Living Globally
Richmond's cultural crossroads
BY LINDA EVANS
RichmondNow editor
Richmond students study abroad for a variety of reasons. Some want the language acquisition that comes from conversing with locals every day. Some want complete cultural immersion. Others want an alternative academic experience.
"I studied abroad last spring in Guadalajara, Mexico, to not only broaden my horizons academically, socially, politically and personally, but also to improve my Spanish skills and develop international relationships," says Lindsey Ryan, '06.
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Lauren Gentry visited a Roman Coliseum in Amman, Jordan |
Ryan, along with more than 60 percent of Richmond students, has taken advantage of the University's comprehensive international education program to learn more about a country, its people and culture as well as about herself and her goals.
"Coming back as a senior, I had a more grounded perspective on where I want to go in the future and how I can get there," she observes.
International education at Richmond officially dates back to 1987 when Uliana Gabara, who was teaching Russian at the University, was hired to create the new program. What has evolved is much more than study abroad.
Within six months, she had obtained grant funding to begin a faculty seminar abroad. The program, which continues today, takes a group of faculty members each summer to a different country to learn and bring back important lessons that can be used in their classrooms.
Soon the faculty decided to create an international studies major, says Gabara, who now is dean and Carole M. Weinstein Chair of International Education. "It took off wildly. Students needed to prepare for a changing world."
Another way the program brings international culture to campus is through the annual international film series that attracts more than 3,000 area residents and members of the campus community each year.
"We also have summer programs" for students, says Gabara. "It is ideal to do a summer program and then go back for a semester or a year."
Many students choose to live in Global House, an on-campus residence for both international and domestic students. And last semester the University hosted 12 international scholars from 10 countries.
"The world has changed. You are going to have a need to understand people from other countries," says Gabara. "It is a disservice to graduate people who can't do that when they get out in the world."
Today the University has linkages with 70 universities in more than 30 countries for study abroad and various exchange programs. These linkages make study abroad more accessible, says Michele Cox, director of international programs. "Students get the same financial aid as they would if they were studying on campus, plus a travel allowance."
Not all international education involves leaving Richmond. This year, 6 percent of the student body is made up of students from other countries. About a quarter of them are exchange students, here for a semester or a year, while the rest are seeking degrees. In addition to undergraduates, more graduate, law and M.B.A. students also are coming from abroad.
The number one reason foreign students come to the United States to study "is the prestige of an American diploma," says Krittika Onsanit, international student and internship advisor. "They also like the liberal arts approach, and business is becoming global."
Interestingly, there are 19 students from Bulgaria currently studying at Richmond- by far the largest contingent from any country. "We need to have the same foothold in other countries as we do in Bulgaria," says Gabara, whose goal is to have 10 percent of the student population international within the next five years.
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2002 Faculty Seminar participants visted Vietnam. Participants included (from l.) Michael Spear, Sydney Watts, Gary Shapiro, Uliana Gabara, Woody Holton, Tom Cosse, Bob Schmidt, Richard Wright and Beth Crawford. |
Studying and living abroad almost always changes perceptions Richmond students have about the world.
Lauren Gentry, '06, studied last fall in Amman, Jordan. "Jordan is a lot more modern than the picture that most Americans have in their heads of a bunch of nomads riding around on camels in the desert while attending schools that train them to be terrorists," she says. "The people are very warm and friendly. Though a majority are Muslim, there is a high degree of freedom of religion in Jordan. While many women will wear a headscarf, there are many who choose not to as well."
Both Gentry and Ryan recommend study abroad for other Richmond students. "It's a wonderful chance to step outside of your comfort zone and realize what the world is really like," says Gentry. "It's a good opportunity to discover how other cultures really are as opposed to how they are portrayed by the media, and it's a good way to introduce other people to Americans and American culture."
Ryan says that with such a variety of programs that offer "distinct levels of independence, opportunities and structures, any student would be able to experience the hundreds of advantages and amazing memories that studying abroad presents."
Unlike some other universities, Richmond tries hard to disperse its students and not have a "Richmond colony" at any one institution abroad. Becoming more immersed in the local culture, taking classes with the local students and learning to survive on one's own pay big rewards. "What they bring back is incredible," says Gabara.
One way to interact with international students outside of class and residence hall life is through the host family program, says Onsanit. The program matches international students with a host family from among the faculty, staff or alumni.
"It's a great opportunity to learn about the world. It also opens doors for travel for the host family," she says.
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Lindsey Ryan enjoyed exploring the archaeological ruins at Monte Alban in Oaxaca, Mexico.
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Kenny Adcock, a sergeant with University Police, has hosted several students and believes the program carries life-long rewards. While he helps many international students obtain drivers' licenses, find jobs and acclimate to American life and culture, he and his family have served as official hosts for students from such countries as China, Kenya, Costa Rica, Azerbaijan, the Bahamas and others.
"My family has been exposed to so many cultures, and my two sons can say a few words in different languages and know some of the customs," he says. They also "learned at an early age to respect all people no matter where they are from or what their beliefs are. As a parent, that makes you feel great."
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