Center for Global Education introduces Rutgers students to study abroad programs

The Center for Global Education (CGE) held their annual Study Abroad Fair on Wednesday at the Centers for Global Advancement and International Affairs.

Students at the fair were able to speak with program representatives, faculty leaders and students who have studied abroad. Entertainment at the event included music, refreshments and the chance to win prizes.

“The Study Abroad Fair is the perfect place for students to explore short-term and semester-long program options around the world,” said Christina LoBrutto, the marketing outreach coordinator of the CGE and the main organizer of the event.

The fair involves rounding up all of the key people involved in study abroad programming and providing students with an overall look at studying abroad, she said.

“It's a fun day! And this semester, the fair is part of Study Abroad Week, a full week of fun and informative events,” LoBrutto said in an email.

The goal of the event is to give students a comprehensive look at the variety of study abroad options available to them while also having fun, she said.

Studying abroad can help students grow and learn, she said. Many learn to become more independent and confident, as well as academically stronger.

Studying abroad can be a way to get an edge in the job market by demonstrating to employers skills such as intercultural competence and adaptability, she said.

“If students want to learn more about how they can study abroad, the fair is the perfect place to start,” LoBrutto said.

Max Haggblom, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, teaches a study abroad course on the microbiology and culture of cheese and wine in Burgundy, France.

Haggblom said the purpose of his tabling at the fair was to promote his course and to answer student questions about the program.

“It opens up a broader perspective. You recognize the importance of international connections, seeing the world and recognizing that you need to broaden and get out of New Jersey,” he said.

The course Haggblom teaches in Burgundy is a very focused two-week program during the summer, he said.

“It is a very simple way to get started on getting hooked on traveling,” Haggblom said.

The class he teaches focuses on interconnecting science and social studies in terms of understanding how microbiology has developed in relation to the culture of cheese and wine making, he said.

Eva Ber, a Rutgers Business School first-year student, said she is excited about studying abroad and that the fair allowed her to find a program that appealed to her.

“It (studying abroad) can enhance my life because I can meet new people and broaden my experiences, which is something I could use in work and life experiences in the future after studying abroad,” she said.

Students should study abroad to become comfortable with the world outside of their childhood and college of choice, Ber said.

“Often, students come to college and think life only exists in the bubble of the college that you’re living in,” she said. “When I come to Rutgers after winter break the only thing that exists for me is Rutgers, but I would like to keep in mind that there is life outside of this.”

Ber said she asked representatives questions about what the programs had to offer, how it was different from other programs and how the program could help her.

Felicia Zangari, a Mason Gross School of the Arts first-year student, said she attended the fair to find out what opportunities there were for her to study abroad and expand her education.

“As a music student I think that what I study is inherently an international subject, so immersing myself in that aspect of it is greatly beneficial,” she said.

Zangari said she visited most of the tables representing Australia as well as most of the European study abroad programs.

Europe would be the best place for her to study because the classical music realm there is very rich, Zangari said.

“I have been asking which countries or universities have music programs available or arts sort of programs available, or summer sessions that I could do in a subject like a language that would help further my studies without being directly related to music,” she said.

Staying in one place inherently isolates you intellectually, Zangari said.

“If you’re able to go to a new place you learn so much just by being in a new place, not necessarily by studying there, but by exploring and encountering new things,” she said.