NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State University signed a memorandum of understanding with the Université de Toulon, a university in the South of France, to formalize agreements for student and faculty exchange opportunities, collaborative research and credit transfers. Undergraduate and graduate students and faculty who participate will have opportunities for participation in research programs, cultural activities, language immersion and more, administrators said. The start date for the exchange, which includes classes in English, is the Spring 2019 semester.
According to Telba Espinoza-Contreras, director of NSU’s International Student Resource Center and Study Abroad, students gain more than just academic learning from a study abroad; they gain exposure to different ways of life and develop skills that are transferable to other aspects of their lives.
“They will also gain a new and different perspective on their home country and their current environments culturally, socially and academically,” she said. “They will get a change to practice a new language, make friends from around the world and travel.”
Study abroad also strengthens soft skills that make a resume stand out, Espinoza-Contreras said and can be a life-changing experience.
“Students will create memories that will last them forever. Studying abroad is a cheap way to travel the world. Once they graduate and get a job, they won’t be able to travel for four or five months abroad and experience another culture and way of looking at the world,” she said. “Studying abroad can enhance the student’s understanding of the world, human relations and they grow as a person.”
Located in Toulon, France, the university was founded in 1968 and is organized in six faculties, two autonomous institutes, an institute of business management and an engineering school. Toulon is the third largest city on the Mediterranean coast after Marseille and Nice, home a large military port and important naval center.
Northwestern State has developed study abroad and exchange opportunities with several countries and is currently host to about 100 students from around the world. NSU’s International Student Resource Center was established to provide resources and information for both international students at NSU and NSU students exploring short- and long-term study abroad opportunities. Information on the ISRC is available at nsula.edu/international.
