A Global Leadership Conversation

AIM Overseas recently caught up with Alex, Shaun and Nathan from Griffith University who went on the Global Leadership Program in Prague.

This is a simply awesome opportunity for anyone who is keen to develop their skills as a leader, who is passionate about international issues and who wants to both learn a lot and have the most incredible time possible. This program has 100% positive feedback - listen here to our conversation with the guys (3min50sec long) and you'll see what we mean!



A Global Leadership Conversation

Living the Dream: Creative Writing at Oxford - by Angela Dyson

"Can you ever imagine living one of your dreams? I just have! My experience has been a life changing one for me."

 Can you ever imagine living one of your dreams? I just have! My experience has been a life changing one for me.


I was accepted by Oxford University into the Creative Writing Programme held at Exeter College which began in late July this year. This College is one of the oldest at Oxford. It took me a few days to settle down into day to day life because I was overawed as a resident in a College which was founded in 1314.

My first memory of Exeter was stepping through a heavy, wooden, fortress door into a portico where the porter greets new students or visitors which opens out into a quadrangle of manicured lawn. To the left of the lodge is Exeter Chapel, a perfect example of Gothic architecture which was built on the original site of the old Chapel in about 1847. There is a magnificent tapestry in the Chapel hanging under stained glass windows which was designed and created by two founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Movement, also previous members of the College, William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones. The tapestry is the Adoration of the Magi.

 On leaving the Chapel you walk around a corner stepping onto cobblestones. Nearby, racks of student bikes some with wicker baskets attached, reminded me of scenes from an English war movie. They lay in silent rows waiting for the student’s return to College after their vacation. After depositing my bags in my room I wandered into Fellows’ Garden, a sanctuary of flora typically English country garden in design but which is surrounded by part of the town’s original, stone wall. Near neighbours are the Bodleian Library and the Radcliffe Camera.

"My fellow students came from all parts of the globe; South America, UK, USA, Germany, Cyprus, Ireland, Canada, India and Ghana. We had the time of our lives."

My fellow students came from all parts of the globe; South America, UK, USA, Germany, Cyprus, Ireland, Canada, India and Ghana. We had the time of our lives. There was some free time on weekends for organised tours to Blenheim Palace, punting on the river, (a surreal experience) and a plethora of walking tours. Imagine straw boaters, flat bottomed boats, summer afternoons eating strawberries, rowing past ancient trees and you begin to imagine why I had to pinch myself I was there. As well, most Colleges had a choral concert, chamber music ensemble or Shakespearean play you could attend in the early evening. Many students met after dinner in the under croft bar then went on a local pub walk. 

My tutors were both published authors and poets. They were highly qualified in Poetry, Biography and Creative Writing. They were also current lecturers at Oxford University. I had a choice of two units of study to be completed in three weeks. Our twice weekly tutorials and daily plenary lectures were stimulating, informative and academically challenging. We were introduced to editors, publishers, agents, authors and poets who gave their time, knowledge and advice about writing, publishing and the realities of working in the literary world today. One of my tutors created more workshop hours to assist us with our work/assignments. Our Director, Dr Sandie Byrne even offered her time for a lunch time poetry reading as well as organising evening mic sessions where we all had an opportunity to read our work to a wider audience. Undergraduate or post graduate students had the opportunity to have their grades credited to their Degrees if prior arrangements had been made with their home Universities. 

Meals were taken in the Hall. It was like walking onto the set of a Harry Potter film. Long, dark-stained tables, bench seats, table lamps, white china, surrounded by gilt framed portraits of past Rectors and benefactors of the College peered down at us as we ate our meals. Gothic, stained glass windows reflected morning light onto us in a way I will never forget. 

One evening after dinner a local, Shakespearean, dramatic group performed a play in the Hall for us. The Oxford Township was regularly abuzz with tourists, student groups, and local holiday makers enjoying the historical landmarks during their summer vacation. I enjoyed walking to Rewley House where I had access to excellent library resources which was within walking distance to the Oratory, local restaurants, second-hand shops, fashion, book and antique shops. 

One of the highlights of my visit to Oxford was the friendships I made during the course. One student organised a Talent Night which was held on our second last evening at Exeter. It showcased the talent of some of the students who claimed they were better at performance than writing! The final song by Britta an American student, in conjunction with a German student on piano was, “All You Need Is Love, Love Is All You Need”. 

Our final evening culminated in pre-dinner drinks in Fellow’s Garden, a formal dinner, presentation of certificates, many photographs, some tears but an experience we all will be forever changed from as a result of being students at Oxford University Summer Programme 2009.

I want to give very special thanks to Rob Malicki for his encouragement, enthusiasm and support of my application to Oxford. At all times from my first contact with him until our final email before my return to Australia, he was at all times the consummate professional. In the beginning, I received regular emails about accommodation, academic programmes, Oxford University requirements, course details, university web site information, travel insurance, emergency contact in the UK and a myriad of answers to my personal queries. Without his assistance and the umbrella AIM Overseas provided, I would never have considered that one of my dreams could possibly come true. 


All photos and text by Angela Dyson. All rights reserved.

The work trip: pleasure and pain

International education is a beautiful industy. Like many others, I ended up in International Ed because I did an exchange at uni, got hooked, and ended up working in an international office.

There's just nothing like helping Aussies to study overseas and seeing the passion an infectious enthusiasm that they come home with.

As the name would suggest, working in international education can involve quite a bit of travel - both domestic and international. The people who work these roles, sometimes referred to in the industry as 'Road Warriors', can spend days, weeks and even months away from home at a time going about the business of helping students circulate around the world to study. Which gets me to the interesting duality of travelling for work.

Your first interstate or international work trip is a buzz.
Hang on! Someone is actually paying you to travel and meet people? This isn't work at all!
This is living the dream.

In some senses the buzz never really wears off.
I've been in the industry nearly 10 years but every time I'm on the net searching for that next flight or booking the next hotel I'm still a little bit stoked....Anyone who travels for work and tells you that they don't enjoy it is either a masochist or a liar.

The reality of the work trip, though, is like anything. Once is a thrill, twice is a novelty, but after the tenth time it starts to become a bit of a routine.

There are the parts that are awesome: flying to new, or familiar, cities; meeting new people or catching up with old friends; staying in hotels and eating at different restaurants.

Then there are the parts that suck. The alarm going off at 3:45am for the 5th day in a row so you can be at the airport for the 6am flight. Delays. Constant packing and unpacking. Missing a good home cooked meal, your partner or pets. Crap weather. Cancelled meetings.
And most of all, the never-ending work day.

The internet is one of the banes of the modern working traveller.
Yes, you're connected all the time and can check your emails at will but.....well.....you're connected 24 hours a day and can check your email at will.

The reality is that even whilst you are on the road, travelling, going to meetings or doing other business, your friends, family and colleagues will still treat you like you're at home and going to the office. Sure you're in that nice hotel room where the in-house movies are free....but you'll never get to watch them because you've got two working days: Working day A from 9-5 including travelling, meetings, transit and other business; and Working day B from 6-11pm catching up on emails, doing follow up or 'putting out fires'.

A few months ago I was going on a work trip with a colleague. My colleague ran into a mutual friend, they had a chat and at the end the friend said, "Well, have a good holiday"
This can be normal if you travel a lot, people get confused where you are and where you're going. So my colleague explained that it was a week-long work trip where we'd probably be working 14 hour days but we'd still make the most of it.

A few hours later I ran into the same mutual friend, had a chat and at the end also got told "Have a nice holiday".

This is very frustrating for the working traveller because until you've done it yourself it is almost impossible to explain.

"We're going to be working 14 hour days and have three 6am flights this week" somehow gets translated into "Woo hoo, we're off to Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide and are staying in 4-star hotels".

There's no malice in the translation in someone else's mind, just the lack of the experience to really understand the full picture.

And after awhile you do get your routines to make the crap stuff a little easier: pre-booked taxis, flying the night before, decent suitcases that fit in all your stuff, identifying decent hotels and restaurants to give a work trip a little more of that 'home' feel.

And as I say, anyone who doesn't like it shouldn't be doing it because there are plenty of others who would take up the mantle. I love it. Give me that ticket and I'm off.
But don't forget to tell me that it's okay to turn my computer off after 10pm.

Studying Arabic in Morocco - by Peter Ford

"Going to Morocco has been a highlight of my studies"

Studying a language overseas is an amazing experience. It adds considerable depth to your studies in Australia, whether in politics, international relations, history, or simply arts. I undertook Arabic at Mohammad V University in Rabat, Morocco in June/July 2009. This should have been my mid-year break in between Semester 1 and 2 at ANU but going to Morocco has been a highlight of my studies.

Being able to immerse myself in a culture and language that I am studying has provided a real insight into real-world situations. I can’t recommend overseas study highly enough. Traditionally Australian universities have not focused on exchange programs like their USA and British counterparts, perhaps due to distances and costs, but this is changing with OS-HELP loans, scholarships and travel grant assistance, which are all often available to help make the experience much more affordable.

There were 19 students in the course while I was there, and only 3 in my beginners class. After a thorough orientation, we were matched with a host family that would look after us for the duration of our stay. I chose a family that didn't speak English (everyone in Morocco speaks Arabic and French) to maximise the experience. The host family stay was amazing. My host father and brother (10yo) picked me up from the university and took me home to their house which was in the old medina of Rabat. Once meeting all the family, a customary and lengthy delight of Moroccan culture, I was treated to the first of many fantastic Moroccan meals and several glasses of the super-sweet mint tea.

The host family were wonderful, helpful, kind, generous - true ambassadors for Morocco. My family showed me to the closest bus stop and even took the bus with me some mornings to keep me company. Getting to and from the University was easier than it was in Australia!! The local mosque was 20m away (many an early morning start with the azan or 'call to prayer'), and the Hammam (bath-house) was about 200m from the house I stayed in. If you go to Morocco a trip to the local hammam is a must.

The language course was intensive and was conducted entirely in Modern Standard Arabic - important for quality assurance and academic standards. We started at 8.30am each morning and finished at 3.30pm, and covered vocab and listening, grammar, writing, speaking and reading. Each day contained additional vocabulary and dealt with key concepts of the language, progressing quickly, but thoroughly through the early stages of language acquisition. There was also an hour of Darija (Moroccan Arabic) to help students interact with the locals. Exams were held at the end of every week, as well as being assessed throughout the classes. Homework (this took around 3-4 hours each day) was also given daily and greatly assisted in the overall study. There was a final exam which covered everything that had been learnt through the course.

"There is a city in northern Morocco called Taza, where the inhabitants are known as Tazzi's. One of my teachers was from this city and as soon he found out I was from Tasmania (which we call Tassie) that was it - we were brothers!!!"

Twice a week there were cultural events such as Moroccan cooking or movies after class had finished. The University also arranged two small excursions, one to Asilah, a fantastic little fishing village in the north, and another to Essaouria to the south, known for its great beaches and surfing. The staff were extremely professional and helpful, and were so enthusiastic about having a student come all the way from Australia to study their language and culture. For example, there is a city in northern Morocco called Taza, where the inhabitants are known as Tazzi's. One of my teachers was from this city and as soon he found out I was from Tasmania (which we call Tassie) that was it - we were brothers!!!

Travelling so far I arrived a few days earlier to recover from the flights. This also gave me an opportunity to head south and see Marrakech - possibly the best city in Morocco Experiencing the culture that your are studying is a great way to improve your understanding and to put the language that you are learning into practice. Marrakech has an amazing history from its days as the final destination of the Sahara Caravans. Djemaa el-Fna is the centre square, and the thriving heart of the city, it comes alive at night but during the day it is filled with snake charmers, orange juice stalls, and spice shops. Second to Djemaa el-Fna are the endless souks and streets you can buy carpets, tea sets, leather products, anything you can imagine. Don't even bother with a map, just walk were you want and enjoy.

For the party-minded, Marrakech also has Africa’s largest nightclub - Pacha (an off-shoot of the clubs in London and Ibiza). It has a setting and a sound system unlike anything else I have seen. Marrakech is also a good base for getting out into the Sahara Desert. On a separate trip, four other language students and myself hired a guide and driver to take us up through the Atlas Mountains and into the Sahara. This was incredible - a totally different Morocco to explore. Highlights include getting into Berber Caves and drinking tea, the amazing scenery and landscape, the film studios at Ouarzazate were you can still see the sets of films like Gladiator and Kingdom of Heaven, 3 hours in a Camel Caravan into the Sahara, Dades and Todra Gorges and sleeping in a sandstorm in the desert. Many of the banks in Morocco have digital clock/date/temp signs and the sign in last town before we entered desert was reading 55 degrees!!

Another weekend I headed north to Fes and Meknes via train (it was easier to catch trains in Morocco than it is in Australia, too!!). Fes is an amazing city on its on, with the oldest university in the world, and the largest car-free CBD in the world. The streets are so thin that not only can you not fit a car, to get along some you have to walk sideways to get through!! Fez is also renowned for its leather tanneries, a smelly, but memorable experience. Outside of Meknes are the ruins of an old Carthage and Roman city which looks like a mini Roman Forum…something I did not expect to find in Morocco.

Morocco is a country that's changing, while still an Islamic country, and although parts are conservative it is quite progressive. An obvious example is fashion. The Hijab is quite common for women to wear and yet on the beach, bikinis are all the rage. There are strong ties to Spain (being less than 1 hour on a Ferry), and France (Morocco was a French protectorate until independence in 1956). There are close ties to the Middle East and the Arab world through religion and language, and also a strong feeling of being part of Africa. For female students, no problems were raised and the University took particular care to ensure everyone’s safety - you will get marriage proposals though, so be prepared to break some hearts!

Morocco is such a wonderful destination with so much diversity of landscape, people and culture. But there are similarities with Australian culture - family and friends are all important, rarely will you get time to yourself. There is a strong beach culture if you’re anywhere near the coast. Moroccans also have a love of good food, so you'll never go hungry…I started walking to and from the university to burn off all the food I ate! Many meals resemble an Aussie BBQ but with a few more flavours. Moroccan hospitality lived up to everything I had heard, from the famous Mint Tea (so sweet you can feel yourself booking an appointment at the dentist as you drink it) to the warm handshakes that reach to your heart.

For those looking to take their Arabic to the next level I recommend time in Morocco very highly. AIM Overseas will help set this up for you - www.aimoverseas.com.au. Intensive study and total immersion in the language and culture really helps the acquisition and retention of the language. For those just looking for something different in their studies, Morocco will certainly give you this. Studying overseas has greatly added my studies and was an experience to remember.

All photos and text by Peter Ford. All rights reserved.

Jewellery Design program in Milan - what a great experience!

In July 2009, Prue from the University of South Australia and Sandra from the University of Newcastle went to take the Jewellery Design program in Milan.

In Prue's words, "It was the best thing I've done".

In Sandra's words, "If you are into art or design you should go for it!"

Listen here to Prue - Jewellery Design in Milan


 Listen here to Sandra - Jewellery Design in Milan