October 21 to 25, 2024 was International Education Week (IEW) at Mt. A. The international centre organized a number of celebratory events commemorating this week, such as a cultural fashion show, an international photo contest, and an exchange fair.
The exchange fair took place on Tuesday, October 21 to learn about the many different international universities where Mt. A students can study for one semester or an entire academic year. The exchange fair began with an information session in Tweedie Hall presented by Emily Ahmadvand, the international centre’s Global Learning Coordinator. After the information session, both current students on exchange, and Mt. A students who previously went abroad gathered in Gracie’s Cafe to promote their experiences. Some of the universities featured by student representation include University of Limerick in Ireland, University of Stirling in Scotland, University of Kent in England, Philipps Universitat Marburg in Germany, and Kwansei Gakuin University in Japan. There were also information booths for the other partnership universities such as University of Newcastle and University of Tasmania in Australia as well as Université de Strasbourg and Université Angers in France, among many more.
The application to apply for an exchange in the upcoming 2025 to 2026 academic year will be opening in early November. The application can be found under the “Current Students” tab, then under the “International Experiences” page on the Mt. A website. The application consists of a series of short questions about one’s interest in studying abroad, and reflecting on the values one holds as a Mt. A student, to gauge their ability to share their Sackville experiences while abroad. The exchange process relies on the same number of international students studying at Mt. A as students going abroad to the same university. Applicants will also rank the top three universities they wish to attend. In late January to early February, students will be notified that their application is received and afterward will participate in an interview to determine their eligibility to partake. Soon after the interview, students will be notified of which university they have been nominated to go on exchange.
A poster of all available exchange universities, their location, and top fields of study can be found in the international centre, on the second floor of the Wallace McCain Student Centre. Students can also stop by any weekday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m with any questions or just to chat about why they should go on exchange. In the words of Emily Ahmadvand, “The experiences, perspectives, and friendships that students gain during their time abroad are once in a lifetime. Mt. A’s international centre is here to support students’ international experience and help them find which of our 30+ study abroad and exchange programs would best suit them!”
For more information, Ahmadvand can be reached at [email protected]. As well, be sure to follow the international centre on Instagram @mta.intl for testimonials from past international students and many more events and opportunities to get involved on campus and internationally.
