Oct 18th, 2015, 04:14 PM

The Importance of Being a Foreign Student

By Chrystal Vavoulidis
(Photo: The LEAF Project; Flickr)
If the European Union can offer its university students cultural exchanges such as the Erasmus program, why can't the United States create something similar?

The NewYork Times published a debate in these articles about the value of studying abroad. Who would have thought such a debate was even necessary? Thankfully, four out of the five pieces are in favor of studying abroad and only one talks about it as a “waste of time”.
But let's look at things from the beginning.
“Globalization is here to stay, and students who want to work in our interconnected global world should study abroad,” is the opening line in Every Student Should Study Abroad. It makes strong arguments that, in our constantly changing world of interconnected and competitive economies, an intercultural studying experience is crucial. The benefits range from pushing our own limits and challenging misconceptions and stereotypes to becoming better leaders in our future career fields. Yet in the United States very few students take advantage of the study abroad opportunities colleges and universities offer. 

Which brings me to the next point on the other side of the debate. One of the questions that arises is this: Will everyone be able to have the same opportunity? As Violeta Rosales, a grad student from the American University of Cairo notes:"Learning abroad allows students from various disciplines to see the U.S. from another angle, creating more informed global citizens. Students encounter other ways of living life and at the same time present a different image of the U.S. away from its foreign policy and military reach. For many students, the idea of living abroad sounds interesting but the cost and lack of resources and information can be a deterrent."
Curtis S. Chin, former US ambassador to the Asian Development Bank, strongly disagrees with the notion that studying abroad should be required or encouraged. He believes that it's not only expensive, but it's also unrealistic and unnecessary. He believes the experience will be a distraction and unbeneficial since learning another language is not pivotal to one's career success. Native English speakers don't need to worry as English is a widely spoken language and it will stay that way for many more years to come. But at the end of his argument he contradicts himself in saying that “education is about instilling knowledge, increasing opportunities and opening the eyes of our young people.” How are “opportunities” and “eyes going to open” if students don't experience their theoretical knowledge in the real world where they can apply what ever skill they acquired -- foreign language, cultural awareness, personal growth, intercultural development, and so on?
In March last year, Michelle Obama emphasized in a CNN interview the importance of students learning from other cultures. She nicely argued that our generation of students happens to be privileged because travel is easier, access to information is easy thank to the internet, and the financial cost, while a major obstacle, can be solved with educational exchange initiatives such as 100,000 Strong.

Michelle Obama: The iReport interview

To continue with the debate, a gap year is one of the suggestions for an alternative on how to gain valuable knowledge of other cultures and enrich one's world view through traveling. “Whatever profession we as American students choose, we will all be interacting with the world. We need that global savvy: fluency in other cultures and ability to adapt to novel situations.” The author even suggests that a gap year may even be a good idea before even entering university as she did.
“It lowers the chances of success in the ever-globalizing world that we live in -- a world where bilingual is the international norm, and where multiculturalism is becoming the standard of our country,” says Kenneth Buff, a middle school teacher's assistant.
The importance of cultural exchange programs are undoubtedly of major value. A classroom setting learning environment is just the beginning of gaining knowledge and only a part of it. The classroom is a "sterile" place where one can learn a variety of things, explore, think, critique and interact with different people. However, I think value is added to all the theory and skills gained in a classroom when it is combined with exposure to real life experiences. If the European Union can offer its university students cultural exchanges such as the Erasmus program, why can't the US create something similar and as great?

[Photo: The Leaf Project; Flickr, Video: CNN; Youtube.com]