 INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
By Roger Bartholomew
Roger Bartholomew spends his life talking with students - both as a teacher and as a counselor. His position as president of International Education Specialists, Chairman of Southville Foreign University and Director/Teacher at Southville International School all involve listening to students and parents and advising them on their studies and careers. He is a frequent speaker in schools, colleges, universities, public forums and focus groups.
MORE OF THE SAME……? NO THANK YOU! (Or how to have Derek Ramsey’s Abs)
There is a certain air of one-upmanship built into the response, “Oh, I studied overseas in the UK at Nottingham University”, to the question, “Where did you take your degree?” Suddenly people become interested and none of the standard “Blue & Green” jokes drift into the conversation to head things off into a different direction. In actual fact it could be the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Singapore or wherever, but the implicit thought is that it has to have been better.
Let’s hold onto that thought for a moment. Better……? Well, different, anyway! And the final result? Ah, there’s the rub. Studying overseas seems to create opportunity that is really above and beyond the everyday existence of Mendiola, Taft, España, Katipunan and the Oblationary Tales.
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Derek Ramsey about to finish his business degree |
Derek Ramsey mixing his passion for sport and his knowledge in business |
Ask Derek Ramsey where he studied and he won’t even mention his high school in England – which he hated – but he will talk about his college degree in Business/Sport at Southern New Hampshire University in the USA. That’s how he knows how to keep the famous “abs” in good order, with or without the towel. He was able to mix his passion – sport – with a good grounding in business which is invaluable in managing his career.
John Pangilinan does not live in the shadow of his famous older brother as he is a renowned architect in his own right. He took the plunge and went to England – Central London in fact – to take up a Master’s degree in Architecture at London Metropolitan University. Fresh ideas, other creative students, new techniques, different materials, new ways of thinking about the use of space, energy and environmental issues, and of course, warm beer, all contributed to his study experience and gave him a breadth of perspective which makes John and his company much sought-after for big projects today.
Vicky Rose Pacheco came back with some of her classmates from Hotel Management studies and suddenly we have Chateau 1771 which is steadily growing throughout the Ayala developments. Le Coeur de France was established by students from the same school and Breakfast at Antonio’s boasts a Filipino graduate from the Blue Ribbon of Le Cordon Bleu. And have you eaten in Marco Legasto’s new restaurant yet, or Daniel Lim’s Bistro?
The list goes on…… of students who have studied overseas, brought their experiences back to the Philippines and turned them into ventures that are now familiar names in the big shopping malls, as well as holding many of the top positions in industries such as banking, real estate development, manufacturing, food and tourism.
Today, though, the trend is changing and we are seeing less students coming back to the Philippines to launch their careers here, and more staying overseas to take advantage of the opportunities being offered them there. Currently Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand are the “Lands of Opportunity” offering students either residency or work permits after they complete their studies. Does this constitute a brain drain on the Philippines? Not really, as most of these students have the aim of one day returning to the Philippines to run their own business with the knowledge and skills they have acquired overseas, and the experience of putting it into practice on a daily basis. Nobody ever really leaves the Philippines – they just go until they are ready to come home again, like ET!
There is one common factor running through all these stories, and that is Inter-Ed. Inter-Ed helped, advised and placed all of these students (and thousands more) for their overseas studies. That was where the journey started, availing of Inter-Ed’s free counseling service, to get answers to questions like, “What should I study?”, “Where should I go?”, “What if my grades are poor?”, “Which skills are in demand?”, “Is a prestigious name important?”, “Which country has better universities?”, “Are there scholarships available?”, “Can I work while studying?”, “How do I get a student visa?”, “How can I gain residency after my studies?”, and all of the critical questions that need good answers. Each month in this column I will be looking at the variety of opportunities open to people who want something special out of life.
If you are a VIP (Very Impatient Person) and can’t wait for the next column, check out www.inter-ed.com and see if some of the information there helps you. |
