 Coventry University's International Experience and Mobility Service (IEMS) provides a vast range of opportunities to help students gain international experience. The programmes include study and work abroad, free language classes and in-house collaborations with China, Africa, India and the US.
“IEMS helps its graduates acquire the skills to gain work experience abroad, gain competitive advantage in the transnational graduate job market and ultimately become globally-employable”, said Jean-Bernard Adrey, Director of the International Experience and Mobility.
In recent years a total of 350 students have benefited from the Erasmus/Leonardo da Vinci schemes at Coventry. A total of 220 undergraduate students will be starting their studies in European universities and a further 60 will undertake a work placement in various locations across Europe.
Eugenijus Sapel, a recent Lithuanian graduate from Coventry University, has already gone through the initial stage of the Leonardo approval process.
“Since my studies in the UK, experiencing life abroad, living independently and meeting people from all over the world I have felt enormous urge to continue this international experience”, he said. “The Leonardo Programme is the next much desired step in my career path.”
In order to help students who are planning to complete a year of study or work abroad, IEMS provides Linguae Mundi classes in eleven languages. Since 2009, more than 600 students have benefited from the programme.
“The staff are professional, exceptionally good teachers who understand their material and have a good approach towards the students”, commented Krasimiv Chobanov, a second year Aerospace Engineering student, who has signed up for German lessons.
 Krasimir, who has been approved through the first stages of the Erasmus work placement process, believes the classes will be useful in his year abroad. “Although the course will not teach someone a new language in depth for 20 hours, it does provide the basics for beginners and a great opportunity for everyone to refresh their knowledge of the language.”
According to Jean-Bernard, in addition to enhancing employability, all the programmes offered by IEMS also help students develop their social skills.
“Participants in these experiences invariably come back and report these have been some of the best times in their life, that have broadened their horizons, and through which they made many friends and which were in general a lot of fun”, he added.
*Images by Diana StefanescuLabels: 230mc |
