January 7, 2000: Headlines: COS - Oman: University Education: International Education Programs: The Daily: Despite occasional difficulties, Oman RPCV David Fenner believes student should seize any opportunity they can to learn in another country, even if they do not necessarily earn academic credit in the process.

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Oman: The Peace Corps in Oman: January 7, 2000: Headlines: COS - Oman: University Education: International Education Programs: The Daily: Despite occasional difficulties, Oman RPCV David Fenner believes student should seize any opportunity they can to learn in another country, even if they do not necessarily earn academic credit in the process.

By Admin1 (admin) (pool-151-196-43-253.balt.east.verizon.net - 151.196.43.253) on Friday, December 24, 2004 - 4:49 pm: Edit Post

Despite occasional difficulties, Oman RPCV David Fenner believes student should seize any opportunity they can to learn in another country, even if they do not necessarily earn academic credit in the process.

Despite occasional difficulties, Oman RPCV David Fenner believes student should seize any opportunity they can to learn in another country, even if they do not necessarily earn academic credit in the process.

Despite occasional difficulties, Oman RPCV David Fenner believes student should seize any opportunity they can to learn in another country, even if they do not necessarily earn academic credit in the process.

Traveling on someone else's money


STUDY ABROAD: Interns go abroad through new UW foreign exchange programs


Adam Karlin
The Daily



Imagine: you, the UW architecture major, studying abroad in, say, Japan - making friends, learning through experience, expanding your mind.

Getting paid.

Traditionally, studying abroad has been an attractive but sometimes prohibitively expensive idea that has scared off many students. To be paid for studying abroad seems to good to be true.

Yet while it seems like a pipe dream to most, this scenario has become a happy reality for some, thanks to internships and work programs available to students who participate in some of the foreign-exchange programs on campus.

Foreign-exchange programs, which are offered through the International Programs and Exchange office located in Schmitz 516, are one of the cheaper methods of studying abroad available to UW students. The process is essentially a student swap. If, for example, a UW student wants to study in Melbourne, Australia, he switches places with an Australian student who wants to study at the UW. Usually, both parties pay the tuition of their home institution, along with a concurrent enrollment fee.

But increasingly, as internships become more and more crucial to both undergraduate and graduate education, students are seeking more than just opportunities for studying abroad. Now, students seek internship and work opportunities abroad, and officials within the UW have been working hard to facilitate these desires.

According to David Fenner, the director of the Office of International Programs and Exchange, most students who are currently working through internships abroad originally enrolled for regular foreign exchange programs. However, seeing and seizing the work opportunities in their host countries, these students have gained internships while studying in another country.

For example, many student studying east-Asian languages find employment as English teachers in their host countries. Although this sometimes turns into a burden for some students, other thrive on the hands-on learning experience.

In some countries, students find employment with U.S companies that have foreign offices. In others, students find employment within actual foreign institutions.

According to Fenner, many of these internships either offer money or credit, but rarely both. For students to earn credit while working abroad, they must go through the same process as any student applying for credit through an internship and enter into a contractual agreement with a faculty member within the appropriate department.

"You gotta figure out pretty specifically what you want and what you can contribute", he said.

Despite these occasional difficulties, Fenner believes student should seize any opportunity they can to learn in another country, even if they do not necessarily earn academic credit in the process.

Although many students find foreign internships during their tenure abroad, Bill Leone, in the Carlson Office, has been trying to create a well of international internships UW students can draw from here before actually going abroad.

Along with internships, which tend to be independent study projects, Leon has been trying to integrate service learning into the international-exchange office. Service learning is connected to specific classes, yet still gives students the hands-on experience of an internship.

Students who are worried about applying for international internships because they fear they may be too expensive or won't contribute enough credits for graduation shouldn't be, according to Fenner and Leon.

"People shouldn't put all the barriers in front of themselves", said Leon. He added that many international internship ideas come from students who approve their ideas with him and their professors.

Fenner stressed that the best learning is sometimes non-academic, but also feels students can earn substantial credit studying abroad anyway.

Leon feels that as long as students come prepared, they will find international internships similar to local ones.

"The key is to set it up before you go ... if you have the desire to do it, there's a way to do it", he said.

Networking closely with the IPE, Leone began working on contacting international internships available for students in September. As of yet, his work is still in the early stages of development, but progress has been steady. According to Leon, there should be study abroad internships available through the Carlson Office as early as next fall quarter.

Students who are interested in study abroad and foreign exchange internships should contact either David Fenner in the IPE Office in 516 Schmitz, or Bill Leon at the Edward E. Carlson Leadership and Public Service Center, in the basement of the Communications building. Leon can also be contacted at (206) 616-9399.


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When this story was posted in December 2004, this was on the front page of PCOL:

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Story Source: The Daily

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Oman; University Education; International Education Programs

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