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Friday July 18, 2008
International students ride the wave of global education
In our increasingly global economy, the world is becoming as small as a mobile phone.
And today at Box Hill Institute sees the culmination of a truly global initiative - the final day of the very first Project Management Troika. This program has been devised by Box Hill Institute and its Global Education Network (GEN) partners to provide international training and learning experiences for students and staff.
For three weeks, a group of Project Management and Frontline Management students - 32 in all, with 5 mentors, from Singapore, Iowa and Calgary, have been living in Melbourne and working at Box Hill Institute on a series of projects, which they will present to the Institute's executive management today.
The students, incorporating a diverse range of nationalities - among them Russian, Egyptian, Indian, Chinese and Malaysian - come from Box Hill Institute's three GEN partners - Institute of Technical Education in Singapore, Kirkwood Community College in Iowa and SAIT Polytechnic in Calgary. The program was facilitated by Carmel Thompson, one of the Institute's pre-eminent project managers, whose international experience proved invaluable.
These are real projects, with real clients, having a real impact. For instance, the Kirkwood project, an international mentor program, has received government funding. Student mentor Marilee Feldman from Kirkwood saw huge benefits for the students:
"it was amazing to sit back and observe as a group of individual leaders became a self-managing, synergised team."
But the three week stay hasn't been all work and no play.
Apart from the all-important knowledge sharing and intensive training, part of the program has been devoted to cultural exchange - and so the students and their mentors have experienced local highlights, such as the Phillip Island penguins, the Queen Vic Market, AFL football and - despite the bracing conditions - even surfing!
For Russian-born Natalia Grebneva, this meant riding her first wave - and then plenty more:
"My arms and legs are a little sore because of the surfing!"
Not bad for a girl who that day had seen the ocean for the first time in her life!
The students return home tomorrow, having been enriched and giving enrichment as part of the process. This is one of many such international exchange projects keenly embraced by the Institute in its desire to give students the benefits of a global perspective.
Innovative, global thinking - it's one of the advantages of a Box Hill Institute education that will be demonstrated at its Open Day, Sunday August 24. The Institute will feature a host of interactive activities, demonstrations, performances, expert course advice for students and live music from The Getaway Plan - a local band currently riding the wave - just like Natalia!
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Media Contact: Damian Cowell T: 03 9286 9481 E: d.cowell@bhtafe.edu.au Box Hill Institute Private Bag 2014, Box Hill, VIC 3128 465 Elgar Road, Box Hill Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3128 T: 1300 BOX HILL F: 03 9286 9438 W www.bhtafe.edu.au