|
- Burton M. •
- IRSEP Program in Malaysia •
- Finance and Entrepreneurship Major
“I
was interested in Asian culture… because I believe their
economies and countries are going to prosper for the next
couple of decades at least”
—Burton M. |
Burton spent a year in Malaysia through the Learning Abroad Center’s scholarship exchange program, IRSEP. He took classes for his major in Finance and Entrepreneurship while pursuing other interests such as traveling, photography and the Malay language. His time in Malaysia ultimately inspired him to be more internationally involved in business.
In Malaysia, Burton was able to fulfill requirements for his major, as well as language and liberal education requirements. He thought his classes at the University were also a great way to learn about Malaysian culture because of the direct contact they provided with students and professors. He especially enjoyed his Malay language classes because they enabled him to engage in his surroundings in a new way. In the second semester of his language class, Burton was able to use his Malay skills to communicate while traveling in Indonesia. He says that learning Malay helped him communicate more easily in English, too. "You get used to being able to communicate with the language barrier and so you (can better) communicate with your own language." Other than a photography class Burton took for fun, his second semester was almost entirely courses related to his major. His classes included international management and strategic marketing. Studying business in Malaysia has inspired him to become more internationally involved in business in the future, and he’s set a goal to move to Singapore within the next five years.
During his time in Malaysia, Burton experienced diversity in many ways. Through the "buddy student" program set up by his school’s international office, he got to know his Malaysian peers. Many of the buddy students were Malaysian students who had experience abroad and were interested in welcoming international students to their own campus. They showed Burton and other international students around the university, brought them to local restaurants and took them to sing karaoke. On campus, he also became familiar with Malaysia’s different cultures through his Chinese, Malay and Indian professors.
During vacations, Burton seized the opportunity to travel to surrounding areas. Attending weddings in both Malaysia and Indonesia gave him the chance to observe regional similarities and differences. His other travels included trips to Laos, Cambodia, Singapore and Thailand.
Staying in an apartment with other international students added another layer to Burton’s experience. By living with students from around the world, he became familiar with their cultures as well. It also gave him the opportunity to exchange perspectives on his new surroundings with others who were experiencing it for the first time.
Last modified on January 13, 2009 |