Broaden horizons by going overseas
WE live in an incredibly exciting period in history. Change and disruption are becoming the norm, and developing the resilience and creativity to harness the potential of disruptive energy is becoming an increasingly crucial requirement for success.
As the Fourth Industrial Revolution yields greater advancement in technologies that reduce the need for human workers, graduates must equip themselves with skills that machines are not capable of, such as creativity, empathy, resilience and networking.
Multiple studies suggest that when it comes to enhancing an individual’s success toolbox and career prospects, studying abroad promises the highest return on investment.
Performed by INSEAD’s Prof William Maddux and Prof Adam Galinsky from Kellogg School of Management, a 2009 study titled Cultural Borders and Mental Barriers: The Relationship Between Living Abroad and Creativity published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology showed that spending time studying abroad increases creativity in students.
According to the paper, the relationship between living abroad and creativity was consistent across a number of measures, including insight, association and generation.
A similar 2012 study conducted by three scholars at the University of Florida, titled On the Cognitive Benefits of Cultural Experience: Exploring the Relationship between Studying Abroad and Creative Thinking and published in Applied Cognitive Psychology, showed that students who spent a semester or year abroad outperformed other students on measures related to critical thinking.
This provides empirical evidence that studying abroad “supports complex cognitive processes that underlie creative thinking in culture specific and domain general settings.”
The Erasmus Impact Study commissioned by the European Commission in 2014 found that students who study or train abroad not only gain discipline-specific knowledge in their field of study, but also strengthen key skills highly valued by employers.
The study reported that 64% of employers think that international experience is important when they select future recruits. A similar percentage of the polled employers said that graduates with an international background are given greater professional responsibility within their respective teams.
The evidence that studying abroad is a positively life-changing experience is overwhelming. It has beneficial impact on personal and professional growth as well as intercultural and career development.
Living independently and interacting with a different culture can positively influence one’s self-confidence, widen horizons, and promote empathy and open-mindedness.
Recognising the importance of spending time abroad, Heriot-Watt University developed the Go Global programme that guarantees every student an opportunity to spend some time studying at an overseas campus.
This may be a two-week study trip, a semester or a year abroad. With campuses in the United Kingdom, Dubai and Malaysia, the university is in a privileged position to avail its students with this opportunity.
David Bold, a third-year BSc (Hons) Construction Project Management student at Heriot-Watt University Malaysia, is one of many students who have embarked on the university’s unique Go Global intercampus transfer programme.
“As a construction project management student, this transfer offered me the chance to observe huge-scale construction projects that was impossible to do in Scotland.
“I cannot recommend the transfer to the Malaysia campus enough. It is the best decision that I have made and one that has given me the necessary confidence and experience to seek a future global career,” says Bold.
To find out more about the university’s Go Global intercampus transfer programme, BSc (Hons) Construction Project Management programme, other undergraduate and foundation programmes, or scholarships on offer, visit its campus during consultation hours, which are from 9am to 5pm on weekdays and 10am to 4pm on weekends throughout this month.
For more information, call 03-8894 3888, e-mail hwum@hw.ac.uk or visit www.hw. edu.my