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Making study abroad more meaningful?
Filed in archive Int'l Development by mstandaert on August 30, 2006
Making study abroad more meaningful?
I don't know about you, but I'm of two minds about this article on studying abroad at the Baltimore Sun. Part of me thinks, yes, great, more students should be encouraged to study abroad. It can be a wonderful, eye-opening experience. Then I read the suggestion that Jan Eliasson, president of the U.N. General Assembly and foreign minister of Sweden, has suggested that American college students study abroad not only for the education, but to provide services in schools and clinics, working for better water sanitation, green agriculture, and helping start local business ventures. It sounds like a wonderful idea on the surface, but wouldn't it be even better if people in their own countries were doing these things? I mean, why should an American college student take a volunteer position doing something a local volunteer or even a paid person could do? It isn't like there's a lack of things people could be doing. Shouldn't local people be taking the lead, increasing their skill levels, and feeling good about themselves in the process? I don't know, maybe I'm looking at this wrong, but it seems a bit ... well, imperialistic. Perhaps I'm just being a bit cranky today.

What do you think?

In some other items ...

*They could possibly need foreign volunteers in Scotland as a number of nurseries face closure over plans to increase skill levels.

*Want to help "Make India?" Go here.

*Is Eco-Tourism all it claims to be? See Karen Walrond's thoughts at BlogHer.

*Is capitalism growing more socially conscious? See what's up at Things Are Good.

*Business social ethics on the rise? Is there a market at the bottom of the pyramid?

*And lastly, thoughts on Senator Obama's recent trip to Africa.


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Tags: study  abroad  social  development  enterprise  social+enterprise  study+abroad  more+meaningful 
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