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Center for International Studies

Around the World in Three Days

A trip around the world in three days may seem like the plot of a work of fiction, but recently -- and in spite of a destructive storm cutting a swath across the East Coast -- Western Illinois University President Jack Thomas and Rick Carter, executive director of the School of Distance Learning, International Studies and Outreach, visited nine countries, all within the D.C. area, in 72 hours.

As part of the University's internationalization efforts, Thomas and Carter met with embassy officials from South Korea, Japan, Peru, China, Ecuador, Brazil, Botswana, Thailand and Chile Oct. 31-Nov. 2. The purpose of the visits, Carter explained, was to introduce Western to these countries and to establish relationships with the various countries' educational leaders.

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Spring Study Abroad Participants

This spring, 52 students will participate in our faculty-led study abroad programs in Spain, Australia, England and France while eighteen students will be studying abroad individually in the following countries: Australia, Botswana, Chile, China, Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ghana, Ireland, Japan, Spain, Sweden and Semester at Sea. In addition, a group of 12 students is participating in a communications course and traveling to Walt Disney World.

WISE Spain

This three-month program is conducted in cooperation with the Colegio de España in Salamanca and Universitat Jaume I in Castellón. February and March are spent in Salamanca, site of the first university founded in Spain and a city that is traditionally college student-oriented. In April, the group moves to Castellón on the Mediterranean coast of Spain to experience a modern campus, one of the most technologically and academically advanced in Spain. The students will earn 16 hours of Spanish credit and visit numerous cities and historic sites.

International Health Care Systems

This course provides participants with opportunities to learn about the British National Health Service (NHS) and the challenges it faces firsthand. Through visits to the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery and the Royal College of Surgeons, participants will learn about the many facets that went into creating and now maintaining the NHS. 

Agriculture Down Under

This Study Abroad course offers students a variety of opportunities to witness agricultural processes "down under". They will visit Charles Sturt University and tour livestock and other agricultural facilities and interact with other students there. Additional visits are planned to farm businesses, vineyards and wineries to explore other facets of agricultural enterprise. Cultural excursions round out the course with stops in Melbourne and Sydney, including a tour of the world-famous Opera House.

European Business Study

The course begins in London where the participants will learn about British culture and history through visits to the Tower of London, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, and other popular sites. Visits to the Bank of England and other business ventures provide insight into British business culture. After four days in London, the course shifts to Paris. French business practices are explored through visits to IBM and other companies while French culture and history is discovered through visits to Notre Dame, Versailles, the Eiffel Tower and many others.  

Disney World Communication Culture

Not only is the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, one of the most popular vacation destinations in the world, it is also a great example of effective communication by a multinational corporation. Through various tours and attractions at the resort, the participants will discover the layers of non-verbal communication utilized by the Disney Imagineers.

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