Swansea University Celebrates Funding Success To Help Students And Staff Go Global
Swansea University is celebrating the news that it has been awarded €334,580 from the Erasmus+ programme to support student and staff exchanges with institutions outside Europe. The University bid, for funding to support exchanges in Canada, Australia, Hong Kong and USA (Texas), was met in full.
Introduced for the first time last year, International Mobility is a new aspect of the Erasmus+ programme which has traditionally only supported student and staff exchanges within Europe. This funding is a fantastic addition to the financial support available to Swansea University students to study abroad.
Since 2015 Swansea University has received over €1m in Erasmus+ funding for staff and student mobility with European and international partners.
Swansea University Vice-Chancellor Professor Richard B Davies said:
“The success of Swansea University in securing International Mobility funding from the prestigious Erasmus+ scheme, every year since its launch, is testimony to our growing reputation internationally.
“When they leave us, we want all our students to be ‘global graduates’ keen to play their part as citizens of the world. We know that employers value the skills that are acquired by living and studying abroad and therefore we are committed to offering every student the chance to study or work overseas during their degree. This additional funding will support such global opportunities.
“The exchange programme enables us to develop partnerships across the world and encourage visiting students and staff to spend some time with us, sharing academic expertise, knowledge and cultural experiences, furthering the University’s global reach.
“These funds will also allow staff to teach at overseas partner universities, to share their knowledge and expertise, identify new and best practice in teaching and assessment and encourage greater collaboration.”
Sian Impey, Head of Internationalisation at Swansea University said:
“We already benefit from longstanding and successful links with institutions in Canada, Hong Kong, Australia and USA. However, this funding will allow us to strengthen and develop our partnerships further. Year on year, we see the transformative effect studying and working abroad has on our students and we welcome this additional funding to support them to become global graduates.”
Examples from last year’s exchange programme.
Students from three top-ranked Texas universities are spending four months studying at Swansea as part of an undergraduate exchange programme which has grown out a wider partnership between Swansea University and Texas.
For some of the students this is their first trip outside the USA. A couple gave their reactions to living and studying in Swansea, 5000 miles from home:
Hector De La Miyar, University of Houston: “Having 10 people in your class, rather than 200, is a big difference, and it means you get more attention from the tutor. I’m looking forward to going to big cities like Liverpool and Manchester.”
Marie Evans, Texas A&M: “It’s fantastic that so many people here are interested in you and where you come from! That’s very different to being at home.
Similarly some of our exchange students also had an unforgettable time in Texas:
Benjamin Clarke spent a semester studying at Texas A&M University.”The best things about the exchange were meeting people from a different culture and looking at biomedical engineering from a different standpoint. The experience really improved my ability to work with new people as well as my communication and teamwork skills.”
Environmental Engineering student Dominica Khoo spent a semester at Texas A&M University.“The exchange programme enhanced my student experience both academically and culturally. It prepared me to face different challenges and made me more self-sufficient, confident and independent. It made me a better student and gave me additional experiences which will help my future career plans. Texas A&M is very much about community, tradition, loyalty and optimism and I made some great friends. I’d recommended the exchange to anyone because you will gain precious experiences, memories, friendships and knowledge to last a lifetime. I would do it again in a heartbeat.”
Three Swansea University students who benefitted from the Go Global study abroad programme:
Canada
Ina Pace, BA English Literature, University of Victoria “I spent a year abroad studying at the University of Victoria (UVic) in British Columbia (BC) in Canada. I am now realising just how much of a whirlwind the past year has been for me. Do not be afraid of taking risks and stepping out of your comfort zone, I am by no means an extravert but I have found myself to be more confident as a result. I would recommend doing a year abroad not only for the sake of enhancing your CV but for your own personal development. Staying strong and taking risks will make you proud of yourself and give you a sense of achievement that is priceless.”
Australia
Jessica Baker, BSc Psychology, University of New South Wales “ The opportunity to jump into another culture for 12 months only comes once in a lifetime, and I knew I had to make the most of it. I skydived in Sydney, rode elephants in Thailand, climbed a glacier in New Zealand, and so much more. I think that my experiences have made me a more confident, independent, adaptable person – qualities that I know are vital to making me a more employable, well-rounded individual. My year abroad gave me the time to figure out what I really wanted for myself and has given me a whole lot of motivation to do well in my third year. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done and I can’t recommend programmes like this enough.”
Hong Kong
Edwin Rose, BA History, Lingnan University “The course at Lingnan University, Hong Kong, provided me with an entirely new perspective of the subject. I used this opportunity to explore the rest of China; I went high into the Himalayas, Beijing, the Great wall, Shanghai, Terracotta Warriors, Shanghai, Ping’an Rice terraces and Yangshuo, before arriving back in Hong Kong. This has really opened my eyes to China as a whole and the amazing places you can visit in this huge, diverse, beautiful country.”
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