Global Studies Program Offers Opportunities in 
Virtually Any Country

by Fred Miller
 

Kristen Harper of Gentry found living and working in another country built self-confidence and awareness of a larger world.

Lots of Adjusting

“It took a lot of adjusting at first,” the senior horticulture major said of her 10-week internship at the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh, Scotland. “But the people are friendly, and there’s so much history it makes for an enjoyable experience. I’ll remember it forever and, if I have the opportunity to go again, I won’t have to think twice about going.”

That immersion in another culture is the most important element of the Global Studies Program in Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, said Preston LaFerney, director of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture’s International Agricultural Programs.

“Exposure to other cultures helps students become more tolerant,” LaFerney said. “They learn about how other cultures do things and what makes people tick in other parts of the world. It adds a whole new dimension to their training and they learn about global citizenship.

“They also learn they can get along in another country with an unfamiliar culture, and when they come back they understand themselves a lot better,” he said.

Recognition for GSP

The Global Studies Program in Bumpers College is one of the three national finalists for the third annual Andrew Heiskell Awards for Innovation in International Education. It received an honorable mention in January for its placement among the finalists being recognized by the Institute of International Education (IIE) for providing innovative programs and services and making study abroad more accessible to a broader student population.

“This award is a great honor that recognizes that the U of A Global Studies Program is among the most innovative study abroad programs in the country,” LaFerney said.

The Global Studies Program is part of International Agricultural Programs, a component of the Division of Agriculture and Bumpers College that also includes the Sponsored Students Program, to coordinate the admission and placement of sponsored international students; Global Marketing Support Services, to promote international trade and marketing opportunities for Arkansas businesses; and International Agricultural Development, to support faculty with specific technology transfer and education programs in international agriculture, environment and natural resources.

Virtually Any Country

The Global Studies Program arranges study abroad, research and internship opportunities in virtually any country Bumpers College students want to go, said Ray Barclay, director of the GSP. The trips may be short-term study visits, summer internships or a full semester or year of study. Most students go on their own, Barclay said, but some go on study tours led by faculty.

Financial assistance, including two endowed scholarships, is available so that any interested student can participate in study abroad for credit.
The program has led to the creation of a transatlantic graduate degree in agribusiness, in partnership with the Scottish Agricultural College, and a minor in global agricultural, food and life sciences.

Flexible Programming

“What makes this program unique is that it doesn’t rely on pre-programmed travel packages,” Barclay said. “Each student has a unique experience because each trip is tailored to an individual student’s needs.”

That flexibility allowed Cody Keen of Fayetteville to find an internship that suited his unique combination of a major in poultry science and minors in global agriculture, agricultural business and Spanish. He lived in Madrid, Spain, for eight weeks and worked for A.C.E. Pita Pita, a food company that produces fresh eggs and egg products.

“The interesting part was learning a new job in another language,” he said. “I mostly worked on a computer in transportation and logistics, and the computer commands and information were all in Spanish. I spent a lot of time going back over everything I did, just to make sure I hadn’t entered wrong information. I had to think on my feet constantly, translating all the time so that at the end of the day I was just worn out.”

A Conglomerate Language

After work, he returned to an apartment he shared with other interns from Germany, China, Austria and Italy.

“I learned that there’s a common way of communication even when there are differences in language,” Keen said. “It was so much effort just to have a conversation in your own home when the common language is everyone’s second language. We came to use a conglomerate language that combined Spanish with a little bit of everyone’s native languages.”

All that effort pays off in making new friends. Keen has stacks of photos of himself and friends out on the town and visiting other cities, including Pamplona for the annual Running of the Bulls.

“Students abroad have to look within themselves and become more self-sufficient,” Barclay said. “They make new friends and every experience is something they make themselves.”

Extra Travel Opportunities

The global experience isn’t all work. Most of the internships and longer study abroad trips have plenty of time built in to travel. Harper and horticulture classmate Cecili Olcott toured the Scottish Highlands and traveled to London and Paris.

“The thing that most built our confidence in our abilities was the trip to Paris,” Harper said. “Neither of us spoke French, so we had to get along in another language and culture. We were concerned about how the French people would respond to us, because of political differences between our governments. But we didn’t let it stop us. We learned to respect their views and culture, and it was a great experience.”

“International study and internships put students in an environment where they can figure things out for themselves,” LaFerney said. “They come home bubbling over.”

The Best Recuiters

Those students become the best recruiters for the program. “We encourage the students who go to recruit other students,” Barclay said. 

“They talk about their global study experiences and inspire a level of excitement that attracts others to the program.”

More than 100 students have had study or internship abroad experiences in 16 countries since the program was established in 1996, Barclay said.

“Our goal remains the same,” he said. “We want to provide the opportunity for international experience for every student in Bumpers College who wants to go.” 
 
9/22/04


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