Article by: Kristin Clarisse H. Mateo
Graphics by: Andrea Nicole R. Villasanta
To discuss the Student Global Experience (SGE) further including its benefits to the students, the Office of International Career and Exchange Programs (ICEP) conducted a reorientation about SGE for Batch 2018 students last March 15 to 24 via Zoom.
Students from E.T. Yuchengco School of Business and Management were oriented about the institutional and graduation requirement on the first day, while those from the School of Civil, Environmental, and Geological Engineering were briefed on the second. The SGE reorientation then involved students from the School of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management and School of Information and Technology (both March 18), School of Social Sciences and Education (March 19), and School of Media Studies (March 24).
What is SGE for?
In a Zoom interview with ICEP Director Engr. Rosette Eira E. Camus, she said that before the COVID-19 pandemic, SGE was about mobility, which meant student experiences abroad or writing a research paper to be published in an international journal. However, to continue strengthening Mapúa University’s internationalization efforts amidst the quarantine restrictions, SGE was shifted to a virtual experience.
As for the main objective of SGE, she mentioned that it is “to provide the students with the necessary skills to become globally competitive.”
The ICEP Director also emphasized the benefits that the students can gain from SGE. “The international exposure of students in whatever form of activity will really give them confidence, will broaden their understanding and perspective of the international arena.”
“It will also make them understand cultural diversity. It’s really more for the students’ experience,” she added.
She cited that SGE will also help the students develop good collaboration skills and rapport with others, adapt to a new environment, and understand differences in culture and knowledge in their future workplace.
SGE activities and guidelines
As of writing, the activities that can be credited as SGE are the Virtual International Internship Program, Virtual Exchange Program, Collaborative Online International Learning, Virtual Short Programs, Virtual International Scientific Conference, Virtual Research Enrichment Program, Virtual International Conference, Virtual International Academic Competitions, School-Approved Coursera and LinkedIn courses (apart from required curriculum courses), and completing a Basic Foreign Language Training in Japanese, Mandarin, Korean, or another language in the listing.
The SGE can be credited if the students participated in any of the specified international programs during their program study at the University at least once, but Engr. Camus clarified that students could have more international exposure if they want.
She also noted that the main difference compared to the previous guidelines is the minimum required number of hours for the virtual international conferences. “For now, the difference is that we are requiring a minimum of 10-hour participation for the virtual international conferences,” she stated.
Moreover, Batch 2017 and prior students are not required to take SGE if they are taking the curriculum prior to the Batch 2018.
Students who would like to have their SGE credited can submit the filled-out FM-IP-36-00 form and evidence to the ICEP for validation and encoding. To answer the inquiries of more students and discuss the topic further, the ICEP will be holding more reorientations about the SGE for the other schools and departments in the coming weeks.
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