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McCombs Study Abroad Programs Capture Attention of Spanish Press
by Elizabeth MacLean
Each summer tourists flock to Barcelona, Spain to enjoy its unique brand of Catalonian charm. This summer, a significant majority of the tourists were backpacking students from the United States. An article, published August 19 in Barcelona’s La Vanguardia, highlighted the phenomenon, which seemed to have taken the city somewhat by surprise.
La Vanguardia published a second feature solely on University of Texas summer study abroad programs, which illustrates an increasingly popular alternative for students who are interested in learning more about the world around them. This year, 28 undergraduate students participated in two study abroad programs held in conjunction with ESADE, one of Spain’s leading business schools and a McCombs partner since 1998. Courses such as International Finance, European Marketing, Business Spanish and Spanish Business and Culture, were delivered by both UT-Austin and ESADE faculty.
Isaac Padilla, a twenty-one year old international business major who was interviewed for the article, expressed amazement over the number of things he and his fellow students experienced beyond the classroom: “We were able to go to the beach, visit museums, and stroll throughout the city. The truth is, we have not stopped!”
The notable presence of UT-Austin students in Barcelona seems to be reflective of a larger U.S. trend. Almost one year after the September 11 attacks, an informal Internet survey conducted by the Institute of International Education, reported an increase in interest in study abroad programs across the nation (results of the survey appear on IEE’s membership website: iienetwork.org).
A welcome and surprising outcome is the perception that international education is now more important than ever, as students such as Isaac Padilla, and his peers, return from study abroad programs with a greatly enhanced international perspective.
For information on specific programs at the McCombs School, consult our contacts page. For media information, contact the Communications Director by phone at 512-471-3314 or by email at CommunicationsDirector@mccombs.utexas.edu.
