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Global Opportunities at USC
3 November 2007
USC’s Global Opportunities (GO) program won the top award in the category of internationalisation at the Queensland Government’s 2007 Celebrating International Education and Training Industry Showcase. The GO program enables students to study for a semester at a university in another country and to have that study credited towards their USC degree. This year 70 students have participated, spread across 38 institutions in Europe, Asia and North America.
The award reflects the state government’s beliefs that increasing participation in programs like GO is fundamental to building Queensland’s Smart State capabilities and that such programs deliver valuable benefits to participants. Then Premier, Peter Beattie, said that “an international education experience builds skills and experience that are recognised globally and are invaluable to workers in the knowledge economy of the future”.
Importantly, the award also reflects the quality and depth of support that students participating in GO receive in making their study choices and preparing for their semester overseas. Students receive sound advice about the courses available at USC’s partner universities and about how those courses would complement their programs of study at USC. Before departure the credit that students will receive on the basis of their GO program is clearly established. Students also receive a comprehensive pre-departure orientation.
Partner universities are carefully selected to ensure that GO participants receive a comparable standard of education and that they will be well looked after. All GO program participants now receive substantial financial support, either directly from USC or through external scholarships that USC secures. These scholarships are sourced from governments, partner institutions and private organisations. Students also have access to OS HELP, an Australian government loan scheme designed to facilitate study abroad.
A recent survey of around 1000 first year Australian students at USC revealed that 52 percent were interested in employment overseas after graduation and that for 19.5 percent this was their single preferred employment location. GO will contribute significantly to helping students realise these ambitions, through developing relevant knowledge, skills, experience and networks.
The GO program is a key strategy in USC’s commitment to offering high quality degree programs that produce globally competitive graduates who will succeed in the region, in Australia or overseas. Not only has the quality of the GO program been recognised by the Queensland Government Award, it was recently confirmed by the Australian Universities Quality Agency. The Agency, which conducts independent quality audits, said in its audit report that the program was highly valued by students and that participants were well supported by the University.
Over the next few years USC will be working hard to increase participation to ensure that by 2010, 10 percent of students completing an undergraduate degree will have studied overseas for a semester.
Professor Robert Elliot is Pro Vice-Chancellor (International & Development) at the University of the Sunshine Coast.