Despite being nestled away in rural western North Carolina, Appalachian State University still boasts a variety of study abroad programs, according to a recent article posted to theappalachianonline.com
In the write-up, Walker College of Business International Programs Coordinator Meredith Church Pipes is quoted, along with other campus experts, on how Appalachian's international programs are at once unexpected and important to students' development.
"In a lot of ways it doesn't seem to make sense; we're not even located near an international airport," Meredith Church Pipes, the International Programs Coordinator for the Walker College of Business, said. "But part of [the reason] is the vision of the faculty and staff that understand the value and importance of international engagement."
"The skills that you learn, of cross cultural communication and problem solving in different environments, and the independence that students gain from being abroad is very important," Pipes said. "When you start to develop a sense of empathy for people who are different than yourself, the stereotypes are hard to keep up, and you realize that people are just people."
About Walker College of Business international programs
The Walker College of Business incorporates a global orientation as an integral component of students' academic experience. The college has partnerships with universities across the globe and continues to expand ground-breaking opportunities in emerging markets, adding new program destinations and encouraging more students to spend a semester or year abroad. Each year, the Walker College of Business's Global Opportunities Conference brings experts in international business to campus, providing students with keys to succeed in the global marketplace as well as networking opportunities. All business students fulfill an international requirement, and an increasing number choose to study abroad through a wide variety of exchange programs.
In 2015-16 more than 150 graduate and undergraduate students participated in faculty-led study abroad courses, semester abroad programs, or international internships in roughly 20 countries, including Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Cuba,England, France, Germany, Holland, Japan, Spain and Taiwan. Short-term study abroad courses covered topics in management, entrepreneurship, finance, computer information systems, risk management, supply chain management, hospitality, sustainability and international business. More information
Appalachian's international programs help students develop
