The Global Learning Office was delighted to host an event that is always a highlight of the academic year: a welcome session for a group of new international exchange students joining our campus this semester from some of Saint Mary’s 100+ partner universities around the globe.
While they are here to take courses as part of a study abroad program or conduct research, all are eager to explore new experiences both inside and outside the classroom. Hailing from the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Colombia, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, The Netherlands, Poland, Thailand, and Trinidad and Tobago, “they represent pluralism we thrive for – what it means to foster a space where students from all different backgrounds can come together to live and learn from each other,” says Miyuki Arai, Director of Global Learning Services. Their presence and peer-to-peer connections are a great motivator for SMU students to think about studying abroad themselves. “It’s happened before where SMU students come to the Global Learning Office and ask how to go on the exchange program at the home university of their newly met friends,” she adds.
Jonathan, a 4th-year SMU student who has participated in multiple international programs in Colombia, was on hand to welcome our visiting students. “Speaking from my own experience, studying in a foreign country can be challenging. I want to help and make them feel welcome any way I can,” says Jonathan.
