UNews - ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's International Centre for Students

Study opportunities abound

trevor.kenney — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 21:45:30 +0000

Two students with distinctly different backgrounds, fields of study and career goals shared a common experience this summer – one that speaks to the internship opportunities available at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Courtney Lockhart is a fourth-year political science major who grew up in Lethbridge and sees herself as a future Canadian Foreign Service Officer or human rights activist. Joshua Seerattan is a fourth-year international management major who hails from Edmonton and aspires to work in international trade. This past summer they both took advantage of a 10-week internship program at the Washington Center in Washington, D.C.

"I had an overwhelmingly rewarding summer in D.C.," says Lockhart, who had an internship with Global Centurion, a small, non-profit organization dedicated to fighting modern day slavery and human trafficking.
"I am definitely a more well rounded student after this experience. I gained professional skills that can't be taught in the classroom, and I learned how to transfer my classroom skills to relevant research and a work environment."

Fourth-year student Courtney Lockhart is shown here at the Lincoln Memorial. She was in Washington as part of the Washington Center internship program.

Seerattan's internship found him at the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) Office of International Trade. He was tasked to design questions for a trade exam to be administered to SBA counselors. The goal was to improve their knowledge in facilitating the export of U.S. small business goods and services.

"My work was directly related to my major because it was all about international business," says Seerattan. "The course work I did at the U of L gave me a good understanding of what they wanted and I'd already studied almost all of the material I needed to create the exam."

The Washington Center (TWC) was created in 1975 by William and Sheila Burke as an organization that would provide college students from all backgrounds and income levels with an opportunity to take their classroom learning into a professional internship setting. It is currently the largest academic internship program in the world.

Beyond the internship work, students are able to take evening classes and are a part of the TWC International Affairs program. For Lockhart, the experience was invaluable, reaffirming her desire to work in a Canadian embassy setting but also opening her eyes to whole new areas of interest.

"I have now become passionate about human trafficking issues, human rights and specifically women's rights and issues," she says. "I would really love to spend some of my career working directly with these issues as an activist for non-governmental organizations. I also developed some interest in law school."

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's International Centre for Students (ICS), as well as the Arts & Science Co-Op office, was able to facilitate both Lockhart's and Seerattan's journey after the students expressed an interest in the TWC program. It is one of multiple co-op and internship opportunities available at the U of L.

"My experience in D.C. was something that I could not get anywhere else," says Seerattan. "I'd advise any student to make sure they did an internship somewhere before they graduated. There are so many opportunities available out there and people on campus who will help you make it happen. Don't be lazy, do some research and find an internship that fits you – it's well worth it."

This story first appeared in the September issue of the Legend. To view the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

South Korea beckons with summer study tour

trevor.kenney — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:02:04 +0000

Application deadline extended to Jan. 22

Ulsan ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in South Korea has long been a valuable partner with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, and for the first time this coming summer, U of L students will get the opportunity to participate in a one-month study tour to learn Korean culture, history, society, business and language.

"I expect this program will be very popular," says Laura Ferguson of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's International Centre for Students.

"We've had a longstanding agreement with Ulsan where we offer four-month exchange programs and they send a number of their students here to participate in our English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program. This study tour is for one month only, is quite inexpensive and is completely in English, so there are no language requirements."

Scheduled to run June 27 to July 26, 2010, IDST 2850: Study Tour of South Korea is for course credit and is available to just 20 qualified students. Depending on scholarship funding, the study tour will be priced at $2,500 per student and include the cost of tuition, flights, accommodations, meals and a host of activities.

"It really fits well within the interdisciplinary studies category given the broad base of what they will be learning," says Ferguson.

Ulsan is South Korea's seventh largest metropolis with a population of over 1.1 million, and is the industrial powerhouse of South Korea, forming the heart of the Ulsan Industrial District. Home to the world's largest automobile assembly plant, operated by Hyundai Motor Company, the world's largest shipyard, operated by Hyundai Heavy Industries, and the world's second largest oil refinery, owned by SK Energy, it also neighbours the historic city of Kyung-ju, the capital of the Silla Dynasty from 57 BC to 935 AD.

Participants in the summer tour will be accompanied by a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ faculty member and experience every facet of the South Korean lifestyle. The tour includes trips to Hyundai Heavy Industries, a one-night home stay with a Korean family, a night in a Buddhist temple, a week of study in Seoul and many more opportunities.

"You can't really do something like this as a tourist, you don't get access to this type of experience on your own," says Ferguson.

Interested students must advance through an application process in order to be chosen for the tour. Applications are due to the International Centre by the extended deadline of Jan. 22.

"They'll need to write an essay of about 1,000 words about why they want to participate in the program and what value they think they'll get from this kind of exchange," says Ferguson.

"We're looking for ambassadors of the U of L, people who will go there and show our partner university how great U of L students are."

It's also an opportunity to take advantage of a partnership agreement between the two institutions that sees Ulsan send many more students to Canada.

"This summer program gives students the opportunity to go and study in Korea completely using the English language, which is much less intimidating and allows a lot more people to participate."

For more information, contact Laura Ferguson via e-mail at laura.ferguson2@uleth.ca or visit the International Centre for Students.

South Korea beckons with summer study tour

trevor.kenney — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 23:00:54 +0000

Ulsan ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in South Korea has long been a valuable partner with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, and for the first time this coming summer, U of L students will get the opportunity to participate in a one-month study tour to learn Korean culture, history, society, business and language.

"I expect this program will be very popular," says Laura Ferguson of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's International Centre for Students.

"It really fits well within the interdisciplinary studies category given the broad base of what they will be learning," says Ferguson.

"You can't really do something like this as a tourist, you don't get access to this type of experience on your own," says Ferguson.

Interested students must advance through an application process in order to be chosen for the tour. Applications are due to the International Centre by Dec. 15.

"They'll need to write an essay of about 1,000 words about why they want to participate in the program and what value they think they'll get from this kind of exchange," says Ferguson.

"We're looking for ambassadors of the U of L, people who will go there and show our partner university how great U of L students are."

For more information, contact Laura Ferguson via e-mail at laura.ferguson2@uleth.ca or visit the International Centre for Students.

South Korea beckons

trevor.kenney — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:59:33 +0000

"I expect this program will be very popular," says Laura Ferguson of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's International Centre for Students.

"It really fits well within the interdisciplinary studies category given the broad base of what they will be learning," says Ferguson.

"You can't really do something like this as a tourist, you don't get access to this type of experience on your own," says Ferguson.

Interested students must advance through an application process in order to be chosen for the tour. Applications are due to the International Centre by Dec. 15.

"They'll need to write an essay of about 1,000 words about why they want to participate in the program and what value they think they'll get from this kind of exchange," says Ferguson.

"We're looking for ambassadors of the U of L, people who will go there and show our partner university how great U of L students are."

It's also an opportunity to take advantage of a partnership agreement between the two institutions that sees Ulsan send many more students to Canada.
"This summer program gives students the opportunity to go and study in Korea completely using the English language, which is much less intimidating and allows a lot more people to participate."

For more information, contact Laura Ferguson via e-mail at laura.ferguson2@uleth.ca or visit the International Centre for Students.

UNews - ��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ's International Centre for Students

Study opportunities abound

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South Korea beckons with summer study tour

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UNews - ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's International Centre for Students