{"id":2513,"date":"2019-03-28T19:08:56","date_gmt":"2019-03-28T23:08:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.stetson.edu\/world\/?p=2513"},"modified":"2019-12-20T19:11:45","modified_gmt":"2019-12-21T00:11:45","slug":"highland-adventures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.stetson.edu\/world\/highland-adventures\/","title":{"rendered":"Highland Adventures"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Inverness, Scotland<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As Robert Burns, regarded as the national poet of Scotland, so eloquently wrote: \u201cWherever I wander, wherever I rove, the hills of the Highlands forever I love<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ample camaraderie is evident among students and faculty during Stetson\u2019s Summer Scotland, with the Urquhart Castle in the background. Students who participate in the summer program earn four credits upon completion. <\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The endearing qualities of Scotland have inspired many a writer and poet over the years. Travelers from every corner of the globe also have been enchanted by Scotland\u2019s beauty, typically describing it as \u201cmystical\u201d and \u201cawe-inspiring.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Stetson students, a study-abroad program, now going into its fourth year, is providing them with the opportunity to experience that splendor firsthand in Inverness, a city in the Scottish Highlands and the northernmost city of the United Kingdom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI had never traveled outside the country before, so it was suggested that Scotland would be a good first study-abroad experience. It was a life-changing experience, and I caught the travel bug after that,\u201d said Caylyn Gunby \u201919, a double-major in international studies and world languages and cultures whoparticipated in the program in the summer of 2016. Gunby added she since has participated in two additional study-abroad programs in Austria and Thailand, plus an internship in France.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such a trip has that kind of impact. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Summer Scotland is centered at The University of the Highlands and Islands \u2013 Inverness College<\/strong>. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Inverness program, called Summer Scotland, is a multi-university, faculty-led consortium including professors from Stetson, Jacksonville University and Utah Valley University, all congregating at The University of the Highlands and Islands \u2013 Inverness College to teach students management and marketing as they relate to the international community. With approximately 8,500 students, Inverness College is the main campus for The University of the Highlands and Islands. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The program occurs three or four weeks over summers. Summer Scotland 2019 is set for May 28-June 27. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFive years ago, we got together with Jacksonville University and suggested Scotland as a great place for a study-abroad program,\u201d cited Paula Hentz, director of international learning at WORLD: The David and Leighan Rinker Center for International Learning<\/a> at Stetson. \u201cWe wanted to build something that included best practices and incorporated case-study projects with local Scottish businesses. Utah Valley University and Inverness College joined the consortium, and it has turned out to be really beneficial for students.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As part of case-study projects, students work with local companies on real-world business issues. <\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As part of these case-study projects, students are paired with local businesses (five students per company) and work on real-world business issues. They apply their coursework and offer solutions to actual problems to help the businesses, presenting a final report at the end of the project. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Group projects vary based on the current business needs. In the past, companies have included WOW! Scotland (a travel company); a fashion designer who has designed items for the Queen; Robertson Construction; Walker (an international shortbread company); local craft breweries; a Highland bakery that provided baked goods for the 2012 London Olympics; local social enterprises that support youth; and Cobb (a hotel company). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis represents an incredible opportunity for students to not only get real-world experience but also real-world international business experience \u2014 learning how to do business in another country with another culture. It\u2019s a great challenge for them,\u201d Hentz added. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2016, Gunby and her team worked with Caf\u00e9 Artysans, a social-enterprise caf\u00e9 in Inverness that uses some of its profits to help homeless Scottish youth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe helped with advertising, met with the director and talked about growth and international outreach,\u201d Gundy said. \u201cWe focused on social-media coverage and how to better reach out to Americans.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Carol Azab, Ph.D., assistant professor of marketing in the School of Business Administration, teaches, lectures and represents Stetson on the program.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Students who participate in the program are offered a choice between two courses \u2014 Global Marketing: Business Without Borders and Principles of Management \u2014 and earn four credits upon completion. The course counts as an elective for nonbusiness students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese study-abroad programs teach students about international business and how countries operate and do business differently because of cultural nuances,\u201d said Carol Azab, Ph.D., assistant professor of marketing in the School of Business Administration, who teaches, lectures and represents Stetson on the trips. \u201cIn Scotland, people are more laid-back than we are when it comes to their business culture. And it\u2019s important for students to be able to adapt to whatever company they\u2019re working for, wherever that may be. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I see students presenting at the end of the program, I feel so proud. Their marketing proposals and plans get praise from these companies, and they\u2019ve resulted in direct changes and improvements made in many of the businesses. It\u2019s a life-changing experience for these students, who come back more enlightened and also improve academically.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students start some coursework online prior to their arrival in Inverness. Once there, they have regular class time, Monday through Friday, and also interact with advisers to work on their case studies. Additionally, they hear local guest lecturers talk about topics such as the effects of Brexit (the U.K. leaving the European Union), the general business environment and business practices in Scotland. Students have the option to stay in the dormitories at Inverness College or with a Scottish host family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further, there is cultural immersion. Among the highlights is a guided tour of the Isle of Skye, the largest and most northerly large island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was stunning,\u201d Gunby recalled. \u201cWe actually went to Fairy Pools [on the River Brittle in the Isle of Skye].\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As part of their study (and adventure), students investigate the legend of Loch Ness, the deepest lake in the United Kingdom. <\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Other excursions include visits to Loch Ness, the deepest lake in the United Kingdom and where students can take a boat tour and hear stories about the Loch Ness Monster; Urquhart Castle, one of Scotland\u2019s most iconic castles on the banks of Loch Ness; the Quiraing, a landslip on the eastern face of Meall na Suiramach, the northernmost summit of the Trotternish on the Isle of Skye; and Edinburgh, the ancient capital city of Scotland. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, this past summer students participated in mini-Highland Games, so they could try some of the activities. Previously, they had watched the actual Highland Games. \u201cWe learned about Scottish food, music, sports, folklore and even got to hear Gaelic from the local Highlanders,\u201d noted Gunby. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe want students to step out of their comfort zones,\u201d Azab said, simply. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a chance to build intentional opportunities for students to meet local people,\u201d Hentz affirmed. \u201cEverything we do there is geared toward giving our students the most immersive cultural experience possible.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Gunby, who missed not having black pudding and sausage when she got back to the States, her Scotland experience opened many doors and widened her eyes. And she will never forget the Scottish people, while she also became close with other Stetson students who participated in the program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey\u2019re so friendly and much more laid-back then we are,\u201d she said about the Scottish. \u201cPeople understand how to enjoy life there, and that taught me something about how to live my life.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Gunby graduates this spring, she plans on teaching English abroad, as a gap year, then attending grad school to get a master\u2019s degree in international affairs or global development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The study-abroad effect is transformative. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI believe in student learning and stepping out into the world as a life-changing experience,\u201d Azab concluded. \u201cHelping students realize this is very rewarding to me. In the end, we\u2019re celebrating differences, and this is a beautiful thing and a great lesson for these students to learn.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Jack Roth<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Online at Stetson Today<\/a> March 27, 2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As Robert Burns, regarded as the national poet of Scotland, so eloquently wrote: \u201cWherever I wander, wherever I rove, the hills of the Highlands forever I love.\u201d The endearing qualities of Scotland have inspired many a writer and poet over the years. Travelers from every corner of the globe also have been enchanted by Scotland\u2019s … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Highland Adventures”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,34,21,23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2513","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-featured-articles","category-international-internships","category-students","category-study-abroad"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.stetson.edu\/world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2513","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.stetson.edu\/world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.stetson.edu\/world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.stetson.edu\/world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.stetson.edu\/world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2513"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/blog.stetson.edu\/world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2513\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3059,"href":"https:\/\/blog.stetson.edu\/world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2513\/revisions\/3059"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.stetson.edu\/world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2513"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.stetson.edu\/world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2513"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.stetson.edu\/world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2513"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}