June 24, 2004

Some University of Houston students returned to familiar classrooms when summer school began June 1. Others were lucky enough to explore the mountains, tombs and unique villages of China and other foreign lands.

As part of the Office of International Studies and Programs’ study abroad program, students from many academic colleges are immersing themselves in other cultures this summer while earning credit hours. Almost 600 students participate in the program annually.

Sixteen students from the Graduate School of Social Work went to China recently. During their two-week stay, the students participated in the International Youth Conference and traveled to Hong Kong and nearby cities, discovering China’s contemporary development and culture.

Brian Trachte, who will earn his master’s degree in social work this summer, said the conference gave him a different perspective on how to address the concerns of youth in the United States.

“My experience in China made me realize that many of the problems our youth face here in the United States are not much different than the problems youth in other parts of the world face,” he said. “I learned different ways of approaching the problem and communicating with people. It was an eye-opening experience for me.”

Other stops in China included Shenzhen, Houston’s sister city, Xian and Beijing. In Xian, the students visited a local orphanage and a senior facility.

“The students enjoyed meeting with people in nursing homes and children’s facilities, but they wished they could speak the Chinese language,” said Monit Cheung, professor of social work, who traveled to China in December with another group of students.

“They danced with the nursing home residents and didn’t have to know the language to exercise their creativity and show their friendly attitude,” he said. “We left China knowing that its residents will recognize the University of Houston name in the future.”

The students also took tours of the Wild Goose Pagoda, the Shanxi Provincial Museum, the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City and the Ming Tombs.

“I’ve traveled to other countries before but never with fellow students,” said Trachte, who will soon seek his doctoral degree. “It was an experience that will stay with me long after I receive my master’s degree, and it will help me in my career.”

Thousands of miles away in Ghana, West Africa, six students from the African American Studies (AAS) program will take up residency for a month beginning in July.

The students received scholarships to study abroad, enrolling in Slavery and Race Relations and Africana Thought and Philosophy.

“These courses will be integrated with lectures by Ghanaian professors on subjects that relate to Ghanaian history and culture,” said Ahati Toure, AAS assistant director. “They are designed to look at the interconnections of different themes and ideas that relate to the experiences of African people, both in Ghana and in the United States.”

The students will delve into Ghana’s ancient history, educational issues and development concerns while studying at the University of Ghana, University of Cape Coast and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, which is named for Ghana’s first president. While there, students will explore the nation’s slave dungeons, villages, palaces, beaches and rainforests.

Four students in the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, 34 students in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and one student in the College of Optometry will study in Japan, Spain and Germany, respectively.

Thirteen students seeking degrees in the College of Architecture are currently studying in Saintes, France, at the Centre d’Etude d’Architecture et d’Urbanisme. The Saintes Program puts UH architecture students in an environment that allows them to think creatively outside their natural surroundings.

“There are countless educational benefits to studying abroad, but this program also helps students develop personally,” said Lannis Kirkland, the college’s associate dean. “So many students have returned from their trip with a take-charge attitude and more direction in their lives.”

Trips to Paris and Barcelona are customary for the students in France, but additional side trips are common as well, he said. The new and different surroundings give students a better understanding of how culture influences architecture.

“We also have some students leaving for Mexico later this summer,” Kirkland said. “Our students get an educational opportunity unlike that in the classroom. They walk away with a newfound direction in life.”

Leticia Vasquez
Lvasque5@central.uh.edu