More U of A Students Than Ever Studying Abroad

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Ben Copelin, a graduate student in communication, spent time during the summer studying at Cambridge.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The number of University of Arkansas students studying abroad has been on a steady climb for the past several years, and that trend is continuing. A record 800 students studied abroad during the 2013-14 academic year.

Study abroad enrollment increased by 9 percent from the 2012-13 academic year. U of A students visited 48 countries, though the most popular destinations were Italy, Spain, England, Belize and China.

The Office of Study Abroad is holding its annual Study Abroad Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 23 in the Arkansas Union International Connections Lounge. All students interested in studying abroad are encouraged to attend.

The Office of Study Abroad offers short-term, semester-long and year-long study abroad opportunities. DeDe Long, director of the office, said the short-term programs are in the highest demand, but the traditional junior year or semester abroad numbers are down. She attributed that changing trend to a variety of factors.

“There’s a perception that the short-term programs are a better fit with the students’ majors and degree programs, and the short-term programs are faculty-led, so there is a buzz around campus that the cool faculty take students abroad. Plus, the student life here is so rich that many students don’t want to leave for a long period of time,” Long said. “Of course, we are always trying to persuade students to consider semester or year programs as well.”

Ashtyn Madden, an undergraduate student majoring in international relations, spent a month during the summer studying in Spain on a trip led by Reina Ruiz, associate professor in the Department of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures. Madden’s trip went so well that she is considering studying abroad again.

“I really liked it. The study abroad office did a really good job of preparing me for the trip, and Dr. Ruiz was awesome. She helped us learn to appreciate the experience and take everything in,” Madden said.

Graduate student Ben Copelin participated in the Free Speech at Cambridge and Oxford program, which was faculty-led by Stephen Smith, professor in the Department of Communication. Copelin acknowledged that, while the seminars and class discussions were great, he learned the most from experiences he had meeting the locals and exploring the history of the area.

“I was able to experience education that has been around for almost 1,000 years,” he said.

The Cambridge and Oxford trip marked the second time Copelin studied abroad, and he believes it is an experience that every student should have.

“Studying abroad really broadens the spectrum of your world, so if anyone gets an opportunity to do it I would encourage them not to turn it down,” he said.

The Office of Study Abroad not only sends U of A students to study in other countries, but also hosts students from foreign institutions as part of a reciprocal exchange program. The office has built partnerships with a number of institutions across the globe, and from those partnerships the University of Arkansas receives the same number of students on campus as it sends out to the partner institutions.

Julian Zassenhaus, an exchange student from the WHU Otto Beishem School of Management in Germany, will be spending the fall semester on the U of A campus studying business administration. He came to the U.S. with the intent to improve his English, but he has other motives as well.

“I want to see if American college life is really like what they show in the movies,” he said.