By Kevin J.F. Murphy, PhD, Italy Academic Dean & Campus Director
Ever wonder what study abroad means for your career prospects? Or what’s really involved in living and working outside the U.S.? Students at the CEA Global Campuses in Rome and Florence will have a unique opportunity to explore these topics with CEA faculty and staff next week, thanks to a series of exciting events planned in celebration of International Education Week (IEW).
IEW is a joint initiative of the U.S. Departments of Education and State that promotes international education and exchange by preparing students around the world for the diversity of people and ideas they will inevitably encounter in today’s multicultural, multilingual global workforce—skills that CEA has long advanced through its curriculum, activities, and opportunities for exchange with local institutions and individuals. First held in 2000, today IEW is celebrated in more than 100 countries worldwide.
The Florence and Rome campuses have already kicked off IEW with the “A Day in the Life” photo contests, a chance for students to creatively showcase and reflect upon life as a student in Italy. Celebrations continue with the lecture “Land that Job: How to Sell Your Study Abroad Experience,” a talk that will outline how study abroad boosts personal development and career prospects after graduation. And for those who might be thinking la dolce vita is for them, a roundtable discussion titled “Turn Study Abroad into Living Abroad” will follow, led by CEA Rome and Florence staff members who have made Italy their adopted home.
In a statement on IEW, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan noted that "a complete education in the 21st century must teach our children about their interdependent world, and it must prepare them to be good leaders and good global citizens. International awareness and knowledge can help our children build the skills needed to communicate and cooperate with those from other nations and other cultures." We couldn’t agree more.