Winter Term Southeast Asia Global Study Tour

A great way to fulfill one of your University General Education Plural Societies requirements is through short term abroad courses.

The 2015 Winter term global immersion experience to Southeast Asia meets the requirement and provides a fascinating tour of Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. The global immersion experience to highlights the diversity and commonalities of the region in terms of political systems, business practices, and modernization trends, religious traditions, ethnic identities, foodways, emerging social issues and dominant cultural systems

The modernization of Singapore is stunning to see. Singapore has transformed itself from a third-world, swampy island to a first-class, modern city that serves as a regional hub for corporations, with its own high tech centers, and biomedical facilities. The class will also visit Kuala Lumpur. KL is a fast-rising city that has redefined itself with looming skyscrapers, stellar cuisine and the Malaysian capital has emerged as one of Southeast Asia’s most alluring metropolises. The visit to Thailand will be Phuket; Thailand’s largest island. Phuket is changing at breakneck speed and the island's infrastructure, and population are growing.

Please contact Dr. Mark Wellman at mwellman@rhsmith.umd.edu if you are interested in joining this abroad experience.


TOP 5 REASONS TO CONSIDER THE 2015 SOUTHEAST ASIA GLOBAL IMMERSION EXPERIENCE! 1) Great Educational Experience With its combined population of more than 600 million people, and a growing middle class, you will learn about the dynamic growth of the economies in Southeast Asia. In particular, you will learn how Singapore with no natural resources has transformed itself to become a world leader for business, public policy, education, community development, crime control, and urban planning. Singapore is one of the 'Four Asian Tigers' along with Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan. Singapore is one of the world's leading financial centers, international air and sea hubs and one of the most open economies for trade and investments.

2) Culture Southeast Asia is a fascinating and important region of the world, characterized first and foremost by remarkable diversity in culture, history, politics, and social dynamics. It includes some of the world’s major religions and ethnic groups, as well as many local cultures, and languages. Given the strong focus on culture, this course will fulfill one of your University General Education Plural Societies requirements.

3) Enjoyment Along with a great learning experience, you will have fun in a sunny and warm climate with plenty of wonderful attractions (Sentosa Beach, Universal Studios, Underwater World, Night Safari, Singapore Flyer), great nightlife (best night spots in Southeast Asia), and the best New Year’s in Asia. This course generated the highest enrollment for all short term education abroad courses for the 2014 Winter term.

4) Great Side Trips to Malaysia and Thailand The journey to Malaysia will include memorable experiences including visiting the Petronas Towers—one of the most recognized symbols of Malaysia whose steel and glass facade is an iconic part of the city’s skyline. In 2014 the class the class visited the Kuala Gandah elephant sanctuary, where students will learn about the rapidly decreasing Malaysian elephant population and the many different ways to help rescue them. The study tour also included Thailand. For January 2015, the plan is to return to Thailand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnALcWHSXTw

5) Least Expensive 2015 Winter term Study Trip While multiple global courses are offered, the Singapore trip offers the greatest value as it is the lowest priced and includes more meals and activities than Many other global course. Additionally, no nonresident tuition charge is billed for the three credits earned. The cost is approximately $2,395 plus airfare of $1,350. MORE DETAILS BELOW: Southeast Asia – Winter Term (Tentative: December 28, 2014-January 9, 2015) We have three spots remaining on the study tour. The course is no longer open for applications but if you are interested please contact me as soon as possible at mwellman@rhsmith.umd.edu. Details will be available soon regarding Smith School scholarships, but the scholarships are expected to be approximately $450 for short-term courses. Scholarships will NOT be limited to first-time abroad experiences and will be available for study with ALL UMD for-credit programs (not just BMGT). Go to: http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/about-us/administrative-offices/office-global-initiatives Past global class trips have involved visiting the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), the lead government agency for planning and executing strategies to enhance Singapore’s position as a global business center. For a glance into the political system, the class toured Singapore’s Parliament; they also visited ExxonMobil, the largest foreign manufacturing investor in Singapore; Asia Pacific Breweries, producer of Singapore’s award-winning Tiger Beer and ranked one of the top companies in Asia with a reputation for being a top value creator for its customers, consumers, and shareholders; and Marina Bay Sands, the world’s most expensive stand-alone casino property worth $8 billion. Other tentatively planned visits included the Housing and Development Board, Media Development Authority, BBC, Singapore Airlines, Air Asia, Universal Studios, Petronas, Jurong Town Corporation, Port of Singapore Authority, Hewlett Packard, Accenture, Novartis, FedEx, and Discovery Networks Expectations/Course Requirements for all study trips Study trips are very different from trips that you would take as a tourist. During the trip, students participate in activities closely integrated with course content including visits to multinational and local companies, meetings with government officials and senior executives, meeting with UMD graduates, and excursions to important landmarks. These experiences provide differentiating traits that can be extremely useful when applying for internships or jobs throughout your college tenure. The short duration of these three credit hour courses provides a study abroad opportunity for students who may not otherwise be able to fit an international experience. All of the global immersion experiences are three-credit courses that typically meet degree requirements (advanced studies requirement of the University, diversity/global competence requirements, electives, etc,). Classroom experiences for the global courses include readings and discussions about the social, legal, economic, political and technological conditions affecting business in the country visited. Students are expected to attend pre-departure meetings and complete the required readings prior to departure.