Students from all over the world welcomed to ASU accelerated degree programs
On August 20th, the Graduate College’s International Initiatives team held its annual Welcome Lunch for all new and returning students and scholars participating in an International Accelerated Degree Program at ASU while representing 9 countries of citizenship and 10 ASU international partner universities across Ghana, China and Taiwan. Several ASU staff and faculty members who help to support IADPs also attended the event.
ASU and its leading partner universities offer IADPs to highly-qualified students, empowering them to complete an undergraduate or graduate degree from their home university earn and a master’s degree from ASU at an accelerated pace and at a lower cost. Students and scholars who participate in IADPs represent important international partnership channels for sustaining and growing ASU’s global engagement and knowledge-sharing. Those who successfully complete an IADP earn an exceptional graduate education and become highly-valued job candidates across global industries.
Event organizer, RoniSue Lee, facilitated a fun, highly-interactive program for the nearly 200 students, scholars, staff and faculty who attended the event. The IADP Welcome Lunch helps new and returning IADP enrollees interact beyond their “comfort zones” with each other by exposing them to “American” norms for interacting with advisors, staff and faculty, which may seem strange at first; and presents the students with helpful information about ASU, their home for the next several years.
Enrique Vivoni, associate dean of the Graduate College, and Deputy Provost Stefanie Lindquist welcomed the students to ASU as part of our global community and urged them to take advantage of the opportunities available to them while they’re here. Francisco Hernández Bolaños, a graduate student from Mexico, speaking from personal experience, urged students to engage with other students from different backgrounds and to ask questions.
"With a growing number of students, our IADPs are flourishing thanks to the hard work of the academic units involved,” said Dean Enrique Vivoni. I was so pleased to interact with these bright students representing our partnering institutions as international ambassadors. Their joy and excitement about Arizona State University and the accelerated degree paths that lie ahead is palpable."
The students seated at Andy’s table (pronounced ahn-di) had fun tasting the food — the tuna fish sandwiches were a big hit, trying on their new “International Ambassador” t-shirts and learning more about ASU through the interactive games and quizzes. “I miss my home, but I’m very excited and proud to be studying at ASU,” Andy said. Taking the advice of event speakers to heart, the new students asked returning students how to use public transportation to explore restaurants, the zoo and other local attractions -- ready to explore their new home away from home.