When the world comes to Texas, and when Longhorns see the world, everyone wins.
You can’t change the world without experiencing it. For success in today’s global economy, students must be prepared to work in an environment of different languages, cultures and histories.
That’s why UT Austin offers numerous opportunities to prepare students to be global citizens through international and cultural exchange, and partnerships that strengthen the university’s global reach.
Continue reading to see how we’re preparing students to be global citizens at news.utexas.edu.
Join us this Friday as we open the doors to the Distant Relatives Pop-Up House @drexhibit from 7:00pm to 9:00pm at the African American Cultural & Heritage Facility located at 912 E 11th Street. We will be hosting fellows from the UT-Austin Young African Leaders Initiative while building an interactive experience for you all to experience throughout the evening. See you there... #yali2016 @washfellowship @worldandut #worldandut (at The Greater Austin Black Chamber of Commerce)
Went to #MoriokaCastle today. Morioka Castle is a hirayama-style #Japanese #castle constructed in the early 17th century (actual year- 1611) #nippon #japan #worldandut Shout out to @jalen_cox02 for going with me and showing me around. #longhorns stick together (at Morioka Castle)
It took me a while to realize there were a couple hidden people in this picture. That's fine, the more the merrier #worldandut #japan #groupphoto (at Iwate University)
This past week, the U.S. flag began flying over the country's embassy in Havana for the first time in 54 years.
This summer, UT Austin made history by sending the first study abroad group on a program to Cuba.
The four-week program brought the students from Havana to Santiago as they explored Cuba's cultural and political history and future through architecture, art, film and media.
The group of 19 Longhorns experienced firsthand how the once-embargoed country is changing now that relations between Cuba and the U.S. are normalizing.
“This program has a greater significance now since our students are going to be experiencing a changing Cuba,” says César Salgado, an associate professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese who leads the program. “We are in the fortunate situation of being able to see firsthand the transformation that is going to happen.”
Students in the group represent a diversity of perspectives with majors ranging from International Relations and Global Studies, Spanish, and Latin American Studies to Sociology, Physics, and Kinesiology. The students met weekly throughout the spring semester to complete coursework and readings to prepare them for their lectures and excursions while in Cuba.
[Horns Up Across the Globe: Travel the world through the eyes of Longhorns who studied abroad this summer.]
While the announcement that Cuba and the U.S. would normalize relations came recently, the study abroad program has been in development for years. Because of the embargo and other legal issues, it was not possible until 2012 when a new law allowed students to travel to Cuba for educational reasons. The program, called Cuba in Question, was approved in 2014.
There are 78 countries in which Longhorns can study abroad, attracting more than 3,000 students each year and making UT's study abroad program the second-largest in the U.S.
UT's International Office makes study abroad possible for every Longhorn by offering financial aid tailoring programs to fit every field of study and integrating the experience into graduation schedules.
Cross-cultural experiences enrich students' lives and strengthen the entire university community, helping to make UT Austin one of the best universities in the world.
