Message from the International Programs Office

times we only know the theory part but we don’t know how to put it into practice until we finish our career. These pro-grams not only allow you to assume a role in the business world, it also gives you the advantage to provide your help to others. At the beginning it was a little bit difficult because I have never been part of team work and community work out of my country. However I was able to overcome this problem with the unconditional help of my teacher and director of the program Dan Kazakoff and as well other people involved in the programs. They provided

me with their support in any situation. Working with the community of Lethbridge al-lowed me to see how nice and polite the people in Lethbridge are and make me a part of their city. I found my experience in this program unforgettable and irreplaceable. I don’t think I will ever again have such a enriching experience that im-proved my life.”

Nicole Giler

Established in 1998, Theory Into Practice Programs include our Co-op Program, Integrated Management Experience (IME) initiative, Applied Con-sulting Program and Mentors Program. “During my time in Canada I had the great opportunity to be enrolled in the Theory Into Practice Programs offered by the Faculty of Management. These Programs such as IME, Mentors and Applied Consult-ing make me put all the skills learned during previous school years in practice. I have learned what it really means to be part of a team and participate in real life business situations. Some-

Global education begins at home and extends across the boundaries of culture, geogra-phy, and language. It brings people together, tears down barriers, and creates shared understanding.

Global education at the Uni-versity of Lethbridge provides learning both in and outside the classroom by enabling us to reach out and learn of oth-ers and from others in collabo-ration with our international partners.

The Faculty of Management International Programs Office

is enthusiastic in its mission to foster internationalization and a global mindset for students, faculty, and the broader com-munity. We welcome your participation in our programs and support of our goals of lifelong global learning.

In a recent interview with the University of Lethbridge Leg-end newspaper, Andrea Amelinckx talked about how the Faculty is helping an in-creasing number of students gain a greater appreciation of cultural differences, and had this to say, “While gaining a greater appreciation of differ-

ences worldwide does make good business sense for stu-dents, it is also valuable in and of itself.”

Message from the International Programs Office

University of Lethbridge

2007/2008 Annual Newsletter

Fall 2007 Exchange Students

“I recommend this program to everybody, because everybody was so friendly to us—from the professors to the students.”

Theory into Practice Programs

From Left to Right: Director Andrea Amelinckx, Incoming

Exchange Coordinator Rhonda Crow and Outgoing Exchange Coordinator

Candace Jesson.

India Work-Study 2

Faculty Exchange 3

Memoirs from Canada 4

Poland-Canada Globalization Project

5

Canadian Culture and Management

5

Postcards from Abroad

6

Malaysia Work-Study 7

JDC West 8

Inside this issue:

Brian Harrison, Exchange to Lyon

“Overall this is an excellent school to go to. The Students Society is exceptional in offering options for new experiences.”

University of Lethbridge students now have the opportunity to enhance their classroom education by gaining first-hand experience in the Indian culture and business community. In April 2007 nine management and two new media students worked in Indian companies while living in Mumbai.

This program was inspired by the success of the Faculty of Management’s Malaysia Work-Study program. “India seemed like a logical choice for the new program for a number of reasons. Stu-dents can speak English there and still have the opportunity to work in a very different culture that is of growing importance to the global economy,” says Director Andrea Amelinckx.

The opportunity to live, work and study in another part of the world will be a major learning ex-perience. “The students will get a feel for what an emerging economy looks like and experience drastically different cultures, business environments, eating habits and weather,” says Dr. Sameer Deshpande.

The six-week India Work Study program is designed to allow students direct exposure to the cul-ture and working environment of India without the expense and time commitment of a full-semester exchange. Through a six-week unpaid practicum in Mumbai, students receive first-hand international business experience while working on various projects.

While the focus of the work study is exposure to the international business environment, the cul-tural experience the students receive while they are on the practicum is also a crucial component. During the practicum, students learn about India through a series of evening presentations, which address different aspects of living and working in India. The speakers for these presentations in-clude Canadian expatriates and members of the Indian business and academic communities.

Inaugural India Work-Study

“I really enjoyed the opportu-nity to work and travel in India through the University of Lethbridge. It was a great ex-perience to work in India, learning the differences be-tween work cultures and the Indian way of life. Mumbai was a great location for the work study program, as it is a vi-brant, cosmopolitan city that I would like to return there in the future, as it was difficult to see all the sights during our 6 week stay. India seems to have everything – beaches, moun-tains, deserts, cities, villages, and rainforests. The economy of India is growing rapidly, and offers many sights (and sounds!) for students to see and experience. India was a great place to travel and there seems to be an excitement in the air as the people realize the opportunities which are open-ing up to them as their country grows. It’s a great atmosphere to be in, to experience, and I would encourage any student

to take this program in the future!”

Justina Williams Standard Chartered Bank

Justina at Ellora Caves

"I feel as though the India Work Study was an experience of a life-time. Not only did the internship develop me person-ally but also, and maybe most importantly, it developed me professionally. Considering that the main focus of the trip and our reason for going to India was to gain international business/management experi-ence, I think the goal for the work study was definitely ac-complished, at least from my end of things. The experiences

Page 2 Internat ional Programs 2007/2008

“All in all the experience in In-dia was wonderful. I definitely wish to go back one day. My work experience at CRY was invaluable and will affect how I look at policy making and grass-roots non-governmental organi-zations in the future. Highlights of our trip included weekend trips and making friends through work and just meeting people on the street. We ven-tured to Delhi, Agra, Goa, and Pune aside from our organized tours of Mumbai and caves at Ellora and Ajanta. In a nutshell India was amazing!

Rita Reddy CRY (Child Relief and You)

Rita in front of the Taj Mahal.

that were encountered and the elements that were learned both from a cultural and busi-ness standpoint were immense. In comparison to the long-running and successful Malay-sia Work Study, I personally think that the India Work Study offers up more benefit to a University of Lethbridge Management Student. Now I may be showing bias because I went on the India work study but I even think that if one stands back and looks at the two work studies objectively and compares them that they will see what I do. Considering the role that the Indian econ-omy is playing in today's global market and the importance that it holds in future world trade relations, I think that gaining experience in their culture and understanding how their business world looks and operates is far more beneficial to a student that is seeking a career which will eventually deal with international affairs;

India Work Study Group

Professor Sameer Deshpande, Thomas Kaune, Rita Reddy, Stephen Kuan, Sadia Shivji, Michael Rasmussen, Andrzej

Rzeszutek, Amrita Deshpande (Instructor), Alex Varricchio,

Jessica Englund, Yukiko Okutomi, Paige Winter, and Justina Williams.

Missing: Candace Jesson, Coordinator


Michael Rasmussen A.T.C Pvt. Ltd

“Living in India for a while was quite a new experience for me. I could not imagine the

and I can directly quote one of my supervisors from where I worked during the internship. "In years to come it will be hard to do any business inter-nationally that will not involve India in some way." From this you can see that knowing the ins and the outs and all of the little things that help when dealing with an Indian busi-ness partner will go a long way in future management ca-reers.”

busy city life and the crowded roads with various animals and vehicles before coming here. I visited many places in India including but not limited to the famous Taj Mahal, Agra Fort as well as many holy caves. People in India were kind and the experience to communicate with them cre-ated unique and interesting memories. I gained far more than I had expected besides the internship itself. I appreci-

Faculty Exchanges The mandate of this program is to promote international faculty-to-faculty linkages by fostering short-term teaching exchanges between the Faculty of Management and our insti-tutional exchange partner schools.

“Having the opportunity to share my ex-perience with students com-ing from very diverse nation-alities and re-

gions like Canada, Europe, Asia and Latin America, in a single class, listening and learning from everybody’s points of view, makes a course richer and offers great benefits to all of us, the students and of course the instructor.”

Santiago Gonzalez Universidad Panamericana,

Aguascalientes, Mexico

“The International Summer School at Schmalkalden, Ger-many brings together students and professors from all over the world for an intensive summer program. Each year our German partner in-vites one professor from the UofL to participate in the pro-gram. I taught a course enti-tled "Managing People in a Dynamic Global Environ-ment." It was a great experi-ence and I highly recommend it for both students and fac-ulty.”

Dr. Bernard Williams University of Lethbridge

“I remember the visits to the

Hutterite and the First Na-tion’s communities. It was (a) great experience to be able to learn first hand about the Hut-terite community. I associated the First Nations families as those of my (own) traditional village/farm folks…”

Dr. Intan Osman Universiti Sains Malaysia

“Over the years I have been an exchange professor in Mex-ico (Instituto Panamericano de Alta Dirección de Empresa [IPADE]; Universidad Panamericana [UP], Mexico City & Guadalajara; Universi-dad Bonaterra, Aguascali-entes), Germany (University of Applied Sciences, Schmalkal-

den), Ecuador (Universidad de Especialidades Espíritu Santo [UEES], Guayaquil) & Malay-sia (Universiti Sains Malaysia [USM], Penang). I have learned so much from the creativity of people in foreign lands in their efforts to create a better future. The greatest gifts were the kindnesses ex-tended to me by people I met in a variety of settings includ-ing universities, homes, muse-ums and art galleries and the villages/towns I visited. These experiences help me to broaden my horizons as I con-duct my life as a teacher, re-searcher and global citizen.”

Hiroshi Shimazaki University of Lethbridge

ate the opportunity provided by the UofL.

Stephen Kuan Group M

Yukiko and Stephen at Haji Ali

I believe the best choice someone can have is to be part of an exchange program"

Carlos Valencia Mexico

“I spent four amazing months in Canada. I met great people from Canada and other ex-change students from all over the world. I saw other ways of teaching students. I had the opportunity to travel across Canada. Me and four other exchange students went to Banff and Jasper for Easter to snowboard. Also I went to Calgary to see Nelly Furtado's concert. Finally now I know

"Having had the chance to be part of an exchange program was the best thing that could of happen to me and the experi-ence I gained is huge. I decided to do the last semester in Lethbridge - the semester abroad helped me not only improve my English but also in getting to know a different culture and therefore different ways of thinking and living. I had the chance to meet peo-ple from all over the world which helped a lot to broaden my thinking. During my ex-change I had excellent mo-ments. I got to know Canada with my new friends that were from all over the world. In winter 2007 I had a great time but it seems it doesn’t end there, as I am still in contact with my new friends. We even decided to do business to-gether. We want to connect the world and bring a bit of Mex-ico into European countries.

why Canada is such a great place to live. People there are friendly, whenever you need help - they are happy to help you. It's really awesome place. That is why I'm so grateful to University of Lethbridge that I had this opportunity to be there. It was a great time for me. I learned a lot, met won-derful people, and visited many places. I had a great time in Lethbridge. I'm so happy that I had decided to study in Can-ada. I hope some day I'll come back to this awesome coun-try!!!”

Adam Schultz Poland

Memoirs from Canada


“I must admit that studying at Lethbridge was very liberating and an exciting experience. The University and people working there are just great. You have a chance to attend courses that are held in small groups, in a pleasant atmos-phere and what is more impor-tant the contact between the students and the teacher is more personal, more open and helpful. What surprised me the most is that there is great influence put on learning by examples, and the knowledge is more practical than theoreti-cal.”

Agnieszka Dabrowska Poland

“I strongly recommend the program for those who are interested in an experience involving several cultures and

ethnic groups on a land of multiples and wonderful land-scapes.”

Leandro Demarchi Chile

“My first impression was Cana-dians are friendly, by the way I'm always saying that, even if there are some exceptions al-though rare. I met so many people from different coun-tries, and we keep in contact.”

Antoine Marcq France

“Being in Canada was a great and different experience. I had the chance to meet great peo-ple and an incredible country that offers many opportunities, great landscapes, different cul-ture, and very friendly people. It was the best experience of my life and I would definitively go back. We were able not only to be in Lethbridge but to travel around a little bit making it a better experience that will not only be beneficial for our studies but life itself.”

Diana Castro Ecuador

Ice Fishing Miriam Larios, Mexico City

Exchange Student Gathering

Spring 2007 Exchange Student

“I had a great time at the UofL. I’m really grateful for the opportunity to study there. I hope I’ll move to Canada soon and again study at the UofL.”

Fall 2007 Exchange Student

“It was one of the most rewarding experiences

I’ve ever had. If you can attend UofL as an

exchange student, don’t miss the chance.”

Canadian Culture & Management Fieldtrips

of the Soviet Empire, while the second, held at a public forum, focused on Poland in the global community. For each, students and faculty from both countries attended and were active participants. It was an amazing opportunity to bring people together to discuss shared concerns and learn from each other in a shared virtual environment. “My name is Kamil Kasner and I am from Poland. I arrived to

Canada in January, as an ex-change student, and then re-turned for the International Management Certificate in September. Lethbridge is a quiet place and I have met my Love there. From September through December I attended the “Globalization since 1492” course with Professor Anthony J. Hall. I had a chance to ex-perience videoconference les-sons. It was something very new to me and it made a huge impression on me. I decided to

learn how to learn differently. If you add to this: all the trips, the asset on your résumé and a lot of fun, you will realize that no more hesitation is now pos-sible. So, all aboard…

Denys Vandenrijt Belgium

“At this moment it will be about 1 year ago when I had to contact the International Of-fice of my home university as to which country I wanted to

do my exchange period. I did not even have to think about it, because I really wanted go to Canada. To improve my Eng-lish, but also because of it's beautiful environment. At the end of my exchange period I can say that both 'missions' are realized. I think my English has improved a lot and I have seen so many beautiful things in Canada.”

Ralf Smits Netherlands

“It is an incredible opportunity for you in a small town where it is good to be alive and where the inhabitants are very wel-coming. You will meet people from all over the world. You will live a real international experience with students from five continents. It is so obvious that you will be faced with real cultural shock not only with exchange students but also with Canadians. It will cast doubt over your values, cus-toms and behaviour. Moreover, it is a unique chance to learn and improve your skills not only to speak English but also during the courses at the University with professors that are always ready to help. The different way to teach is very interesting and you will so


Elijah Provost Head Smashed-in Buffalo Jump

Poland-Canada Globalization

This year included some of our favorite locations such as the Waterton National Park, Head Smashed-In Buffalo Jump and curling. We added trips to the McCains factory, Hutterite colonies, and the Warner Hockey School.

Two graduates of the Faculty of Management (and former exchange students), Kamil Kasner and Nela Gradzka, in collaboration with Dr. Tony Hall, organized two video-conference seminars between Torun, Poland and the Univer-sity of Lethbridge. These seminars were part of the In-terdisciplinary course, Money, Culture and Globalization. The first, held at the Nicolas Co-pernicus University, examined the fate of the former colonies

encourage Professor Anthony J. Hall to run a videoconference session from Poland to Canada. Moreover, we are considering developing this level of coopera-tion throughout the world.

Kamil Kasner Poland

trip where it would rain, blow 100km/hr winds, be sunny, and snow all in one day. I did-n't see anything like it in all of South America and it will al-ways stick out in my mind. The pictures are from that National Park and although beautiful, they don't give the Park any justice.

Matt Mosher

“My exchange is the best time of my life I have ever had. I met the most amazing people and experienced a lot of things I am not accustomed to. The Polish people are extremely nice and understanding when you take the time to talk to

has a unique beauty to it. I wouldn't change a thing about my exchange if I could. Doing my exchange in Chile was one of the best experi-ences of my life. I fell in love with the city of Valparaiso, met people from all over the world and learned more than I could have imagined about the cul-ture in Chile, the Spanish lan-guage, and life in general. This was possible because I lived with now lifelong friends who consisted of a French girl, two Spaniards, and a Chilean. The program coordinators are there to make your experience as enjoyable as possible, but also a learning one. My most memorable side trip was when my two roommates from Spain and I went to the "Southern tip of the World" (also known as Patagonia). There we did a five day/four night camping/hiking

Postcards from Abroad

Claudia Bognar, Exchange to Chile

“It has been quite an experience and I have learned so much from

this exchange. I feel I can accomplish

anything now after this trip. It was

difficult at first, but is was worth it. Its

been a blast.”


Moped Security

John Anderson, Exchange to Mexico

“Great experience that I recommend. By far the best way to learn about a new culture and language.”

“I feel that I was able to take home an excellent learning experience in a different envi-ronment, and my courses helped me to broaden my in-ternational perspective. The professors were amazing, and I would come back to HEC in a heartbeat (if I had the money of course!!). The social envi-ronment at the University, and in the city as well is excep-tional. This is a great place for a student to develop and learn. The Erasmus program was a great experience, not only did it help me to improve my sec-ond language but I was able to make many friends from coun-tries all over the world. The networking opportunities were amazing, and I highly recom-mend taking advantage of this opportunity. Liege as a city is a fun environment full of stu-dents. I also enjoyed traveling around Europe with fellow exchange students. My ex-

change was not only a learning experience, but a life experi-ence that I will remember for-ever!

Kacey Lantz

“Once you get over the initial culture shock (including fast talking Chileans)...the Universi-dad Catolica de Valparaiso is a great place to study. The inter-national student department (PIIE) is really great at keeping students informed about what is going on around campus and in the community. There are many great opportunities out-side of class to meet people and immerse yourself into the culture of Chile and South America. Another great ad-

vantage to studying in Chile, is the proximity to great places to visit. With Chile’s amazing geographic and cultural diver-sity it is easy to break away from the central coast for a weekend and find yourself in the southern region with mountains, lakes and volcanoes or in the north with desert, sun and surf. I would recommend PUCV for any student that is not too concerned about insti-tutional rigidity and is instead looking for a cultural experi-ence. Chile afforded me the opportunity to see, learn and experience a lot.”

Perry Stein

"Coming to Taiwan has been one of the greatest adventures of my life! The university here in Kaohsiung is an amazing location for exchange students to come and study in their field of learning while also familiar-izing themselves with the Chi-nese language. There was an assort of students from all over the world attending the ex-change here and I made friends with all of them. Also, the beach is great!!"

Garrett Mellon

“Valparaiso is full of culture and has endless art, concerts, plays, festivals, protests, etc. The city is very colorful and

Sandeep Sran, Exchange to Ecuador

“I loved everything about my exchange program and it was a great experience… travel as much as you can...time goes really fast...have fun!”

Malaysia Work-Study

The group of students participating in the Malaysia Work Study continues

to grow; this year we had 20!

“I would definitely recommend the Malaysia Work-Study Pro-gram because this is an oppor-tunity of a lifetime. You never get to know and to appreciate a culture unless you experience it. Malaysia is a very diverse country and is culturally rich. At work, you will experience a placement in an international setting and will get to work with people who have different customs. As a country, Malay-sia has a lot to offer. The food is just delicious and there are wonderful places for travelling: Melaka, Penang, the Perhentian Islands, Langkawi and other


them. I am extremely lucky enough to play hockey for the PTK Poznan hockey team. The school was very interesting and the lifestyle was amazing.”

Nick Wong

amazing beaches, Mount Kina-balu, etc."

Justine Comijn Murphy Oil Corp.

“Life Altering Experience. I had the great fortune of working with the Junior Chamber of the Malay Chamber of Commerce on a conference called A-YES while in Malaysia. It was an absolutely incredible experi-ence. I was given the opportu-nity to participate as a member of Secretariat organizing the event. The role involved work-ing with a variety of individuals and I traveled around Kuala Lumpur (KL) visiting different offices through out the intern-ship. I was asked to do a num-ber of tasks that I did not have experience doing prior to the internship including contacting

get to experience; some stu-dents attended company re-treats, others were part of a reality television show called Kaliber, and most students had employers and co-workers that introduced them to parts of KL they might not otherwise have seen. I'm thankful for the friendships I built on this trip. There is a group of girls I hope I will be in touch with my entire life. I have bonds with people be-cause of this experience that will last a lifetime. And not just the students from this trip but also the people that came into my life from Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, and the Philip-pines.”

Amanda Velcic Malay Chamber of Commerce

“For myself it was the best time of my life. I am truly glad I had the opportunity to participate in this program. I would encourage any student to take advantage of these

opportunities during their time in University. The people you meet and the memories you create will last forever.”

Gary McInenly

and inviting potential delegates from ASEAN nations and writing speeches for the Chair-man of the conference. The conference involved dele-gates from 10 South East Asian countries. The delega-tion from the Philippines was the most fun. Justine and I hung out with them two nights of the conference and I went to visit them in the Philippines during my trip. It was an in-credible experience and a country I probably wouldn't have visited if I did not know people from there. This experience is priceless. I can not believe how much I was able to do in just 2 months. After the internship a group of us climbed Mt. Kina-balu. In a word - INCREDI-BLE! It was the perfect ending to my time in Malaysia. The two months I was there I was experiencing new things every-day. And, you never know what kinds of things you will

4401 University Drive Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada T1K 3M4

We’re on the Web!

http://www.uleth.ca/man-int/

time working together, partici-pating in the discussions and socializing in the evenings, for example the official gala at the end of the whole event. If only I had the opportunity, I would take part in this event once again. I have never been in such a place full of emotions and knowledge. It was also an honor to hear the words of the Dean: ‘looking at you I know that I don't have to worry about the business world in the future. I am certain that it's in good hands.’”

Beata Kazimierczak Poland

Phone: 403-329-2148 Fax: 403-329-2038 E-mail: [email protected]

Andrea Amelinckx, Director Office: E558 Phone: 403-332-5216 Email: [email protected]

Candace Jesson, Outgoing Exchange Coordinator Office: E560 Phone: 403-329-2148 Email: [email protected]

Rhonda Crow, Incoming Exchange Coordinator Office: E562 Phone: 403-329-2369 Email: [email protected]

University of Lethbridge

JDC West Jeux du Commerce (Commerce Games) is a student business competition that has witnessed tremendous success since its conception in 1989 in Eastern Canada. In its 17 years, it has become a prestigious annual event that celebrates academic excellence and exemplifies team synergy. Over 1,200 of the top business students from 11 east-ern universities rise to the chal-lenge each year to face off in academic, athletic, and social competitions. The competition is also a charitable organization in its own right, which provides students with an opportunity to give back to their communities. Due to the success of Jeux du Commerce in the east, the compe-tition has now begun its expan-sion into the west. Here in the west, Jeux du Commerce was launched last year under a new name: JDC West. The 2008

Internat ional Programs Page 8

theme for JDC West was “Managing Responsibly in a Global Environment.” Increas-ingly, the long term interests and aspirations of businesses are to be socially responsible to the communities and localities where they base their opera-tions. Stewardship measures provide a pro-active approach to overcoming social, environ-mental, and economic con-cerns. As we respond to con-cerns in the global community it is our obligation to make effective decisions now that will benefit the future. http://www.jdcwest.com/ “In October I was chosen to represent the University of Lethbridge in a business com-petition that attracts approxi-mately 500 of the top students from Western Canada to com-pete academically, as well as socially and athletically. I be-

came a member of the Finance Team that consisted of three students. The JDC competition takes place in late January so we had about three months for preparation. In January for three days we were staying in a hotel from where we were transported either to university to compete and support other representatives from the uni-versity or to social events. The room filled with an audience, three judges, sponsors and professors listening to us pre-sent in 20 minutes the solution to a finance case study for which we had 3 hours, will be unforgettable experience. It was a great opportunity to im-prove my presentation skills, learn to work under pressure and foster my cooperation in a team with Canadian students. Moreover I met a lot of excep-tional individuals from all over West Canada; we had a great

2007/2008

Documents

Message from the International Programs Office