Utah State University Study Abroad Program Expands
By Amber Munsters
Published: Wednesday, December 1, 2004 in the Utah Statesman
Opportunities for Utah State University students to study abroad are increasing as new exchange program placements are developing and the availability of scholarships has increased.
Kay Forsyth, director of the Utah State’s study abroad program, said many students are unaware of the opportunities study abroad offers, and how affordable the program is.
The study abroad program offers students the opportunity to study in another country for a semester, an academic year or a summer, said Forsyth. She said students can choose from a variety of programs, opting to study in English in more than 30 countries. For students wishing to build language skills, there are many placements available as well, in countries such as Austria, Estonia, Switzerland and Costa Rica, she said.
Most programs require at least two years, or the equivalent of two years, of language education before a student may study in another language, said Forsyth, but not all. As an example, she said there are opportunities for students to study Japanese, Spanish and Thai at all levels.
According to Forsyth, most of the placement programs offered through Utah State are based on Utah State tuition, room and board.
"Virtually for what it costs a student to study here at Utah State, they can study in another country," Forsyth said. "We use the money that the student pays for their program here to host an exchange student in their place. Those students have paid at their international institution, and we're merely switching students."
Forsyth also said students may use academic scholarships, loans and Pell Grants to help finance the costs to study abroad. Scholarships are also available specific to studying abroad that many students are unaware of, she said.
"There are more available scholarships than there are students, so we need to get more students to take advantage of those," said Forsyth.
In particular, she said there are many scholarships for students wishing to study in Asia. These scholarships, she said, include a settling-in allowance, monthly allowance, plus airfare there and back in addition to what the student would receive here at Utah State.
In addition to the exchange placement programs, there are also faculty-led summer programs that allow students to travel to another country for four to six weeks with a Utah State faculty member, Forsyth said. For summer 2005, there will be faculty-led programs at all levels of language skills to Germany, France and Chile, with programs offered in language and cultural studies, art and graphic design.
Recently Forsyth returned from a trip to Russia, where she said she met with colleagues in international education to discuss the possibilities for expansion of study abroad opportunities for Utah State students, as well as to evaluate the program currently in operation.
Forsyth said the first Russian placement program offered through Utah State was developed this past fall with Kazan State University, in Kazan, a city east of Moscow. She said the university is located in a Tartar Stan Republic, which means it is a mix of Russian and Muslim cultures that coexist and co-habitant together.
"This offers a very interesting opportunity to learn the Russian language as well as meet and interact with people that are Muslims and speak their own language, such as Tartar," said Forsyth.
While in Kazan, Forsyth said she was evaluating the program and its operation, since it was only just beginning. She said she wanted to know more about on-site facilities, the instruction students received, the amenities available to students and the living situations students experience.
"I would say that the education students receive is definitely comparable to what they would receive at Utah State," Forsyth said. "Kazan is a very good institution - it's a well-established, traditional institution, with small class sizes that allow students to receive a lot of individual attention, which is a definite advantage."
Other institutions Forsyth visited while in Russia include St. Petersburg State University in Moscow, and Ivanovo University, in Ivanovo, in what is called the Golden Ring, an area of cultural interest, she said.
An agreement to send two Utah State students to St. Petersburg in February 2005 is currently under negotiation, as well as the possibility of creating a Utah State faculty-led program, Forsyth said.
Utah State students will not be the only ones to benefit from these expansions, Forsyth said. In the past it has been somewhat difficult for Russian students to secure the finances to come and study in the United States, she said.
"We're hoping that with an exchange program, it will be easier for Russian students to come to the United States to study," said Forsyth. "We're also looking at ways of getting information to the Russian institutions encouraging Russian students to look at the possibility of obtaining advance degrees at Utah State. We're looking at bringing students here as scholars to work with departments at Utah State."
Forsyth also said she has examined the possibility of Utah State faculty and students collaborating with Russian institutes such as the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute, to combine efforts in scientific research.
"I really think that study abroad is a life-changing experience," Forsyth said. "It's an opportunity that may not come along more than once in a lifetime. Students have the flexibility and freedom to experience a different culture that once you graduate and leave school you won't have."
For more information on the Study Abroad program, interested students may contact the Study Abroad office at (435) 797-0601, or visit the office in the Taggart Student Center Room 313.
-amberem@cc.usu.edu
Kay Forsyth, director of the Utah State’s study abroad program, said many students are unaware of the opportunities study abroad offers, and how affordable the program is.
The study abroad program offers students the opportunity to study in another country for a semester, an academic year or a summer, said Forsyth. She said students can choose from a variety of programs, opting to study in English in more than 30 countries. For students wishing to build language skills, there are many placements available as well, in countries such as Austria, Estonia, Switzerland and Costa Rica, she said.
Most programs require at least two years, or the equivalent of two years, of language education before a student may study in another language, said Forsyth, but not all. As an example, she said there are opportunities for students to study Japanese, Spanish and Thai at all levels.
According to Forsyth, most of the placement programs offered through Utah State are based on Utah State tuition, room and board.
"Virtually for what it costs a student to study here at Utah State, they can study in another country," Forsyth said. "We use the money that the student pays for their program here to host an exchange student in their place. Those students have paid at their international institution, and we're merely switching students."
Forsyth also said students may use academic scholarships, loans and Pell Grants to help finance the costs to study abroad. Scholarships are also available specific to studying abroad that many students are unaware of, she said.
"There are more available scholarships than there are students, so we need to get more students to take advantage of those," said Forsyth.
In particular, she said there are many scholarships for students wishing to study in Asia. These scholarships, she said, include a settling-in allowance, monthly allowance, plus airfare there and back in addition to what the student would receive here at Utah State.
In addition to the exchange placement programs, there are also faculty-led summer programs that allow students to travel to another country for four to six weeks with a Utah State faculty member, Forsyth said. For summer 2005, there will be faculty-led programs at all levels of language skills to Germany, France and Chile, with programs offered in language and cultural studies, art and graphic design.
Recently Forsyth returned from a trip to Russia, where she said she met with colleagues in international education to discuss the possibilities for expansion of study abroad opportunities for Utah State students, as well as to evaluate the program currently in operation.
Forsyth said the first Russian placement program offered through Utah State was developed this past fall with Kazan State University, in Kazan, a city east of Moscow. She said the university is located in a Tartar Stan Republic, which means it is a mix of Russian and Muslim cultures that coexist and co-habitant together.
"This offers a very interesting opportunity to learn the Russian language as well as meet and interact with people that are Muslims and speak their own language, such as Tartar," said Forsyth.
While in Kazan, Forsyth said she was evaluating the program and its operation, since it was only just beginning. She said she wanted to know more about on-site facilities, the instruction students received, the amenities available to students and the living situations students experience.
"I would say that the education students receive is definitely comparable to what they would receive at Utah State," Forsyth said. "Kazan is a very good institution - it's a well-established, traditional institution, with small class sizes that allow students to receive a lot of individual attention, which is a definite advantage."
Other institutions Forsyth visited while in Russia include St. Petersburg State University in Moscow, and Ivanovo University, in Ivanovo, in what is called the Golden Ring, an area of cultural interest, she said.
An agreement to send two Utah State students to St. Petersburg in February 2005 is currently under negotiation, as well as the possibility of creating a Utah State faculty-led program, Forsyth said.
Utah State students will not be the only ones to benefit from these expansions, Forsyth said. In the past it has been somewhat difficult for Russian students to secure the finances to come and study in the United States, she said.
"We're hoping that with an exchange program, it will be easier for Russian students to come to the United States to study," said Forsyth. "We're also looking at ways of getting information to the Russian institutions encouraging Russian students to look at the possibility of obtaining advance degrees at Utah State. We're looking at bringing students here as scholars to work with departments at Utah State."
Forsyth also said she has examined the possibility of Utah State faculty and students collaborating with Russian institutes such as the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute, to combine efforts in scientific research.
"I really think that study abroad is a life-changing experience," Forsyth said. "It's an opportunity that may not come along more than once in a lifetime. Students have the flexibility and freedom to experience a different culture that once you graduate and leave school you won't have."
For more information on the Study Abroad program, interested students may contact the Study Abroad office at (435) 797-0601, or visit the office in the Taggart Student Center Room 313.
-amberem@cc.usu.edu
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