A World of Opportunities

In 2012, a record number of UQ undergraduate students took advantage of the variety of exchanges and internships on offer, with more than 800 students participating in international activities in 51 countries.

Dr Jessica Gallagher, Acting Director of the Office of Undergraduate Education (OUE), says that UQ recognises the importance of internationalising the student experience and thinking globally.

“We strongly encourage UQ students to explore the world, build international networks, and develop their understanding of cross-cultural communication and the transfer of ideas and people across national borders.

“Demand for global experiences has grown considerably over the past few years, and in 2012 OUE has been proud to support over 800 students to participate in international activities in 51 countries.

“This year alone, we have seen a 20% increase in the number of students participating in the UQ Abroad program, with 569 UQ students commencing an international exchange in 2012,” Dr Gallagher said.

Dr Gallagher said that an increasing number of students are also keen to access co-curricular options which fall in university vacation periods.

“OUE also promotes student mobility through the UQ Advantage Grant scheme, which supports participation in co-curricular and professional development experiences such as study tours, summer schools, internships, volunteering, and leadership programs.

“In 2012, many of the UQ Advantage Grant recipients have visited less traditional destinations, including Chile, China, Korea, India, and Malawi,” Dr Gallagher said.
 

An Eperience to Remember

While becoming a teacher already involves a variety of work placements, Emily Smith yearned for a different kind of teaching experience.

Ms Smith, who is completing her Bachelor of Health, Sport and Physical Education, travelled to Samoa to visit schools and medical clinics, observe classes, and teach.

“I was motivated to visit Samoa to see what education is like in a third world country, and to compare and contrast their schools and teachers with what we have here in Australia.

“The highlights of my experience were working with the school children, and in particular a small school on the island Vasaii, called Vaisala Primary.

“The smiles on the children's faces were amazing and it was an experience that I will always remember,” Ms Smith said.

Ms Smith said she gained a heightened level of cultural sensitivity through participating in the immersion program.

“I have a much greater understanding of the Samoan culture and I would like to try and introduce some the Samoan ways into my life and schools," she said.

London Calling

Suah Lee, a budding UQ Law student, was thrilled when he was invited to participate in a summer school at one of London’s most prestigious universities, the London School of Economics (LSE).

Mr Lee, who would like to work in the area of Intellectual Property Law upon graduation, said he felt the course would complement his UQ studies, as it would broaden his knowledge and understanding of intellectual property rights at an international level.

“Property rights are fundamental in our everyday lives. However, as opposed to tangible goods for example, the rapid increase of technological development and innovation has certainly alerted companies in particular, to safeguard their intellectual property rights by way of seeking protections from the realms of copyright, trademark and patent law."

“I was keen to participate in the LSE Intellectual Property Law course as it would enable me to compare and differentiate the two jurisdictions (i.e. UK and Australia), as often litigations are made across borders,” Mr Lee said.

While Suah enjoyed academic components of the course, he admits that he was also drawn to the program as he wanted to travel, study, and meet other students from around the world.

“In addition to all the studying, I visited the Stonehenge, the Roman Baths, I enjoyed watching the Phantom of Opera in Her Majesty’s Theatre (which was my first theatre experience), and visited all the London attractions in the time of the London Olympics!" he said.

Hair Raising Encounters

Coming face to face with a great white shark isn’t everyone’s idea of fun, but for Michelle Ooi, it was a highlight of an incredible international volunteering experience.

Ms Ooi, who is studying her Bachelor of Veterinary Science at UQ, received a UQ Advantage Grant from the Office of Undergraduate Education (OUE) to participate in a volunteer program with Dyer Island Conservation Trust in Gansbaai, South Africa.

“The Dyer Island Conservation Trust supports several researchers who study marine species found in South Africa such as penguins, cape fur seals, southern right whales and great white sharks.

“During the time that I was there, I was able to participate in ongoing research on shark parasites, the predator-prey relation between cape fur seals and great white sharks, and acoustics of the southern right whale, as well help out with commercial shark cage diving and even dive with the great whites themselves,” Ms Ooi said.

The research will help protect precious marine life for future generations, while the hands on experience in the animals’ natural habitat reaffirmed Michelle’s passion for conservation and further study.

“Seeing these wild animals up close and personal in South Africa and working with the researchers has inspired me to seriously consider taking the path of marine animal research after graduation,” Ms Ooi said.
 

Putting Knowledge into Practice

Bachelor of Archaeology student Jacob Davis cannot speak highly enough of how professional experience in the field has reinvigorated his commitment to coursework.

Mr Davis was among a group of UQ students who travelled to Karonga, Malawi, to engage in volunteer archaeological work for MEMSAP (Malawi Early Middle Stone Age Project).

The fieldwork allowed him to apply knowledge he had gained in lectures and to develop useful practical skills.

“I supervised a crew of ten local Malawians to excavate 21 test pits across the Karonga landscape, and then worked with other researchers to interpret our test pit findings.

“The complexities of the landscape and the archaeological record were intensely interesting, and our results gave us a great understanding into the diversification of the archaeology in this area, which was a great outcome,” he said.

Mr Davis said that he originally participated in the project to gain professional experience, however found that he came away with a renewed passion for his studies.

“My experience in Malawi has, without a doubt, renewed and intensified my passion for learning, especially now that I can see how important it is to implement archaeological practices correctly,” Mr Davis said.

Originally published in the December 2012 edition of UQ News. Download this issue here.

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