From Mackay to rural Guatemala, Ginevra Jarmaine’s studies at The University of Queensland are taking her places she never imagined.
For her first overseas travel experience, the Bachelor of Economics/Commerce student will live with local Guatemalan families and work with community service organisations from 23 June to 20 July as part of the Universitas 21 (U21) Social Entrepreneur Corps Program.
Ms Jarmaine is one of 10 UQ students selected to participate in U21 student experiences including the social entrepreneurship program in Guatemala, an undergraduate research conference at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, and a summer school at the University of Connecticut in the United States of America.
“Even though I have not been overseas before, I have always known I wanted to work in an international environment,” Ms Jarmaine said.
“Online classes start about a month prior to departure, when we will begin interacting with other participants and learning more about social entrepreneurship, Guatemalan culture and the micro-consignment model.
“Upon arrival in Guatemala, we will learn Spanish intensively before travelling to rural communities to promote socially-beneficial products such as water purifiers, reading glasses and solar lamps.”
Ms Jarmaine looks forward to applying skills and knowledge gained at UQ in a developing country.
She will expand her interest in international economic development and build professional networks.
“I believe the program will help me gain a better understanding of the experiences of people in developing regions and provide me with a unique point of view – something that can’t be truly conveyed in classrooms or textbooks,” she said.
Bachelor of Medicine, Surgery and Science student Tom Pearson is looking forward to exploring the practical applications of his research at the U21 undergraduate research conference on Urban Challenges – building healthy, smart and creative cities for the future.
“My experience as a summer research scholar in the Queensland Brain Institute fuelled my passion for contributing to research that addresses global challenges of the 21st century,” Mr Pearson said.
“In Amsterdam, I’ll be talking about how our mental health has significant effects on our physical health and how city design can play a significant role in the prevention of disease.”
All UQ students participating in the 2013 U21 Student Experience programs received a grant from UQ’s Office of Undergraduate Education to cover program costs and assist with travel expenses.
Director Dr Jessica Gallagher said strategic global partnerships and consortia such as U21 played an important role in achieving UQ’s global engagement objectives, particularly by providing opportunities for students to gain an international experience during their degree.
“We believe that participation in the U21 Student Experience programs represents a unique opportunity for our students to share their perspectives with international peers and gain a clearer understanding of what is required to be a global citizen and career-ready in the increasingly globalised world,” Dr Gallagher said.
To find out more about Universitas 21 Student Experiences and UQ’s global programs, visit www.uq.edu.au/undergraduate.
Media: Melanie Martin, melanie.martin@uq.edu.au, (07) 3346 0655, or Georgia Mitchell, georgia.mitchell@uq.edu.au, (07) 3346 0626.
