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About Global Learning Semesters Overview Global Learning Semesters is a leading study abroad organization with a mission of preparing North American college students to be leaders in an increasingly interconnected world. Global Learning Semesters is best known for operating innovative, thematic study abroad programs that combine academics with co-curricular travel. In 2007, Global Learning Semesters will operate 35 study abroad programs that will cumulatively visit 60 cities, from Global Learning Semesters draws from 25 years of experience in international higher education at Intercollege, the leading college in Our Mission: Building Competencies and Improving Access Building Competencies Anyone attending college today will collaborate or compete with people and companies from around the world over the course of his or her career. It is difficult for someone to be effective in this global environment without some intercultural competencies and an awareness of current international issues. We help students that attend our programs develop these skills by focusing on academic topics that are relevant and timely, taking our students outside the classroom to experience the topics they are studying, and providing a base of local knowledge and logistical support that allows students to make the most of their time abroad Improving Access We believe that most students should have a study abroad experience at some point during college. This is a far cry from the situation today in the United States. Currently only about 10% of 4 year college students and 1% of 2 year college students study abroad. These figures are even lower for minority and lower income students. We invest our time and resources in improving access to study abroad by maintaining affordable study abroad options, providing meaningful levels of financial support to promote diversity in study abroad and helping US colleges and universities build their capabilities to advise and support study abroad students. History: 25 Years in Higher Education Global Learning Semesters was spun out of Intercollege, the leading college in Cyprus, nearly five years ago. Intercollege has long been a leader in international education in Cyprus. At any point in time, about 1,000 degree-seeking international students, primarily from Europe and Asia, attend Intercollege. Intercollege has also played a leading role in intra-European study abroad, founding the European Association of Erasmus Coordinators (EAEC) and hosting EAEC's first General Assembly in Cyprus. Over the last 25 years, through Intercollege, we educated almost 20,000 students from practically every country in the world. Currently, Intercollege has three campuses in Cyprus with about 5,000 students from over 78 countries and is one of the major sponsors of political, social and economic research in Cyprus. We founded Global Learning Semesters as a separate organization in order to focus on understanding and supporting the unique characteristics of North American study abroad students and develop world-class study abroad programs. Our Chairman, Dr. Andreas Polemitis, has been the Academic Dean of Intercollege for 25 years. Approach to Study Abroad The Global Learning Semesters approach to study abroad is built around focused academic themes that integrate academics and co-curricular activities and a support platform that allows students to maximize their time learning about and experiencing the countries that they live in. Our programs are organized into three areas of academic expertise: the Mediterranean (and Europe through a Mediterranean lens), the Globalization of Business and Latin America (and its relationship with the United States). Within these areas, we design each of our programs to combine a coherent academic curriculum with extensive co-curricular experiences and travel. We believe the addition of experiential learning to robust academic curricula leads to richer learning outcomes for students. |
