Sudbury's Cambrian College receives $500K for study abroad program

Sudbury's Cambrian College has received $500,000 from the federal government to help send up to 85 students abroad to study and do research.

Those students will have overseas study experiences ranging from one week to four months, and will include classroom instruction as well as the option for placements and work-integrated learning.  

Cambrian plans to partner with institutions in Austria, Brazil, China, Denmark, Ireland, Mexico and Vietnam for the program.

"Studying abroad is an experience every student should consider," said Cambrian president Bill Best in a news release.

 "We have students from more than 40 countries and we live in a connected world. This program will help participating students become global citizens and sought-after employees, enriched with an outlook from this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

'A different perspective'

Imad Al-Sukkari, director of Cambrian International, said the initiative aligns with the college's five-year strategic plan, which includes providing more opportunities for international experience, whether it's studying abroad or engaging with students from other parts of the world.

"Every time you travel, you come back home and you're different," said Al-Sukkari. "You have a different perspective, you've seen something different, you've interacted with a different culture."

He said different studies have found that between three and 10 per cent of college students in Canada have had a study abroad experience.

Students in Cambrian's new program will be able to collaborate on research projects with students from other institutions and countries, and can apply to internships with business partners in those countries.

Al-Sukkari said he hopes the pilot program will lead to more study abroad opportunities for Cambrian's students.