Fanta Aw, NAFSA president and chair, recognized representatives from Simon Fraser (British Columbia, Canada) and Zheijang (Hangzhou, China) universities for their winning entry in NAFSA’s 2014 Celebrating International Education Video Contest last Wednesday morning at the Annual Business Meeting in San Diego. Katya Kirsh was on hand to accept an award, and representatives from the runners up, Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (Washington, D.C.) and RMIT (Melbourne, Australia), also attended. Congratulations to Simon Fraser and Zhejiang for winning the 2014 Celebrating International Education Video Contest and to all of the institutions for their participation.
In their winning entry, Simon Fraser University and Zhejiang University feature their dual-degree program that awards students with computing sciences degrees from each institution. Program alumni discuss the unique opportunity to live in China for two years, develop valuable language and intercultural skills, and set themselves apart when starting a career.
The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) submitted a video showcasing the Uganda Studies Program for social work students, one of several overseas study opportunities by CCCU’s BestSemester program. Students participate in a semester-long practicum at Uganda Christian University, and the diverse issues they face in Uganda prepare the students for the variety of challenges that they will encounter once they graduate.
RMIT’s video highlights a range of exchange models, including international internships, short-term study abroad, and online collaboration, utilized by the school to develop global citizens. Both teachers and students praise the value of working and partnering with other students from around the globe and helping students gain real-world experience that will help them succeed at the next level.