This particular program was six weeks long, from mid-May to the end of June, allowing students to cover topics such as employee motivation, the decision-making process, teamwork, conflict and business negotiations, and organizational culture.

Jodie Wright ’09 was one of the students who took this opportunity to study in Professor Zhao’s group. Wright described her experience as “breathtaking,” as she was able to visit places such as the Summer Palace, the Great Wall of China, and other historic monuments.

Wright said that the faculty-led program is a “win-win situation, and Professor Zhao was an added bonus.” According to Wright, Zhao’s native Chinese background was advantageous as he already understood the country landmarks and was able to effectively communicate the important cultural differences to the rest of his students. “Since he knew the language and could help us whenever we needed … he was like a personal tour guide,” said Wright.

One benefit of studying abroad is that it allows students to gain credit towards their degree while exploring new worlds. Most participants stated that their experience was tremendously fulfilling, filled with great new friends and experiences.

The uniqueness of each of the programs reflects the interest of the faculty to make the most of the visit for the students, as they incorporate the global context and integrate course topics with cultural differences and a different socio-economic system.

Besides classroom experience in Zhao’s trip, students toured local businesses such as Qudong, an entrepreneurial firm that sell sports equipments online, and Yanjing Beer Co., the largest brewery in Asia. At the completion of this course, students said they had an improved understanding of people’s work behavior under the diversity and complexity of today’s global economy.

Also in the spring term of 2009, Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education Prabhat Hajela is leading nine undergraduate students to the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur, India. While conducting research in energy, modeling, and electronics, students will also attend workshops on social and cultural perspectives, market play, and entrepreneurship.

RPI continues to expand its opportunities to travel abroad, most notably with the implementation of the Rensselaer Engineering Education Across Cultural Horizons. Engineering students can apply to spend one or two semesters abroad. Under REACH, 25 percent of RPI’s junior engineering class will study abroad at specific partner universities in 2009; in return, an equal number of undergraduates from the partner universities as a whole will come to Rensselaer. Ultimately, the program is designed to grow well beyond engineering to encompass a wide range of disciplines and departments. REACH has set rigorous parameters for partner universities, stating that they must be top-ranked in their fields and must offer a breadth of engineering disciplines and teach in English. Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and Technical University of Denmark will be the two universities playing host to RPI students for the upcoming spring term.

However, some RPI students would like the opportunity to travel abroad, yet don’t have the freedom to allot a whole semester abroad in their schedules. RPI is trying to offer a different solution in which students can participate in a faculty-led program, where 12 weeks are spent on campus, followed by two that are spent traveling and completing the course in another country.

Faculty-led study abroad trips in the summer of 2009 are to England, India, Romania, and Peru.

For more information, students can visit http://summer.rpi.edu/update.do/.