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Short-term study abroad: a credit and an amazing experience

shortterm_abroadDuring the winter break, several students and faculty were busy learning abroad on short-term faculty-led programs through Augsburg Abroad and the Center for Global Education.

Winter faculty-led programs were:

History of Cuban Music in Cuba with Professor Bob Stacke, Music

Students experienced the fascinating culture of Cuba and its history, politics, and religion by exploring the way Cuban music has contributed to Afro-Caribbean music as a whole. Students also explored how music is used as a means of expressing cultural difference and social realities. Continue reading “Short-term study abroad: a credit and an amazing experience”

Study abroad this fall—deadline extended to April 1

studyabroadIt’s not too late to study abroad next fall! Augsburg Abroad is accepting applications for Center for Global Education summer and fall study abroad programs in Central America, Mexico, Namibia until April 1. Augsburg Abroad is also accepting applications for summer and fall International/Exchange Partners Programs in Norway, Germany, Finland, Slovenia, and China. Please note that the deadline for programs other than those coordinated by CGE and IP has passed.

There are currently eleven Augsburg students studying in Mexico at Augsburg’s campus in Cuernavaca, a picturesque colonial city known as the “City of Eternal Spring.” Psychology major Amy Voigt said, “Every day that I wake up in Mexico is my favorite. I can honestly say that I am unable to choose just one day as my favorite. This is an opportunity of a lifetime that I will cherish in my heart forever.” Continue reading “Study abroad this fall—deadline extended to April 1”

Exploring Mexico's economy up close

mexico_business
Augsburg students (starting second to left) Kaity Berg, Grady Christopherson, Kyle Soderberg and Hannah Carlson atop the Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan.

The first International Business semester study abroad program of the Center for Global Education (CGE) is well underway in Cuernavaca, Mexico. The five Augsburg students in the program have been using Mexico as a case study to explore the global economy in their business course and have participated in many educational excursions to deepen their coursework learning.

From visiting the stock market and US Embassy in Mexico City to staying with local families and touring a five-star hotel in rural Amatlán, these Auggies are finding that the hands-on experiences offered by the program are a huge benefit. Continue reading “Exploring Mexico's economy up close”

Studying business in Mexico

abroad_fairToday the world is a small place. The population continues to grow while perceptions of distances and differences are minimized by faster and smarter ways for the world’s citizens to connect. That reality means we are confronted daily with the effects our actions can have on people not just across the table but also across the globe.

As students prepare to live and work in this world, study abroad presents more than a simple opportunity to visit another country. Studying abroad gives students hands-on experiences with other peoples and cultures. It helps students expand their worldview and challenges their perceptions about policies, cultures, and ways of life. And it offers a life-changing experience that can prepare students to be ethical, informed leaders in their neighborhoods, in their careers, and in the world. Continue reading “Studying business in Mexico”

Heading south for the winter

winterimWhile most of us will be returning unwanted Christmas gifts and taking advantage of post-holiday sales in early January, several Auggies will be heading south, not for the entire winter but to participate in study abroad programs and non-credit seminars. There are two “Winterim” study abroad courses–REL 480: Vocation & Christian Faith in El Salvador and AIS 305/490 Indigenous Issues in Guatemala.

This year there is also non-credit seminar on Leadership and Vocation in Mexico, designed for the students and mentors who are part of the Augsburg Scholastic Connections program. All these short-term programs are designed to give students a rich and meaningful learning experience abroad in a week to 10 days. Continue reading “Heading south for the winter”

Why study in Mexico? Ask Antonio

ortegaWho wouldn’t want to spend a semester in the “city of eternal spring”? Ask Antonio Ortega, a staff member at the Center for Global Education’s study site in Cuernavaca, Mexico. “I think students have been to Cancun or Acapulco and think ‘I’ve been there, done that.’ They think Mexico, as a place to study, is not as interesting as Europe or South Africa,” he said.

However, in addition to offering beautiful weather and mosquito-free nights, Antonio says Cuernavaca is an excellent location for students to learn about LGBT rights, the feminist movement in Mexico, environmental issues, or business and trade. Cuernavaca is also noted for its innovative grassroots organizations, alternative approaches to health care and education, and for its role in the history of social struggle. “And we have really great food,” he added. Continue reading “Why study in Mexico? Ask Antonio”

Globalizing women's studies

womens_studiesFor the past 28 years, Augsburg’s Center for Global Education (CGE) has offered Women’s Studies courses in Mexico as a way to internationalize class curriculum by crossing international borders and expanding learning experiences. This past July, CGE offered a faculty development program in Cuernavaca, Mexico for women’s studies faculty who were interested in globalizing their courses. During the seminar, professors from several disciplines had the opportunity to meet with many Mexican women who have had significant influences in the Mexican academic world. Continue reading “Globalizing women's studies”

Study Abroad — A Once in a Lifetime Opportunity

auggies_abroadWhile many Mexicans are heading north to Minneapolis, Augsburg students Courtnie Higgins and Sarah Mueller have headed south for a semester at Augsburg´s Center for Global Education (CGE) campus in Minneapolis’ newest sister-city, Cuernavaca, Mexico.

For Higgins (pictured right), the decision to study abroad in Mexico came quite easily. “I wanted to experience a new language and culture. In particular, I wanted to deepen my understanding of the complexities in the relationship between the United States and Mexico. To me, this was an opportunity to immerse myself in a different way of life that Mexico could offer that other countries in Europe couldn’t.” The decision came with a bit more difficulty for Mueller (pictured left). “I never thought I wanted to study abroad, but the experience has proved to be a once in a lifetime opportunity. It makes you see the world and your place in it differently.” Continue reading “Study Abroad — A Once in a Lifetime Opportunity”

Internships enhance the study abroad experience

CGE_InternshipsStudents who study abroad often return home and tell of profound, life-changing lessons. Through their programs, students come into contact with a wide range of people and circumstances, and many of these encounters lead students to explore careers or ways of life they had previously not considered. Augsburg’s Center for Global Education sums up this experience with a promise: “See the world through another’s eyes, and your world will never be the same.” Continue reading “Internships enhance the study abroad experience”

Augsburg student prints exhibited in Mexico

mexico_galleryIn October 2007, Mexican artist and social activist Alejandro González Aranda visited Augsburg College. Aranda’s visit came at the end of an exhibition of his linocuts in the Christensen Center Art Gallery that was part of that year’s celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Center for Global Education at Augsburg College.

During his visit to Minneapolis, Aranda hosted a printmaking workshop where Augsburg students learned his techniques and shared their own works. While here, he got to view the works created in Augsburg’s fall printmaking class, taught by Instructor Lynn Bollman. Aranda was so thrilled by the Auggie prints that he asked for copies of all them and hosted an exhibition of the work on May 16, 2008 at the CGE site in Cuernavaca, Mexico. Continue reading “Augsburg student prints exhibited in Mexico”