Graduate students, faculty take part in Purdue University Global’s first-ever education abroad to London

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — When Purdue University Global launched its concentration and microcredential in global business, the end goal was to put graduate students’ knowledge into action with the university’s first-ever education abroad program.

Seven Purdue University Global students – accompanied by five faculty members – took part in that experience with a trip to London in March. The travelers participated in educational tours about sustainability, finance, marketing, entrepreneurship, culture and history, all while building lifelong connections with each other. Students also were able to attend several cultural events, such as a pub quiz with London-based Purdue alumni, afternoon tea at Kensington Palace and a performance of “Hamlet” at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.

Program lead Jennifer Teague was joined by future trip leaders Jack Deem, Pam DeLotell, Catherine Flynn and Tricia Berry, each of whom supported students in making connections between course concepts and cultural immersion.

“When I heard about the first-ever Purdue University Global education abroad program in London, I knew I wanted to be a part of it,” said Amanda Tully, a global business MBA student. “I am thankful I pursued the global business concentration and got the opportunity to join this amazing group.

“Dr. Teague created an unforgettable experience, and I am grateful for the time I spent with her, the other amazing professors and leaders, and my awesome classmates who I finally got to meet in person. We were able to experience firsthand everything we’ve been studying for months now, and we created what already feels like lifelong friendships in the process. I am forever grateful for this life-changing experience.”

As part of the program, graduate students Anna Flynn, Omid Laborada, Jenna Quicke, Erin Stransky, Megan Stransky, Michelle Tannlund and Amanda Tully each earned the esteemed AFS Global Competence Certificate (GCC), an internationally recognized mark of advanced skills in intercultural fluency and diversity awareness.

“Incorporating an education abroad opportunity into Purdue University Global’s new global business concentration helped fulfill a mission to provide more opportunities for international engagement to our students,” Teague said. “As we created the program over the last year, we had so much support from stakeholders at Purdue West Lafayette, Purdue Global and Kaplan North America. It was a truly collaborative effort.

“To stand in London and physically see the connections students made with the culture, the course concepts and each other made all the effort more than worth it. It was such a powerful reminder that these immersive experiences are important for students to recognize they are part of a much bigger world, and they can play a key role in making the world a better place by being responsible and responsive global citizens.”

Education abroad opportunities are available to both undergraduate and graduate students across Purdue University Global. For more information about future virtual or travel experiences, visit the Purdue University Global education abroad site. To learn more about Purdue University Global’s global business or GCC programs, contact Jennifer Teague at jteague@purdueglobal.edu.

About Purdue University Global

Purdue University Global delivers personalized online education tailored to the unique needs of adults who have work or life experience beyond the classroom, enabling them to develop essential academic and professional skills with the support and flexibility they need to achieve their career goals. It offers personalized paths for students to earn an associate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, based on their work experience, desired pace, military service, previous college credits and other considerations – no matter where they are in their life journey. Purdue University Global is a nonprofit, public university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It is affiliated with Purdue University’s flagship institution, a highly ranked public research university located in West Lafayette, Indiana. Purdue University also operates regional campuses in Fort Wayne and Northwest Indiana, as well as serving science, engineering and technology students at the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) campus. For more information, visit purdueglobal.edu.

Media Contact: Tom Schott, tschott@purdue.edu

Sources: Jennifer Teague

Amanda Tully