“Diversity is the heart of success because it is the heart of learning. Without ensuring a flow of wisdom from strangers, a country chooses the comfort of sameness and predictability over the challenge of new ways of thinking and living.” (Everett)

At DU, we are committed to achieving inclusion through our diversity and equity efforts, but what does inclusion mean in the context of Education Abroad?  Inclusion is about all people having the opportunity to live full lives.  It is also about making the world our classroom and recognizing our interdependence in a global society.  In other words, Education Abroad is a powerful strategy for increasing our knowledge while, at the same time, helping us to view the world with multiple lenses and to see through the eyes of another.

In what specific ways can Education Abroad put inclusion into practice?

EDUCATION ABROAD  . . .

• Prepares you to Work in a Global Society by building first-hand understanding of traditions and influences in a global world.
• Enhances your Social Development by directly exposing you to cultural differences and people from different backgrounds.
• Prepares you for Success by seeing problems from different perspectives and encountering new and different situations.

If you really want to Get Where the World is Going and reap the rewards of diversity, equity and inclusion, consider Education Abroad. You will become:

• more globally competent through day-to-day life in another country with the preparation and guidance that enables insights and understanding.
• more knowledgeable about other countries, develop cross-cultural communication skills, and acquire the sensitivity that enables you to appreciate and work with diverse cultures.

DU students who have experienced Education Abroad describe it in these ways:

• “Professionally and personally, (studying abroad in China) made me more open minded and conscious of other people’s cultures” (Rachel Buckner, MBA graduate).
• “It wasn’t until I went abroad that I learned how different business practices are around the world” (Marissa Beadle, DU student).
• “To use the cliché line that going to China was the experience of a lifetime is a vast understatement. I never expected it to become such a permanent part of my life” (Meghan Edgerle, DU student).

Davenport University Education Abroad programs enable students to study almost anywhere in the world from three weeks to one year. It is not too early to start planning for the 2017-18 opportunities.

To learn more, visit this link

Everett, D. (2017, April 30).  “Seek Out Strangers.”  The Chronicle of Higher Education,                               Retrieved from http://www.chronicle.com/article/Seek-Out-Strangers/