UNews - Gizelle Tiponut

Global Skills Opportunity project to help students gain career-boosting international experience

caroline.zentner — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 21:34:45 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge undergraduate students now have more options for international learning with the Global Skills Opportunity (GSO) program.

Funded through the federal government, the program is designed to give students, especially under-represented students, the chance to participate in international learning experiences and develop intercultural skills. Students who face barriers — Indigenous students, students with financial needs and students with disabilities — can participate in experiences abroad.

“The GSO funding helps many ULethbridge students realize their lifelong dream of travelling abroad during their undergrad, foreither a shorter or longer period, allowing them to immerse themselves into the culture and their ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, while worrying less about money,” says Gizelle Tiponut, education abroad coordinator with ULethbridge International.

Victoria Lopez poses with Tata, one of eight animated characters created by the K-pop band BTS.

With the GSO program, studying and working abroad becomes more accessible for a wider group of students. The ULethbridge International office is continuously creating specific programs for underrepresented students and the first Indigenous group will travel to Mexico in May for an immersive opportunity into the Mayan culture. Participants will be part of traditional festivals with dances, costumes, and food, and share about their own Indigenous cultures with the Mayan students.

“The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is committed to educating individuals who will become global citizens with international and intercultural skills and knowledge to succeed in an increasingly interdependent world,” says Paul Pan, executive director of ULethbridge International. “We want to provide our graduates with global perspectives to enter a highly diverse and competitive job market. The funding will enable our students to experience the world around them and develop the global and intercultural competencies that employers are seeking and that will help them succeed beyond graduation and throughout their careers.”

The types of study-abroad experiences available for funding include faculty-led programs, semester exchanges and short-term study-abroad programs. In addition, virtual exchanges and work-integrated learning placements such as co-ops, applied studies courses, internships and work-study programs are eligible.

“The Career Bridge Centre for Work-Integrated Learning and Career Development is pleased to partner with the Education Abroad program to support this Global Skills Opportunities grant and Go Global! initiative,” says Stacey Gaudette-Sharp, academic director of Career Bridge. “The Career Bridge Centre’s mandate is to offer exceptional work-integrated learning, experiential learning and career services so that every participating student can benefit from an outstanding academic and professional development experience.”

Study-abroad experiences give students skills they couldn’t learn any other way. In addition to their work or studies, the students learn to navigate an unfamiliar culture and perhaps a new language.

“Participating students will develop a range of employability skills and competencies,” says Tiponut. “They will learn to work with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures, become better problem solvers and become more independent.”

A dozen ULethbridge students received the GSO award last fall and 14 more will embark on their adventure this spring. Victoria Lopez, who recently returned from South Korea, says students will gain all sorts of aspects to improve themselves.

“It was an enjoyable, valuable and educational experience that not many people can do,” she says. “If someone is considering studying abroad, I would definitely recommend they do it and experience the GSO opportunity. Personally, I feel I’ve become more mature and independent. I’ve gained confidence and grown to appreciate meeting new peoples from all over the world.”

Visit the ULethbridge International website for more information.

About the Global Skills Opportunity

Global Skills Opportunity is a national outbound student mobility program that is expected to enable more than 16,000 Canadian college and undergraduate-level university students from across the country to acquire the global skills employers want and the Canadian economy needs. A key component of the Government of Canada’s International Education Strategy, Global Skills Opportunity is funded by Employment and Social Development Canada and is administered jointly by Colleges and Institutes Canada and Universities Canada.

Compared to similar countries, fewer Canadian students — only about 11 per cent of university undergraduates and 3 per cent of college students — participate in work or study abroad experiences during their studies. The new program stands to change that. By empowering post-secondary institutions to implement innovative solutions to barriers to participation, Global Skills Opportunity will expand the horizons of Canadian students from coast to coast, and improve Canada’s competitiveness on the world stage.

Management students gain valuable work experience in Hungary

caroline.zentner — Mon, 26 Oct 2015 19:34:17 +0000

The 11 students who participated in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s first Hungary Work Study program gained new experiences and knowledge and a few even came away with job offers.

The students faced the challenge of working at a job in a foreign country where the majority of their co-workers didn’t speak English.

“I would highly recommend it,” says Kathy Hong, a Faculty of Management student majoring in marketing and kinesiology. “You learn a lot more from this kind of experience than you do sitting in a classroom.”

“I personally enjoyed the challenge and taking whatever they threw at me and seeing what I could do with it,” says Cameron Pituley, a student working on a combined Bachelor of Management degree, majoring in finance and music.

“All the students did extremely well despite some language barriers and culture shock. Their professionalism and positive attitudes helped them overcome the difficulties they faced. I am very proud of them,” says Gizelle Tiponut, course instructor and co-ordinator for International Programs, outgoing exchanges, with the Faculty of Management.

Among the first group of students to participate in the Hungary Work Study are, from left to right, Daniel Brisebois, Kathy Hong, Cameron Pituley and Hannah Steenwyk.

Both Hungarian speakers, Tiponut and Michael Lanyi, an instructor in the U of L’s Department of Economics and Tiponut’s husband, found suitable placements for each of the participating students. Lanyi joined the trip as resource person and chaperone. The group stayed at a private hostel in the outskirts of Budapest, commuting to their workplaces using public transit.

A work-study program gives students insights into other cultures and foreign workplaces, all the while providing them with a valuable credential for their resume. In addition to their duties at their Hungarian workplaces, the students were required to work on assignments, participate in field trips and attend academic seminars related to the Hungarian culture and workplace, economy and history.

Hong, who has an interest in sports marketing, worked at the Budapest Honvéd Football Club for five weeks and then for Red Bull Hungary for one week doing web analysis.

“I learned the importance of marketing research. They’re always pushing it in class but it’s not an area of interest for me. I always pushed it aside,” says Hong. “But I learned, especially when I was doing the web analysis for Red Bull, how important it is to know the numbers.”

Hannah Steenwyk, (BMus ’14), a management student majoring in human resources, worked in sales and development at Atalian Global Services, a multinational facility management company. She also conducted market research and created a performance management system to reward lower level employees.

“I learned to work in a high pressure situation with deadlines and how to work with people when you are just plunked into an office,” she says. “It was a cohesive little unit. Everyone was really helpful. Overall, it was a wonderful experience.”

Daniel Brisebois, a management student who’s majoring in marketing and minoring in international management, worked at Enco Software. He created a marketing brochure, translated two websites into English, and crafted a marketing plan for the company’s expansion.

“I learned to overcome adversity. Nothing’s ever going to be perfect so you have to get around it somehow,” he says. “I’d tell any student who’s interested to absolutely do it. Even if it’s not part of their degree, the combination of the internship as well as the study allows you to really get to know what it’s like to be abroad instead of just being a tourist.”

Pituley worked for Bonafarm Group, the largest agricultural company in Hungary, which includes feedlots, a meat-processing facility, wheat production, dairy and a winery. He worked for Bonafarm’s dairy company and was tasked with doing a top-down industry analysis and creating a detailed competitor comparison.

“I had an amazing experience,” he says. “I learned so much about so many different things. It wasn’t just academic. Every time we went out for lunch I would be sitting with CEOs and CFOs gathering information about potential career paths and life experience.”

The Hungary Work Study Program, a 4000-level management course, will be offered every other year and was designed after the Faculty of Management’s Malaysia Work Study Program, which has been operating for 17 years.

“Some of the initial employers are still with us and this past year we had 12 students participate,” says Andrea Amelinckx, director of International Programs and First Nations Governance in the Faculty of Management. “Whether Kuala Lumpur or Budapest, you’re being immersed in a totally different culture. We want students to be exposed to situations with great learning potential.”

The students also had high praise for Tiponut and Lanyi.

“They had to put up with 11 students in the same house for six weeks,” says Pituley. “They were very accommodating and very willing to help us whenever we had a problem.”

“It was a really good experience for both the students and us,” says Tiponut. “We’ll do it again, for sure.”

Experiencing as much as possible

trevor.kenney — Mon, 16 May 2011 20:26:03 +0000

International exchange student Radek Eryk Bachorz might not yet know where he's going to end up, but it's safe to say it'll be an interesting ride getting there.

The 26-year-old native of Poland is completing his fourth year of study at the U of L, turning what was initially a one-year exchange opportunity into an entirely new life with no apparent boundaries.

"I'm trying to keep the broad perspective on everything," says Bachorz when asked about his career aspirations. "Having a narrow goal isn't the best for me, it's about having wide horizons and looking for something that will really be satisfying, not necessarily profitable at first, but will put a smile on my face and make me happy to go to work every day."

Polish exchange student Radek Eryk Bachorz has made the most of his opportunities at the U of L.

Currently studying international management with minors in supply chain management and social responsibility, Bachorz actually already has a master's degree. He completed his master's in Investment and Corporate Financial Strategies in August 2010 from Poznan ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Economics in Poland, a degree supplemented by his exchange work here at the U of L.

But Bachorz's experience is about so much more than the classroom, something he only discovered after finishing his master's and took another look at his education.

"After completing my degree, I got really involved in student life last year," says Bachorz. "I totally changed my way of attending school, where I realize it's not only about getting good marks, it's also about extra-curricular activities."

His involvement with the Faculty of Management's JDC West business case competition was the impetus.

"My co-captains, Jill Morrison and Travis Letwin, put me in this different world and opened my eyes on new opportunities," he says. "I really wanted to give something back to the Alberta community, but there were too many things taking up my time, and I was really determined to finish my degree back in Europe. Last fall I decided to focus a bit less on being outstanding academically to try and get more involved in non-academic activities."

He volunteered for YWCA Lethbridge and the Humane Society, helped out the Management International Programs Office as a mentor in their buddy program, participated in the International Centre for Students (ICS) Cultural Expo and was keen to assist at various faculty functions such as Management Preview Day. This past spring he spent a week hustling change outside the Students' Union as one of the 5 Days for the Homeless participants and gladly had his head shaved (for the fourth straight year) as a supporter of the Head Shave for Cancer initiative.

"When I had the opportunity to take less of a course load, I knew this is what I wanted to do," says Bachorz. "It's not just about the GPA, it's also about getting
involved and participating in the student life."

He credits the U of L culture for helping him thrive in his new country, and gives thanks to both the ICS (especially Charlene Janes) and the International Exchange program in the Faculty of Management (specifically Andrea Amelinckx, Rhonda Crow and Gizelle Tiponut) for helping in his transition.

"Honestly, after the first semester, I was so impressed with how approachable everybody was," he says. "It's a very practical atmosphere here, so many small groups, you can really go to your prof or any faculty or staff member and you'll be treated as a valuable student, not just one of a thousand.

"After just a few semesters I found you would be called by name in the hallways and that was very surprising to me. I had never seen anything like that before. You are really treated as a person here, not just someone known by their Student ID number, who is coming to get a degree and leaving the university unnoticed."

When exactly he'll finish his degree, he's not sure. Right now he's looking to secure a job on campus to stay in Lethbridge for the summer. Beyond that, he will continue to learn and look to make an impact, wherever that may lead him.

"Education is the best investment," says Bachorz. "I have learned so many valuable things from people I've met. The relationships you make are invaluable. You guys in Canada are so supportive. It is great to be given such an amazing opportunity to live and study here."

For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

UNews - Gizelle Tiponut

Global Skills Opportunity project to help students gain career-boosting international experience

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Management students gain valuable work experience in Hungary

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Experiencing as much as possible

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