temple Award
Ann Weaver Hart
President, Temple University
Read her biography
TICKETS ARE FREE - REGISTER TO ATTEND
Exchange Program Spotlight: Tunghai University in Taichung City, Taiwan
From Tunghai University’s modest beginnings in 1955, the school adopted a ‘pioneering spirit.’ When most Taiwanese universities’ sole emphasis was on specialization, Tunghai was the first to encourage a well-rounded general education, and is consistently ranked as one of the best private universities in Taiwan. Tunghai has a combined student body of over 17,000 undergraduates and graduates.
Tunghai University is located in Taiwan’s third largest city, Taichung City. Centrally located in the western half of Taiwan, Taichung enjoys a mild year-long climate and is home to over one million residents. With a highly developed industrial and commercial base, thriving cultural scene, friendly people, and beautiful scenery, Taichung is a remarkable destination.
Among the many sites of interest in the city are the 200 year-old Lecheng Temple, the ornate and frequently visited Chenghuang Temple, and the three hall style Wanhe Temple. The Chang Liao Family Shrine, a grade three national historic site, as well as the 200 year-old Zhenlan Temple in Dajia, further add to Taichung’s yesteryear charms. Visit the Tunghai University website to learn more.
Helping Students Finance Their Study Abroad Experience
We are pleased to announce that we have awarded $71,000 in scholarships to Temple students participating in Summer 2012 study abroad programs. Recipients will be honored at our first-ever Scholarship Award Reception later this spring.
This semester, we collaborated with the Writing Center and Student Financial Services to offer two new sessions related to financing study abroad. The Writing Study Abroad Scholarship Essays Workshop provided students guidance for writing competitive study abroad scholarship essays. Topics included: making essays personal and specific, highlighting unique characteristics, addressing the focus of the scholarship, and connecting the chosen study abroad program to past experiences and future academic and career goals. Students read and critiqued sample essays and brainstormed ideas for their own essays. The Financing Study Abroad: Focus on Financial Aid session addressed financial aid available for all types of study abroad programs (Temple semester, summer and exchange programs, as well as external programs) and the procedures for applying the aid to study abroad programs. The session concluded with an overview of study abroad scholarships.
We would like to thank Jennifer Follett of the Writing Center and Emilie VanTrieste of Student Financial Services for helping to make these sessions a great success. Due to high attendance and positive feedback, we now plan to offer these sessions each semester.
Global Temple Conference
November 16, 2011
On November 16th, 2011, members of the Temple community gathered to take part in the 6th annual Global Temple Conference, which highlighted the research and projects of over 100 student, faculty and staff presenters through panel discussions, performances, exhibitions and film screenings. Organized by the Faculty Senate International Programs committee and the office of International Affairs, the 2011 conference focused on Internationalization in Difficult Times and hosted over 600 attendees. Included were poster and paper contests as well as discussions on topics as far ranging as post-earthquake recovery in Japan, indigenous land rights in the Amazon, and healthcare in rural Cameroon. Winners of Education Abroad’s International Photo Contest were also displayed.
Each year at the Global Temple conference, the best student papers and posters are selected by a jury of faculty and staff, and this year, several students were recognized for their outstanding contributions to the conference program.
Maureen Brookes received the 1st place graduate student prize for her paper, Improving Group Organization Among St. Thomas' Production Marketing Organizations. Sierra Gladfelter received the 1st place undergraduate prize for her paper, Claiming Mansalu: The Agency of Rural Community in Nepal's Developing Mountain Tourism Industry. Honorary mention went to undergraduate Joseph Alpert for his paper, The German Labor Market Reaction to the Great Recession: A Miracle Explained.
In the Poster Session category, a team of graduate students, Joshua Pongan, Theresa Warner and Brendan Spinelli, received the 1st place graduate prize for their poster, Volunteering in El Salvador: A Translator's Perspective. The 1st place undergraduate prize went to Cameron Snyder-Mitchell for his poster presentation, The Politics of Disability in South India: A Film Exhibit.
The Global Temple Conference is part of Temple’s yearly celebration of International Education Week, a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education created to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn and exchange experiences in the United States.
The 2012 Global Temple Conference is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, November 14th, 2012. For more information, please check the Global Temple Conference webpage.
International Photo Contest Winners Announced
Winners of the 2011 International Photo contest were announced at the 6th annual Global Temple Conference in November.
Photo Contest Winners
1st Place Artistic Vision - Alexa Zerkow - Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Italy
1st Place Owls Abroad - Daniela Jurado
Scholarship Committees: A Message of Thanks
Education Abroad would like to thank the faculty and staff members listed below who volunteered their time to be a member of a study abroad scholarship committee. We greatly appreciate the time and consideration given to reviewing each application and their overall commitment to supporting international education at Temple University.
If you would like to be on a scholarship committee in the future, please contact Jaime Molyneux, Associate Director of Education Abroad, at 215-204-0728 or jaime.molyneux@temple.edu.
Spain Program Scholarship
Katherine Henry, English
Bradley Pearson, University Honors
Temple Japan Scholarship
Barbara Thornbury, Critical Languages
Robert Mason, Geography and Urban Studies
Temple Rome Scholarship
Cristina Gragnani, Italian
Mary Conran, Marketing
Vira I. Heinz Scholarship
Margaret Devinney, German
Rebecca Geffner, Fox Graduate Programs
Patricia Moore-Martinez, Spanish
Boren Scholarship
Nancy Morris, Communications and Theater
Ruth Ost, University Honors
Education Abroad “On The Road”
Education Abroad is taking their show “on the road” and offering a brief presentation of their services to academic advising units all over campus. In less than one month, the team has met with over 40 advisors and senior administrators in four academic advising units. There are four more advising units on the list in January and the list keeps growing! The goal is to reach as many advisors as possible and then continue on to administrative units such as Student Financial Services and the Office of Institutional Diversity (IDEAL). “As study abroad professionals, we highly rely on the support of staff and faculty in every corner of the university. Their partnership is crucial in providing such a life changing experience for our students” says Maureen Gordon, assistant director.
Bagels and coffee or sandwiches and chips, Education Abroad is happy to provide breakfast or lunch in exchange for an hour of the department’s time. As Jaime Molyneux puts it, “by sharing a meal and open conversation with advisors and administrators, we hope to gain a better understanding of the opportunities and challenges of study abroad in their specific departments. The overall goal of these meetings is to build and strengthen our partnership with administrative units all over campus.”
If you would like Education Abroad to visit your department, school or college, please contact Jaime Molyneux at 215-204-0728 or jaime.molyneux@temple.edu.
Education Abroad Welcomes Sara Lynott
At some point in our lives we all have an experience that changes our life trajectory. Sara Lynott, the newest staff member in Education Abroad, describes her experience, which changed her path.
“I actually studied abroad as a high school student,” Sara said. “I was a rotary for an exchange student my senior year of high school. I spent an entire academic year in a small town in western Finland, which only had a population of about 7,000 people, but I got a really great immersion experience into the culture.”
Sara’s decision to study abroad was completely random. She attended an information session, which led to her sudden interest in studying abroad.
Sara’s interest in Finland didn’t stop after high school. As an international relations undergraduate student at the University of Scranton, she studied in central Finland for an academic year at the University of Jyväsklyä as well as a brief stint of graduate work at University of Tampere. And her ties to Finland don’t stop there; she is now happily married to her Finnish husband, who she met during her high school year abroad.
Her unforgettable experience has prompted her to dedicate herself to a job where she can encourage and help other students fulfill their study abroad aspirations.
“My experience was so life-altering and positive,” Sara explains. “I come from a blue collar family and I was raised in a rural area. I was the first one in my family to travel overseas, and in seeking out my career choice I want to be able to replicate that experience for other students.”
Prior to joining Temple, she worked at Drexel University’s Study Abroad Office and English Language Center. While Sara is still getting used to things at Temple, she looks forward to reviewing summer applications and preparing students for the upcoming 2012 summer sessions. In addition, she assists with advising exchange students traveling to Europe.
Sara’s goal as an advisor is to see more students walk through the doors of the study abroad office with the end result of studying abroad. She offers these words of advice to all students contemplating studying abroad: “Do it. Don’t even hesitate,” Sara asserts. “You definitely need to be adventurous and there are definitely going to be ups and downs and some uncertainties, but that’s the beauty of it.”
Sara Lynott can be reached at 215-204-0723 or sara.lynott@temple.edu.
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