SUNDAY 3 MARCH 2019 – UWI TODAY
21
“If I had my wish every student on campus would
experience an exchange,”
says Evelyn Ferreira, Manager of
the International Office at UWI St Augustine.
She means “student exchange”, a programme through
which students get to travel abroad and spend a semester or
year at a foreign university. It’s an incredible opportunity for
young people to experience new cultures, meet new people,
learn in a fresh environment and experience the personal
development that comes from leaving your homeland and
entering the wider world.
For many students such an opportunity would be a
dream come true. You’d think it would be rare. The truth
however, is that there are many untapped opportunities for
UWI students to take part in exchanges. IO is on a mission
to get more members of the campus community to make
use of them - enter
iWeek 2019
.
International Week or
iWeek
is an event hosted by IO
to “raise awareness among our staff and students about the
concept of internationalisation and highlight ways in which
this concept can and has been embraced across the campus”,
a statement from the office says.
2019 is
iWeek’s
fourth year. Titled “Technology, Art and
Culture: The Caribbean Potential” it consisted of several
events and activities running from late January to early
February.
“It’s one of our ways of reaching out to the (campus)
community,” says Ferreira.
The publication
International Higher Education
,
describes internationalisation as “the process of integrating
an international, intercultural, or global dimension into
the purpose, functions or delivery of post-secondary
education”. At UWI St Augustine IO is the office responsible
for internationalisation. “We promote internationalisation
on the campus. We make students and staff aware of the
various internationalisation opportunities,” says Ferreira.
For
iWeek
2019 such promotional activities included
the “Study Abroad Fair”, giving students and staff
information on opportunities to study or work at foreign
universities; the “Global Citizenship Dialogue”, a question
and answer session with student entrepreneur and innovator
Kheston Walkins; a “Technology Display”, an exhibition of
technologies from various faculties and companies such as
Nerds International, Allegori - MindArt, and Huawei T&T;
and a “Student Art Competition”.
The student artists had to depict “UWI 2050”. The
winner received a return ticket to New York or Miami from
American Airlines.
“I think of the International Office as a ministry
of foreign affairs for the campus,” Ferreira says. IO has
partnerships with over 60 universities around the world: at
least one on every continent, she explains. These agreements
allow students to take part in exchanges. Once their school
fees are paid at The UWI they are not required to pay tuition
at the university abroad (other costs such as travel and
lodging still apply).
For universities that UWI doesn’t have exchange
agreements with, IO offers study abroad support, helping
to create links with the foreign institution, assisting with
visas and expediting passports. The office also arranges
short (a week or two) study tours for both UWI staff and
students travelling abroad as well as persons from foreign
institutions coming to St Augustine.
Staff and students from The UWI can also get
information for international scholarships from IO, such
as the Canada-CARICOM Leadership Scholarships and the
Emerging Leaders in the Americas Programme. Offered by
the Canadian government, these scholarships give recipients
the opportunity for study, research and (in the case of staff)
professional development at Canadian universities. The
application deadline is March 21, 2019.
The IO manager would like to see more UWI members
of the campus community take these opportunities:
“People who have taken part in exchanges or study
abroad have matured. They always say it was a very
good experience. What I’ve noticed in North American
iWeek
encourages students and staff to
Study andWork
Abroad
INTERNATIONALISATION
A remote control robot at the National Institute of Higher Education,
Research, Science and Technology (NIHERST) booth.
PHOTO: COURTESY INTERNATIONAL OFFICE
universities is that international travel is part of their
curriculum. We will probably look at that. There may be
a paradigm shift at The UWI when it comes to students
studying abroad.”
Until that time, the IO continues to offer opportunities
for both students and staff of The UWI to study and
work abroad, and benefit from international scholarship
opportunities. Why not take advantage of this chance to
experience the world?
For more information on travel and international
scholarship opportunities available through the
International Office, visit their Facebook page at
.
International students at the Quadrangle of the St Augustine Campus.
PHOTO: ATIBA CUDJOE
UWI and secondary school students at the Faculty of Science and
Technology booth.
PHOTO: COURTESY INTERNATIONAL OFFICE
