When the coronavirus pandemic began in the spring semester, Poole College of Management and NC State worked tirelessly to bring our students home safely while continuing their academic journey virtually. Throughout the summer, the Office of Global Programs has explored many ideas on how Poole College can still provide opportunities for our students to gain global and cultural experiences when we are not able to send them abroad.
The new motto of Global Programs is “Here and Now” as Poole College is emphasizing the importance of providing local and virtual global experiences during a semester when travel is prohibited. Students will have global learning opportunities they can access here and now in a time with a global pandemic and the complexities of the world exposed.
“Our plan is that some or all of these programs will be evergreen and continue even when traditional study abroad programs return,” said Robert Sandruck, director of global programs. “Approximately 33 percent of Poole College students study abroad and while we will work hard to increase the number of students who go abroad, there is still a majority of students who do not.”
These virtual programs will allow these students to gain international experience while staying at home.
Poole College’s Office of Global Programs has developed four initiatives including a virtual global internship program for the fall, a podcast series, a buddy system and a Global Seminar Series across several partner institutions.
Explore the four initiatives
Virtual Global Internship Program
The Office of Global Programs and Poole College will be partnering with third party providers to offer undergraduate students virtual internship opportunities with international companies and organizations. Students will gain real world work experience while learning how to collaborate with colleagues from different cultures.
“Many students’ internships were canceled this past summer and other younger students are eager to get some professional experience. A virtual internship is a great option as it allows students to get professional experience to build their resumes and careers as well as gain international experience by working with a company or organization in South America, Asia, Australia, Africa or Europe,” said Sandruck.
Global Programs Podcast Series
Global Programs is currently developing a podcast series to share information and introduce students to global partners and opportunities as well as important topics in international business. The podcast creates a connection to any student wherever they are and can help them during their research into different study abroad programs.
Global Seminar Series
The Global Seminar Series will focus on the future of international business and how COVID-19 has reshaped the future. The series will have five seminars taught by faculty members from Poole College and four partnering business schools across four regions of the world.
Students who complete the series will receive a certificate issued by the five partnering schools: NC State, the University of Leeds (United Kingdom), the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Isreali), the Vienna School of Economics and Business (Austria), and the University of San Andrés (Argentina).
Buddy System
The buddy system will be an outgrowth of the Global Seminar Series where students will be paired with one to two other students from partner institutions. This provides an opportunity for open discussion on topics from the seminar series as well as casual conversations about their lives as students.
“The overall goal is to provide students with networking opportunities and to learn about cultural differences in university life, business, customs and culture of different regions,” said Sandruck.
These four new initiatives and other programming offered by NC State’s Office of Global Engagement allow students to gain global experiences HERE and NOW. For more information on global learning experiences at Poole College, visit the Office of Global Programs website.
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