I did extensive research on studying overseas and what I wanted to know was why so many students from China and parts of southeast Asia – with better than average scholastic abilities in their home country – struggled and had difficulties with various university programs in North America.
What struck me in much of the research was that there was often a thread involving cultural issues. For most of these students, it certainly was not due to intellectual abilities. By the time most Chinese students decide to apply for overseas education, their academic record is well established and very good.
They struggle not because of intelligence or scholastic ability but because they have trouble adapting to new cultures: an education/academic culture, and a social culture.
And when I say ‘struggle’ I mean that they may experience one of three outcomes:
1. Outright failure – they do not graduate
2. Graduate but do not receive the higher marks their scholastic abilities should have achieved (and therefore fall into a large pool of average graduates when they return to China looking for work)
3. Do not have the non-classroom experiences of living in a foreign country that employers look for and will benefit them in future careers
I know these issues very well having seen all three outcomes in my own MBA students and undergraduate students from China that went to to Edinburgh or London, or overseas to North America.
An example involving many of my students is a behaviour called ‘clustering’ which simply means Chinese students spending their time exclusively with other Chinese students, living, eating, and studying together. This is a common coping mechanism for students who have no idea how to live in or adapt to a foreign culture, so they avoid it completely.
As a result, they miss out on the rich experiences that an overseas education provides, that change you personally and professionally for the better.
Armed with that knowledge and an understanding of how culture affects people, we’ve developed a program that will not only help students achieve better academic results overseas, but also enjoy a much richer experience as a whole.
If you’re going to spend $100,000+ for an overseas education, it only makes sense to acquire the skills and tools you need to get the maximum benefit from it, no?
The GLOBE program for overseas education is designed to do just that. The program and core activities were originally developed by a team of ex-pats with over 40 combined years in China, and backgrounds that include high-level education management positions, teaching, marketing, entrepreneurship, and writing.
Increasingly, Chinese students believe that higher education at the undergraduate, postgraduate, and even high school level in an overseas western university or other educational facilities is a key path for achieving their career goals.
Their academic achievements notwithstanding, a student’s intellectual abilities can be hindered by this lack of required skills and tools. Our program is designed to address those issues prior to beginning their overseas studies, and will by provide Chinese students with a range of specific skills and practical tools to adapt smoothly and with confidence to academic and social norms in North American schools, from high schools to universities.
This will enable them to reach or exceed their academic goals along with immersing themselves in an enriching experience living abroad.
The program assumes that the student has already achieved an appropriately advanced level of English language proficiency.
Our program facilitators are native English speakers from the USA and Canada. They have practical teaching experience in China and are familiar with the academic and social culture of both China and North America.
Each year the number of Chinese students going to North America to study increases. This means that the competition for high-quality, high-paying career opportunities when they return to China becomes even more intense. Students then attempt to address the increased competition by applying to what they view as better schools, better programs, achieving higher marks and awards, even going to high schools in North America to increase their chances of getting into those good undergraduate schools. Anything that will give them an advantage over other students when they return to China.
The GLOBE program is designed to make that journey easier and more rewarding from start to finish. I invite you to check it out for yourself.
