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Home > Featured Stories > International Connections > August 2007 > Chancellor, Students Go GlobalChancellor, Students Go Global
"What I've gained both by being over there and by working with him is not so much an understanding of how we compete with people from other nations, but how we work together. That requires you to get outside your comfort zone. That's what I really got from my trip."
NC State student Dane Grismer
Study abroad wasn't just for NC State students this summer.
Sure, about 500 NC State students took part in study-abroad programs in 19 countries on six continents. But administrators got in on the act, too, as Chancellor James Oblinger and a number of college deans visited China to cement reciprocal academic agreements and foster new relationships with Chinese universities.
NC State's commitment to international study and international culture on campus continues to gain strength. The university signed more than a dozen operating agreements last year with universities in other countries, bringing the total number to 145 agreements with institutions in 60 nations. On campus, international enrollment continues to grow, with about 2,700 students representing 157 countries.
Over the summer, NC State students learned everything from veterinary acupuncture to environmental research. Many want to go back for a second study-abroad trip. Some want to go back to live and start their career.
"It was the best experience of my life," said Dane Grismer, a paper science and engineering/chemical engineering double major who traveled to China for part of the summer. "I learned a lot just by talking to people over there. They were as curious about us and America as we were about them and China."
Almost without exception, students who have studied abroad say it changes the way they think.
"This (study-abroad trip) was all about experiences in the field and taking what we learn to apply it in our lives," said Amanda Sanges, an elementary education major who spent time in Australia this summer. "It did affect the way I think, and that aspect of what I learned can be applied to my life now - taking what I learn in my classes and applying it to my life, not just the classroom."
"I'd recommend (studying abroad) to anyone just for the perspective you get," said Grismer, who moved on to an internship in Delaware on his return from China. One of his co-workers is from Shanghai. "He says he has to get reacquainted with the city every time he goes back because they are modernizing so fast. What I've gained both by being over there and by working with him is not so much an understanding of how we compete with people from other nations, but how we work together. That requires you to get outside your comfort zone. That's what I really got from my trip."
"The beauty of the continent made me consider whether I want to spend my career here in the States, or if I would be happier working in Australia," textile engineering major A.J. Medford said. "I am still considering the possibility of moving to Queensland if I can find a job there after I graduate."
