University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Congratulations to Simone Lewis of Little Rock who has received the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship to go towards studying the Czech language and culture at Charles University in Prague. Simone, a UALR Senior with a double major in Mass Communication and Liberal Arts, was awarded the highest amount of $5000 to study abroad. Simone will study for the 2012-2013 academic year and it will be her first time abroad.

Lewis, who graduated from Hall High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, will be studying through a UALR affiliate program, Study Abroad Compass, which also has programs in Poland, Slovakia, and Ukraine. She will study intensive Czech language in a school that was founded in 1349, the oldest university in Europe.

Lewis initially wanted to travel to Spain but changed her mind when she met a student from the Czech Republic at a conference that she attended last year. After much research, she fell in love with the Czech language and culture and decided that it would be the perfect place for her to study. She also wanted to study somewhere in Europe, so the program was ideally suited to her needs.

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program offers grants for undergraduate students to pursue academic studies abroad. This includes students with high financial need, diverse backgrounds, and in under-represented fields of study. All recipients are required to work on a Follow-on Service Project that promotes international education and the Gilman Scholarship Program at the students’ home institution and community. The program supports students in their goals to take on roles in an increasingly global economy and interdependent world.

To learn more about UALR study abroad opportunities, contact Aimee M. Jones, coordinator of the Programs Abroad division in the Office of International Services in Room 101 in the Old Education Building near Ross Hall.

Study Abroad Information Sessions will be held weekly beginning in August on alternating Tuesdays at 3:30pm and Fridays at 2:00pm. You can sign up online. For more information contact: studyabroad@ualr.edu.

On Thursday, April 20th, a delegation consisting of nine university administrators from from nine public universities in east, northwest and northeast China and three officials from the Chinese Ministry of Education visited the UALR campus. The delegation spent the morning learning about the services that UALR provides to incoming international students. Wang Chao, Sr. International Student Advisor at UALR, presented information on the statistics of U.S. Students Studying Abroad as well as the application and orientation process for UALR International Students. Two UALR students, Penn “Ross” Jackson and Ellen Brown, who recently returned from their ten day faculty-led travel course to China, and five UALR international students from China, Hangkun Ling, Fan Liu, Xiangfei Qian, Xu Lu, and Fei Song, joined the delegation to answer questions and share their experiences. China ranks third, behind Saudi Arabia and India, for the highest number of international students on the UALR campus.

The delegation shared their enthusiasm for continuing to build relationships and cooperation within the United States. Additionally, they shared information about the new Study-in-China Scholarships available by the Chinese Government. Many of the institutions in China have begun providing short-term study programs in the summer to meet the needs of U.S. students. Mr. Zheng, Deputy Dean of the School of Chinese Studies at Xi’an International Studies University, stated “we have 1000 international students but no students from Arkansas.” Ms. Han, Dean of the International Education College, Dalian Medical University, invited UALR to send ten students to visit her institution for ten days to tour and learn about Chinese culture and the education system.

More information on the delegation:
The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations has worked with the Chinese Ministry of Education and the U.S. Department of Education for about 30 years in the implementation of a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the two government agencies in the early 1980’s. The counterpart organization is the China Education Association of International Exchange (CEAIE). Under the Memorandum, the Chinese Ministry sends two delegations to the United States every year, and the U.S. Department sends a group of American educators to China each summer. The theme of each group, beyond a general understanding of the host country’s education, culture, and history, changes depending on the delegation members’ interests.

Over Spring Break students joined UALR Faculty Members on trip to China and Costa Rica. During their stay, students studied Chinese history and geography by visiting sites such as Mianyang, Xi’an Chengdu and Beijing. In Costa Rica students toured businesses, coffee plantations, national parks and more!

About Faculty-led Study Abroad Programs
Various colleges and departments offer short-term faculty-led programs each year. These programs include month-long summer language programs, short-term winter term or spring break programs, and other combinations.

Please click here for upcoming faculty-led programs ~ 2012-2013 Programs will be added soon!

Interested in leading a faculty-led travel course? Click here for more information.

During the 2011-2012 Academic Year, UALR Programs Abroad has had 150+ students study abroad in various places around the world!

While some students are still abroad, many have been making a transition back to the American lifestyle. As students make that transition, we hope that they are still reflecting back on their study abroad experiences. UALR Programs would love for Study Abroad Returnees to join us to share those experiences and hear what others have to share.

There will be free Starbucks coffee vouchers, tips for your resume and interviews, and discussion about what it feels like to be an American while abroad.

The event will be held on Friday, March 30th at 1:00pm in the DSC Diamond Area.

One of UALR’s Exchange Partner Universities, Fachhochschule Erfurt University of Applied Sciences is happy to welcome students for their 8th International Summer School ~ Erfurt Summer School Brochure

Erfurt, Germany

• Dates: August 25 - September 08
• Topic: International Aspects of Entrepreneurship VII
• Program Cost: 450 EUROS (covers lectures, study materials, guided tours, ceremonies and hostel accommodation)
• Application Deadline: May 31

Business students are encouraged to apply - for more information, please contact Dr. Mark Funk at mffunk@ualr.edu, or e-mail studyabroad@ualr.edu

Globalinks Learning Abroad is an international program provider that seeks to build new and strong relationships among students in North America, with students in other parts of the world by studying, interning and working abroad.

The Globalinks website lists 10 Reasons to Intern Abroad:
1) Make your Resume Stand Out
2) Discover a New Country
3) Receive Academic Credit
4) Expand your Global Network
5) Improve your Language Skills or Learn a New Language
6) Develop your Interpersonal Skills
7) Gain Confidence
8) Prove you can take Initiative
9) Develop a Global Perspective and Understanding
10) It’s an Experience you will never Forget!

In order to encourage more students to intern abroad, Globalinks is offering $1000 scholarships for their internship abroad programs. Students that apply for the scholarship must participant in the Globalinks Internship Program, currently be enrolled in a US or Canadian university, maintain a 3.0GPA, and agree to submitting blog entries while abroad.

Scholarship Deadlines:
- Summer internship programs - April 30, 2012
- Fall internship programs - July 31, 2012

If this program interests you, please visit the Globalinks Learning Abroad website for more information; www.globalinksabroad.org/

Programs Abroad is excited to announce that the deadline for the UALR Faculty-led Summer Language Program to Costa Rica has been extended to March 10th!

The program costs have been reduced to $2,000, and includes the following;

Round-trip airfare

Host family accommodation

Cultural activities and weekend excursions

2 days of service learning experience

On-site instruction and tutoring

Airport transportation

For more information and to apply, please click here
~ Costa Rica Program Flyer ~

* UALR reserves the right to cancel or alter the program format or to change the costs in case of conditions beyond the university’s control.

Each semester, UALR hosts students from our Exchange Partner Universities from more than 15 different countries. Programs Abroad is excited to start its second year of the Exchange Student Mentor Program, where UALR Students are paired with Incoming Exchange Students to help them adapt to the UALR Campus and Community.

If you’re interested in being paired with an Exchange Student for the upcoming fall semester, please visit the Exchange Student Mentor webpage to access the application.

UALR Programs Abroad has many options for students interested in studying a foreign language. You can pay UALR tuition & fees, and attend one of our Exchange Partner Universities.

Please see the Foreign Language Programs Abroad Brochure for more information. Please plan to attend a UALR Programs Abroad Information Session; you can RSVP online by clicking here.

The application deadline for Fall 2012 is March 15th.

UALR Programs Abroad is excited to offer Business Majors the opportunity to take business courses in English while abroad.
Students can spend the upcoming Fall 2012 semester taking courses in Business Administration, Control & Management, Economics, Marketing, Finance, and Human Resource Management.

You can pay UALR tuition & fees, and attend one of our Exchange Partner Universities:

- Graz, Austria | Karl-Franzens University

- Ludwigshafen, Germany | Ludwigshafen University of Applied Science

- Amiens, France | Amiens School of Management

- Newcastle, England | University of Northumbria

See the Business Flyer | Fall 2012 for more information.
Please plan to attend a UALR Programs Abroad Information Session; you can RSVP online by clicking here.