Armed and ready with their lopping shears, a group of students from the University of Minnesota helps remove invasive wilding pines in New Zealand during an environmental issues short course through Globalinks Learning Abroad. Photo courtesy of Queenstown Resort College.

The Otago Daily Times this week is highlighting the volunteering efforts of 20 University of Minnesota students and an advisor participating in a three-week “Environmental Issues in New Zealand” course through GlobaLinks Learning Abroad.

The students, who started in late December in Auckland and ended in Queenstown in mid January, helped remove  the invasive wilding pines, a nuisance weed in New Zealand. The students also attended various lectures from the department of conservation and participated in many activities such as the following:

1. Tiri Matangi Island with guided interpretative nature walk
2. Gloworm caves in Waitomo
3. Hikes near Rotorua in the parks
4. Arthur’s Pass walks with the department of conservation
5. Franz Josef Glaciers
6. Milford Sound Tour
7. Queenstown Resort College lectures and volunteer project

A group of students from the University of Minnesota during their three-week environmental issues short course in New Zealand. Photo courtesy of Queenstown Resort College.

For more details on the students’ volunteer efforts, read the full article here.

Related posts:

1. Students Receive Study Abroad Scholarships For Short Courses
2. GlobaLinks Learning Abroad Announces University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, As Its ‘University Of Record’
3. Australian Media Reports On AustraLearn Students Taking Three-Week Photographic Journey

Two 2010 GlobaLinks Learning Abroad Interns Helped Design Solar-Efficient Home

Victoria University of Wellington, in New Zealand’s capital city, made it to the top finishers’ podium with its First Light house, which took third place out of 20 university teams competing Sept. 23-Oct. 2 in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011.

The Meridian First Light House, a solar decathlon entry from Victoria University of Wellington, won third place overall.

As the only entry from the southern hemisphere, the New Zealand team’s solar efficient house won third place for its combined total points in 10 separate competitions measuring everything from hot water output to engineering to home entertainment. Created through Victoria University of Wellington’s Department of Architecture and Design, the team worked for more than two and a half years on the house and for a time included two U.S. students who interned with the department in 2010 through international education program provider GlobaLinks Learning Abroad.

Those individuals are Nicole Chisholm, a environmental and forestry student at SUNY who completed a internship in New Zealand in 2010, and John Fandrey, a University of Missouri – Columbia student who also interned at the university in 2010.

Every two years since 2002, the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon competition has taken place in Washington D.C., showcasing a working display of energy innovation in action.

One of the most ambitious and inspiring events in the U.S., it challenges 20 university teams, through a series of 10 contests, to demonstrate inventive clean-energy solutions by building solar-powered houses that feature cost-effective, energy-efficient construction and incorporate energy-saving appliances and renewable energy systems.

The winner of the competition is the team that best blends affordability, consumer appeal, and design excellence with optimal energy production and maximum efficiency. This year, the winner was the University of Maryland, with Purdue University coming in second and Victoria University of Wellington coming in third with 919 out of 1,000 points, just a few points behind the winner.

“While we may not have won overall we are incredibly proud to have represented New Zealand on the world stage,” said team member Nick Officer in a press release posted on the New Zealand team’s web site. “We had such and amazing response from the U.S. public here along with supporters back home.”

The New Zealand team’s First Light house is inspired by the traditional New Zealand holiday home—the “Kiwi bach.” First Light’s design reflects a relaxed lifestyle in which socializing and connecting with the outdoors are central to living. At the heart of the design is a glazed central section that functions as a bridge between exterior and interior. A cedar canopy supports the solar array, which produces hot water and generates energy to power the house.

No related posts.

Select study abroad advisors to discover New Zealand’s rich educational and cultural offerings so they can better advise students

GlobaLinks Learning Abroad, a provider of international education programs across the globe, is partnering with Education New Zealand to give North American university faculty and study abroad advisors first-hand knowledge of the many educational and cultural resources available in New Zealand.

Education New Zealand is a newly established Crown Agency that provides leadership and coordination to maximize the impact of international and domestic export education activities. GlobaLinks Learning Abroad assists U.S. and Canadian students to achieve academic, professional, personal, social and cultural discovery in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Europe, and the South Pacific.

“Education New Zealand is a great supporter of our efforts to inspire more U.S. and Canadian students to discover the unique offerings of New Zealand,” said Cynthia Banks, founder and executive director of GlobaLinks Learning Abroad. “By providing airfare and other assistance for site visits to New Zealand, Education New Zealand is helping more faculty and advisors on our side of the world gain a deeper understanding of the quality educational offerings and rich cultural heritage of this island country in the South Pacific.”

Education New Zealand this year sponsored two airline tickets that were announced at the annual GlobaLinks Learning Abroad luncheon at the NAFSA: Association of International Educators conference in Vancouver in May. The organization also supported a specialized countrywide New Zealand site visit earlier this year that was attended by two GlobaLinks Learning Abroad staff.

“Education New Zealand is thrilled to be able to support the travel of advisors to New Zealand,” said Sarah Cox, PACE Events and Offshore Network senior manager. “After all, the best way to understand the environment of a country is to visit in person. We are very proud of the quality of education available to students in New Zealand; the relaxed lifestyle here makes it a very easy place for international students to settle in.”

The advisor recipients of the New Zealand site visits are:

• Sarah Simmonite, assistant director for the Center for International Education at the College of Charleston. She will attend an advisor site visit in New Zealand, with airfare covered by Education New Zealand and accommodations paid for by GlobaLinks Learning Abroad.
• Caryn Lindsay, director of international programs at Minnesota State University, Mankato. She will attend an advisor site visit in New Zealand, with airfare covered by Education New Zealand and accommodations paid for by GlobaLinks Learning Abroad.

“I am excited about this opportunity to visit New Zealand and see firsthand why students rave about their experience there,” Simmonite said. “By visiting a variety of universities, I hope to gain a better understanding of the academic strengths and individual culture of each campus so I am better equipped to advise our students. I am looking forward to discovering how these universities and host cultures enrich our students’ education – both inside and outside the classroom. I am grateful to GlobaLinks Learning Abroad and Education New Zealand for this unique opportunity for professional development and personal growth, as I have only heard wonderful comments about the country and its people.”

“I’m very grateful for this opportunity to learn more about the expertise found at New Zealand universities,” Lindsay said. “It is not only helpful for my advising work with students, but it also provides me with background and contacts for directing interested faculty members toward opportunities to develop faculty-led programs in New Zealand.”

Nearly 100,000 students come from overseas each year to study in New Zealand, which has eight state-funded universities, all of them respected for their academic and research standards. Known in Maori as Aotearoa, or Land of the Long White Cloud, New Zealand is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts and features varied landscapes and hidden treasures waiting to be explored.

GlobaLinks Learning Abroad offers overseas site visits and educational workshops in New Zealand and other destinations to advisors and faculty. The site visits are designed to deliver a full menu of educational and cultural sites and experiences, including the Bridging Cultures Program, in a short period. The company also supports ongoing advisor education about its pre-program and on-site support services through an Advisor Open House in January and July at its headquarters in Westminster, Colo.

For more information on educational opportunities available for study abroad advisors by GlobaLinks Learning Abroad, visit the Learning About Our Programs page.

Related posts:

1. GlobaLinks Learning Abroad Site Visits Educate University Advisors, Faculty
2. GlobaLinks Learning Abroad Recognizes Study Abroad Advisors For Their Encouragement and Innovation
3. GlobaLinks Learning Abroad Announces Raffle Winners of Advisor Site Visits

Scholarships are assisting numerous GlobaLinks Learning Abroad participants this summer with their short-term study abroad programs in Australia and New Zealand.

Recipients:

Kristin Larios of the University of Kansas is taking the Tropical Marine Ecology course and received $1,000 from the Foundation for Global Scholars.

Stephen McClanahan of Auburn University is taking the Creating A Green, Sustainable Environment course and received $1,000 from the Foundation for Global Scholars.

Mahdyeh Nowkhandan of Metropolitan State College of Denver is taking the Challenge New Zealand – Leadership Development course and received $1,000 from the Foundation for Global Scholars.

Sabrina Orser of Grand Valley State University is attending Summer School in Australia at the University of Adelaide and received $1,500 from the Foundation for Global Scholars.

Lauren Presutti of Central Michigan University is taking the Wanju Boodjah – Aboriginal Studies in Western Australia  course and received $1,500 from the Foundation for Global Scholars, and $500 (AUD) from the Murdoch University Wanju Boodjah Sponsored Scholarship.

Amanda Stewart of the University of North Florida is taking The Australian Experience: Environmental Issues course and received $500 from the Foundation for Global Scholars.

Sara Tullis of Kansas State University is taking The Australian Sporting Industry course and received $500 from the Foundation for Global Scholars.

Ashley Shumar of Indiana University of Pennsylvania is taking the International Business: The Asia-Pacific Connection course and received $1,000 from the Edith Cowan University  (ECU) International Business Sponsored Scholarship.

Kireeti Ghanta of the University of Southern Indiana is taking the International Business: The Asia-Pacific Connection course and
received $1,000 from the ECU International Business Sponsored Scholarship.

Sarah Virnig of the University of North Dakota is taking the Coral Bay – Marine Science On Australia’s West Coast course and received $500 from the Murdoch University Coral Bay Sponsored Scholarship.

Related posts:

1. Philanthropy: Racing To Raise Money For Study Abroad Scholarships
2. Scholarships Awarded To Degree Abroad Students
3. Student Snapshots: Bond University Awards Scholarships To AustraLearn Degree Abroad Students, CBC Radio Airs Segment On College Degree Transfer Programs

The AustraLearn Organization offers internships in microbrewery production. Interns learn the basics of maintaining and using equipment including filling kegs, washing tanks, and controlling the stock. There are also chances to learn processes for producing beer in the form of blending grains, boiling, and fermenting. Finally, participants also help market and sell the beer to local buyers. Depending on eligibility, some interns may also be able to write about their experience in a local newspaper and receive course credit.

Read more at MatadorNetwork.com

Related posts:

1. GlobaLinks Learning Abroad Announces Shanghai Internship Program

The Wilmington StarNews caught up with Elizabeth Jungen, a sophomore at the University of North Carolina Wilmington who is studying at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch through AustraLearn, after last week’s earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, which left disaster in its wake and over 113 dead.

Jungen is doing well and is safe, and was kind enough to share the conditions in the area with the StarNews.

Here are some excerpts from the email Jungen sent to the StarNews’ Jason Gonzales:

“Just before noon I had just taken a shower and was actually still in my towel when the initial earthquake hit. Since I have gotten here all of the kiwis say regularly what a common occurrence little aftershocks are and that they are no big deal. So I just kind of stood there for a moment not realizing that anything big was happening until the shaking just kept going and the books and things on my shelves started flying around at which point I got under my desk.”

Read more here.

Related posts:

1. One Week Later: New Zealand Universities Regrouping In Christchurch Quake Aftermath
2. Student Snapshots: AustraLearn Alumnus Finalist On America’s Got Talent; New Zealand Program Participant Blogs
3. AustraLearn Participant Wins ‘Study In Australia 2010 Video Contest’

One week following a devastating earthquake near Christchurch, New Zealand, area universities are determining how quickly they can begin lectures.

The University of Canterbury remains closed, and Lincoln University is delaying the start of lectures until March 14 following last week’s quake, which has greatly impacted Christchurch and its Central Business District.

GlobaLinks Learning Abroad, a North American study abroad program provider, continues to assist its AustraLearn study abroad program participants at the University of Canterbury in moving to alternative campuses. The company has worked with each affected student to ensure the academic and personal success for his or her semester abroad, if at another New Zealand university. Lincoln University students will remain at the university.

Late last week, Gavin Murdoch, AustraLearn’s resident director in New Zealand, corresponded with each student who intended to study at the University of Canterbury. In addition, AustraLearn staff is reviewing student academic needs, coupled with intended study plans, to make certain the New Zealand institution will suit each student’s  scholastic requirements.  If a student chooses to transfer to another university in New Zealand, GlobaLinks Learning Abroad will honor the fees paid to the University of Canterbury, plus arrange and pay for transportation to the new program center.

As many universities will commence classes this week, GlobaLinks Learning Abroad will continue to work with affected students to finalize plans and arrangements. For more information, visit GlobaLinks Learning Abroad’s Health and Safety Announcements page.

No related posts.

United Nations’ Human Development Report 2010 —20th Anniversary Edition

This 20th anniversary edition of the United Nations’ Human Development Report includes New Zealand, Ireland and Australia in the top five of nations in measuring the critical aspects of human development that dictate quality of life, including political freedoms, empowerment, sustainability and human security.

The past 20 years have seen substantial progress in many aspects of human development. Most people today are healthier, live longer, are more educated and have more access to goods and services, according to a summary of the report. Even in countries facing adverse economic conditions, people’s health and education have greatly improved. And there has been progress not only in improving health and education and raising income, but also in expanding people’s power to select leaders, influence public decisions and share knowledge.

Yet not all sides of the story are positive, the report says. These years have also seen increasing inequality— both within and across countries— as well as production and consumption patterns that have increasingly been revealed as unsustainable. Progress has varied, and people in some regions—such as Southern Africa and the former Soviet Union—have experienced periods of regress, especially in health. New vulnerabilities require innovative public policies to confront risk and inequalities while harnessing dynamic market forces for the benefit of all.

“Twenty years after the appearance of the first Human Development Report, there is much to celebrate in what has been achieved,” says Amartya Sen, the Nobel Prize–winning economist who worked with series founder Mahbub ul Haq on the conception of the first Human Development Report and contributed to and inspired many successive volumes.”But we also have to be alive to ways of improving the assessment of old adversities and of recognizing—and responding to—new threats that endanger human well-being and freedom.“

The top 20 countries in the index are:

1. Norway
2. Australia
3. New Zealand
4. United States
5. Ireland
6. Liechtenstein
7. Netherlands
8. Canada
9. Sweden
10. Germany
11. Japan
12. Korea (Republic of)
13. Switzerland
14. France
15. Israel
16. Finland
17. Iceland
18. Belgium
19. Denmark
20. Spain

Related posts:

1. University Highlights: Bubbles in Ireland, Brews in New Zealand, Nature Make-Overs In Australia
2. Seven AustraLearn Students Rank Top Of Class While Abroad

Scotland

University of Strathclyde Graduates Gain Real-Life Business Experience

The Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship at the University of Strathclyde is to play a key role in a new £1.5 million placement program designed to give graduates real-life business experience and help ambitious companies achieve growth, according to a university news article.

Over the next three years, The TalentScotland Graduate Placement Programme will match 750 skilled graduates with growing Scottish businesses to carry out innovative projects the businesses otherwise would not be able to achieve.

Each graduate will receive dedicated, residential entrepreneurship training delivered by Strathclyde’s Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship and Robert Gordon University to enhance graduates’ employability, innovation and leadership skills.

“The aim of the training element of the course is to better equip graduates to understand their placement business and hit the ground running in the project they are assigned with,” said Dr. Jonathan Levie of the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship. “They will learn practical tools and techniques in business to help them become strong leaders and help drive business growth.”

New Zealand

Double Victory for Univ. of Waikato Students in Business Case

The winning team of Waikato Management students from left to right Jeremy Harwood, Daniel Stevenson, Michael Hall and Donna Frederikson.

A team of students from the University of Waikato Management School is celebrating a double victory.  At the recent finals of the national student case competition in Queenstown, Waikato beat five other New Zealand university teams to win the national league championship and was also judged international champion in a ten-team competition including teams from Holland, Australia, China and Singapore, according to a university news article.

The winning Waikato team of Daniel Stevenson, Donna Frederikson, Michael Hall and Jeremy Harwood impressed the judges with the depth, scope and business savvy of their analysis of the ski industry in the international competition final. “They were incredibly impressive,” said NZSki CEO James Coddington. “I only wish I could hire all of them.”

Stevenson graduates with a Bachelor of Management Studies (Honours) later this year, and has secured a place on Deutsche Bank’s prestigious graduate entry programme in Sydney. “Taking part in the case competitions has been the highlight of my time at Waikato, and the real-world business experience has given me the edge in finding a job,” he says.

University of Canterbury Composer Elated to Win National Award

Chris Cree Brown.

Internationally acclaimed composer and University of Canterbury lecturer Associate Professor Chris Cree Brown (Music) has received a prestigious national award for a musical composition for solo clarinet and electronics.

The work, Inner Bellow, won the 2010 SOUNZ Contemporary Award, which was presented to Professor Cree Brown at the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) Silver Scroll awards ceremony recently in Auckland. The annual award consists of $3,000 in prize money and a trophy designed and made by sculptor Sarah Smuts Kennedy.

It was the fourth time Professor Cree Brown had been a finalist for the award. He said he was “absolutely elated” to win this year.

“As a creative artist I find it difficult to look at my own work and assess it in any way,” he said, “so to have my peers say that this piece is fantastic is absolutely wonderful.”

Inner Bellow was one of three finalist works for the award and was selected from 44 submissions. It was specially written for Christchurch-based clarinettist Gretchen La Roche, who is also a tutor in the School of Music, and includes unusual performance techniques such as multiphonics and having the soloist play through a partly dismantled instrument to create new tones.

Australia

Univ. of Wollongong Earns Record 43 Stars in Good Universities Guide

The release of the 2011 Good Universities Guide shows that the University of Wollongong (UOW) has achieved a record 43 stars from nine critical categories listed in the independent guide.  This year UOW gained a maximum five stars in the following categories:

• Getting a Job
• Positive Graduate Outcomes
• Research Intensity
• Graduate Satisfaction
• Staff Qualifications
• Staff-Student Ratios
• Generic Skills

The release of the highly-respected 2010 Shanghai Jiao Tong rankings has seen UOW maintain its position for the fourth year in a row as one of the world’s top 2 percent of research universities.

Related posts:

1. University Highlights – Europe
2. University Highlights: AustraLearn’s Full-Degree Efforts Recognized By University of Queensland, University of South Australia Professor Wins Prestigious Award
3. University Highlights: U of Auckland Children’s Study, University of Sydney’s Medical School in Canada, University of Adelaide’s Research On Space Vehicle

10-Day Seoul Lantern Festival Underway

Seoul Lantern Festival

The 2nd Seoul Lantern Festival is scheduled to begin on Nov. 5, 2010, with the Opening and Lighting Ceremony to take place at the Cheonggye Plaza and the streets along the Cheonggyecheon. The festival will create a spectacular view at night by exhibiting a total of 15,000 Korean traditional and international lanterns from 29 different regions from 24 countries around the world.

Especially, to celebrate special occasions such as G20 Seoul Summit and 2010 Visit Korea Year (with Seoul), this year’s festival will be a place for festivities where Korea and the world and tradition and modernity go hand-in-hand, by featuring storytelling lanterns by theme and various colorful events.

For more detailed information, please visit http://www.visitseoul.net/en/index.do?_method=main.

Lonely Planet Puts Wellington and Newcastle As Top 10 Cities to Visit in 2011

Wellington, New Zealand, and Newcastle, Australia, are ranked number 4 and 9, respectively, on the Lonely Planet “Top 10 Cities” in the world for 2011 list.

Here’s what Lonely Planet had to say on:

Wellington

Wellington is Cool-with-a-capital-C, crammed with more bars, cafes and restaurants per capita than New York, and a slew of gourmet producers including some 10 independent coffee roasteries. Year-round you’ll find arts and cultural events in abundance. Likewise, its film industry, ‘Wellywood’, centered on the Miramar Peninsula, is booming thanks in large part to the success of Wellingtonian Sir Peter Jackson (executive producer of the 2011 and 2012 Hobbit movies currently being made here). This little capital will be front-and-center on the world stage in 2011 when New Zealand hosts the Rugby World Cup.

Newcastle

Is it Australia’s most underrated city? Anyone surprised to see Newcastle on the list of 2011′s hottest cities (and there’s a few of you, right?) probably hasn’t pulled in off the Pacific Highway, or at least not for a while. Newcastle flies under the radar of Aussies and international travelers in part because it’s overshadowed by its bigger, bolder and better-known sibling, Sydney, 150km south. But, at around one-tenth the size, Australia’s second-oldest city has Sydney-like assets: surf beaches, a sun-drenched subtropical climate, and diverse dining, nightlife and arts. Not only is Newcastle ideally located just two hours by road or rail or 30 minutes by plane or seaplane from Sydney, it’s less than an hour’s drive west to the Hunter Valley wineries, south to sailboat-filled Lake Macquarie, north to whale-watching and sharkfeeding at Port Stephens and to sandboarding at Stockton Beach (the southern end of the 32km-long beach is a five-minute ferry ride across Newcastle’s harbour).

For the entire Top 10 list, visit Lonely Planet’s website.

No related posts.