More opportunities to study abroad
Students studying at Inverness College UHI could soon have more options to study in North America.
The college promotes opportunities for degree students to study abroad and already has international exchange programmes with seven colleges/universities in Canada and the USA.
Now it is looking to develop a new partnership with Westminster College, Salt Lake City, Utah, which would enable Inverness College UHI students to travel to the USA and study for one semester or a year - and for international students from Utah to study in the Highlands.
Utah has a thriving outdoor industry and is known for its rock canyons, wild rivers and snowy slopes, with Westminster College within minutes of the Rocky Mountains and its various resorts. The area is also earning a reputation for its growing number of business start-ups.
Sarah Demko, assistant provost for global learning at Westminster College, recently visited Inverness College UHI to discuss exchange opportunities. Curriculum areas where exchanges are being explored include adventure tourism, sport, public health and social care, business and entrepreneurism.
Roddy Henry, acting principal at Inverness College UHI, said: “It was an absolute pleasure to welcome Sara Demko to Inverness College UHI. The more we discussed an exchange partnership, the more we discovered the similarities we share and the opportunities that exist for different courses. We’re now working towards formalising this partnership, which will provide our students with more opportunities to study abroad. It’s something we actively promote and we’re always looking at how we can improve this offering, not only to enable our own students to travel but for international students to come here. The college’s international work will also open up opportunities for students across the UHI partnership.”
Inverness College UHI already runs international exchange programmes with Thompson Rivers University, Trent University, and the University of Prince Edward Island, in Canada, and Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Jacksonville University, Monmouth College and Utah Valley University, in the USA, as well as Nagasaki University and Tokyo University of Agriculture in Japan.
Financial support is also available through the Erasmus programme for higher education students from Inverness College UHI who wish to study in Europe, with opportunities ranging from three months to one year. The programme is also open to college staff, who have the opportunity to gain knowledge of best practice across European institutions. Inverness College UHI has partners in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Ural.
For further information about international opportunities at Inverness College UHI, email International.Office.ic@uhi.ac.uk. For more information about Inverness College UHI, go to www.inverness.uhi.ac.uk