Travel Tips While Abroad #HogsAbroad in Rome

Traveling abroad can be a scary, confusing challenge for first-time international travelers and even seasoned travelers. The best way to face this challenge is to always keep an open and flexible mind, be prepared with available resources and take a deep breath! Listed below are different applications, tips and tricks to help you navigate your travels abroad with ease. Also, it's important to note that not everything may go according to plan each time while traveling, but that's OK; stay flexible and keep on keeping on!

Booking Flights  

Booking flights or airline travel can be a tad confusing especially given the number of airlines and different booking websites available in today's digital age. I've found that Skyscanner is a great online website to search for flights to your desired destination and oftentimes shows the cheapest route! This service can also be tailored to find the fastest options, no layover and more when thinking of airline travel. Once you find a great option, I would always recommend visiting the airline's official website and enter the details of the flight you found to ensure you've found a reliable option. Then you should book from the official airline site to prevent any chance of getting scammed, which can occasionally happen when booking directly from third-party sites. And, be sure to refer to any instructions from your study abroad program!

Transportation

Transportation while living in another country is one of the key details to understand when trying to navigate to and from your desired destinations. The easiest and most reliable way that I've found to navigate is by using applications like Moovit, which can be downloaded from the Apple and Android store. This application lets you set your current location for the most up to date and reliable transport methods. You input your starting location or actual location and then simply your destination. The app will provide multiple ways for you to reach your desired location based on the forms of public transportation available to you. It provides live time schedules of many buses and trains to ensure you are aware of when you need to leave. It can also be used to navigate transportation on foot. I have used this application while in South America and during my time here in Italy currently and it has been a tremendous help in navigating the cities. However, when in doubt and if you're confused, never be afraid to ask for help! The locals are usually very friendly no matter where you travel in the world and they're the best source of information for questions like this and perhaps a local favorite for dinner!

Be Aware 

When traveling abroad, you should always be aware of your surroundings. A busy bus, crowd of people waiting to hop on the train, or even the local pub can all be places where pickpockets or thieves may try to target tourists. If you have a small bag or purse, you should always try to have it across your chest when in crowded places or on public transportation so one does not try to steal from you. For guys specifically, it is often that their wallet or other items are taken from their back pocket. Therefore, you should try to keep these items in your front pockets. This is not meant to scare you or serve as a barrier to you traveling abroad and experiencing many amazing cultures and destinations. It is simply a reminder to be aware of what is happening around you and where your important items are while traveling abroad. Being aware can also help you find the hidden restaurants and local favorites as you explore new places!

Cheap Accommodations

Depending on your preferences, hostels or Airbnb's may be great, cheaper alternatives to staying in hotels on your international travels. Airbnb's offer different lodging options and the ability to book in advance with secure hosts. Many of these lodging options also come at a fraction of the price of most hotels specifically designed with tourists in mind. If you are more interested in an exciting atmosphere and meeting fellow travelers, a hostel may be more suitable for you. Hostels are typically shared living spaces and come at usually very cheap rates compared to hotels and even Airbnb's. This lodging option is a fantastic way to meet other travelers from around the world. Hostels can vary from having co-ed shared rooms, gender specific or even private rooms. Many hostels even have their own restaurants inside or offer free meal options during your stay. In order to make sure you find the hostel that best fits your interests, be sure to look on the Hostelworld application or online website. 

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Chaz Robinson completed an Internship in Italy for his master's degree in Higher Education during the Summer 2022 at the U of A Rome Center, with support from the Office of Study Abroad Scholarship.

You can start planning your adventure abroad today! Dive in to our Explore page at https://studyabroad.uark.edu/explore/index.php, and start your program search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

It was for the Plot #HogsAbroad in Denmark

Blog post courtesy of the Honors College

My name is Mallory MacDonald, and I am a senior honors student double majoring in biology and psychology with a minor in statistics in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. While that sounds like I should be going to medical school, studying abroad changed my trajectory. I took classes outside my comfort zone and fell in love with International Humanitarian Law. I will now be attending law school in my future.

There is this new phrase that I’m trying to add to my everyday vernacular. Kinda similar to YOLO, it goes something like, “It was for the plot.” Sadly, I stumbled onto this saying after I was back in the states on TikTok. However, it still describes my experience wonderfully.

To begin, this expression indicates that I have control over how I write my story. That’s exactly what I was able to do during my study abroad experience. This past summer, I took classes in Copenhagen, Denmark, through the Danish Institute of Study Abroad, or DIS for short. Originally, I choose this program in the Fall of 2019. The class that drew me in was called The Neuroscience of Fear. The program had added in a weeklong study tour to Munich, Germany where students were going to have a tour of Dachau, the first concentration camp. As a biology and psychology double major, this class was going to be an amazing opportunity. Due to COVID-19, I went during the Summer of 2021 when this class was no longer offered due to travel restrictions. This gave me my first time to change up my plotline! The class I took instead was Humanitarian Law and Armed Conflict. During the class, I thought maybe I would go into law as a joke; however, now, I don’t think it’s a joke anymore. I just took my first practice LSAT two days ago.

While I was in class for four hours a day (which felt like the biggest inconvenience), most of my day was spent exploring the city. I spent afternoons walking up and down Stroget, a walking street dedicated to shopping, in different museums learning about the history and culture of Scandinavia, or exploring castles. While roughly 40% of their workforce travels to work by bicycle, I decided to get a metro card. I made it a goal, though, to ride a bike at least for a full day to get as close to the experience as possible. One of my favorite days! The story starts when I mentioned to a classmate of mine that I wanted to ride bikes to a small fishing village south of Copenhagen. She wanted to come and invited a couple of her flatmates. From there, I rode 40 minutes on a bike to a town I didn’t know much about with people that I just met that morning. We ended that adventure by going to eat at Reffen. I have never had parmesan fries as tasty as these. Reffen is the largest street food venue in the Nordic! It sits right on the harbor with a wonderful viewpoint of the sunset if you stay late enough (the sun sets around 9:58 p.m. which also happens to be when the last bus leaves the area too). My roommate got a tattoo here. I talked to some Danish Royal Guards. Good food, good times, and a great place to make TikToks. I’ll end this story with some advice. Take the random classes. Invite the stranger. Try the food. Say yes (but be safe).

The second reason I use the “It was for the plot” expression is because it’s a positive outlook for when something does not go right. For example, your tour bus gets stuck in the sand – it was for the plot. You rent a car and make a wrong turn and end up somewhere you didn’t plan to – it was for the plot. One Tuesday, I planned to have a quiet night finishing homework. That was before some friends from the building walked in and asked if I wanted to jump into the harbor. How could I say no? The plot was going to be better if I said yes. Also, I just love the water. I changed into my swimsuit so quickly. There were about five of us that jumped in all at once. We quickly learned that the water was about 58 degrees Fahrenheit, a.k.a cold! After that experience, I soon learned that most Danes jump in on a hot day after they get off work (not at night after an average temp day).

Another aspect of my study abroad experience that I could not control was COVID-19. I was lucky enough to be one of the students to get to travel in 2021. The first five days that I was in Copenhagen were spent in quarantine in my flat. This gave me that opportunity to get to know who I was living with very well. I experienced jet lag during this time the most. I got the opportunity to see how another country dealt with COVID, how they loosened their restrictions and their attitudes towards the vaccination. COVID-19 has added to my study abroad experience. Before studying abroad, I heard of students traveling all around Europe on their weekends off, going to Paris, Barcelona or Amsterdam. It would have been amazing to get to travel to all those places. Instead of spending 48 hours traveling to and spending time in another county, I got to visit different cities and towns within Denmark. About a two-hour drive south of Copenhagen is a nature reserve called Mons Klint where about 30 DIS students went camping one weekend. Roskilde is about an hour and a half train ride and houses the Viking Ship Museum. During the week-long class trip, we went all across Denmark on the tour bus. During this week, I saw the second-largest city in Denmark, stayed a night in my teacher’s hometown, and went to a beach near the northernmost point of the country.

All in all, the stories that you remember most aren’t going to be the adventures that you planned for but the ones that you stumbled upon.

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Learn more about Mallory's program in Copenhagen, Denmark with DIS.

You can start planning your adventure abroad today! Dive in to our Explore page at https://studyabroad.uark.edu/explore/index.php, and start your program search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

From Study Abroad to Graduate School! #HogsAbroad in France

From study abroad to Graduate School: a story in 4 photos!

Jordan Fontenot studied abroad twice during her undergraduate career, and loved it so much that she went on to pursue her master's degree in French at the U of A! We caught up with Jordan on some of her favorite memories and reflections from study abroad.

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Me and my first host family celebrating Bastille Day 2018 at a music festival.

Me in front of the chateau located just 5 minutes down the road from my host mom’s apartment during my second stay. I absolutely loved wandering the streets and parks around here to see all the details of this beautiful structure. My favorite crepe shop was just across the street with a perfect view for studying!

A picture of a few friends and I visiting Toulouse seeing the square right where I stayed on my very first trip to France on the faculty led program, it was a great full circle moment to be back again!

 My best friend and I actually met up on one of my program’s weekend excursions! She was studying in Spain at the same time so we were able to get together several times throughout the semester which was one of the best parts for sure!

These trips were truly some of the most amazing times of my life. My favorite experience overall was probably having the opportunity to be in France to watch them win the World Cup in 2018! It was a celebration unlike anything I have ever seen before and I am forever grateful to have been there. 

I learned so much about myself in terms of independence and handling new experiences all on my own (particularly troubleshooting travel issues in another language as from the time I left the US up until my return, not a single trip went smoothly!) I’ve studied French for 15 years now and nothing cemented my learning as much as these trips. After the first month program I immediately knew I had to find my way back to learn as much as possible! 

These trips also helped me decide to pursue graduate school in order to further my learning even more and hopefully put me in a position to return abroad to teach English. On my second trip I was able to return to see my first host family and practice my French which had greatly improved since my first visit! I still maintain relationships with both my host families as well as several friends I met abroad and when it is safe to visit again, I plan to make a trip to visit them!

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Jordan Fontenot, class of 2020 (French & Communication), Summer 2018 and Fall 2019 in France

Learn more about Jordan's Faculty-Led: French in Perpignan program.

Learn more about Jordan's semester in Pau through USAC.

You can start planning your adventure abroad today! Dive in to our Explore page at https://studyabroad.uark.edu/explore/index.php, and start your program search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Critical Language Scholarship Webinar Thursday, October 29

The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is a fully-funded intensive language and cultural immersion study abroad program for American students at U.S. colleges and universities. Each summer, students spend eight weeks abroad studying one of 15 critical languages, 9 of which require no previous language study. The program includes intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences designed to promote rapid language gains.

The application is now live and available online at: https://www.clscholarship.org/apply and an overview of application tips can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WENN81o9WS

With the summer 2021 application closing on Tuesday, November 17 at 8:00pm Eastern, program staff are hosting one final information session for students in Arkansas to learn more about the CLS Program and the application process. This session will be on Thursday, October 29 at 12:00pm CDT and the registration link can be found at: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Kwsz0FTOQRWfwqeFHhgQ_A

#Razorgrads Take on Ireland! #HogsAbroad #ThrowbackThursday

Hello! My name is Megan Still. I am a Graduate Student in Walton College of Business working on my Master’s in Information Systems. This summer, I was blessed with the opportunity to study in Ireland through the U of A faculty-led program. While abroad we visited businesses in Ireland to investigate E-commerce and the Innovative Technology they were working on. We were able to work with IBM, American Chamber of Commerce, Jet.com, SAP and Deloitte. 

Before the trip I did research on weather, currency, power adapters and our scheduled business appointments in Ireland, so that I could best prepare for the trip. I found that weather at that time was mild and did have the tendency to drizzle, so light raincoat was perfect! I also saw that there was a place on campus and at the airport to exchange our currency and Visa and Mastercard Credit Cards would be just fine at most locations. I also was able to purchase the right power adapter and converter to use.

And then the day for travel came!

One thing we learned early into our trip is that the people you are traveling with make such a HUGE impact on the experience. Our first day and a half could have truly ruined the rest of the trip. We had a cancelled flight in Chicago, then struggled to get a flight with all of us on it, missed the first day, plane with no AC…. And almost lost my luggage. BUT… the other students and professors were AMAZING! Instead of getting upset and testy we chose to crack jokes and keep the situation fun and light. No doubt we were tired when we arrived on Monday in Ireland and had our first business meetings just about 2.5 hours later. We stuck with it and kept positive throughout the day. One thing I learned is that in life you must go in with the understanding that you are not in control and when humans are involved things can get off track. But you can control your response to those situations. Reacting negatively doesn’t improve the situation it just ruins opportunities and creates tension.

Like I said, so Blessed with those who I traveled with.

In country we learned so much about the different businesses and how certain technology we are learning about is currently being used. Learning about how the culture in Ireland has impacted the growth of these companies and how they do business was fascinating! Everyone we met in Ireland was so accommodating and excited to share about the country and their business.

Our group also had the opportunity to go on a couple cultural adventures as well. We went to Teeling Distillery, Malahide Castle and Gardens, Howth, Galway, and Cliffs of Moher.

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Megan spent the Summer 2019 term abroad in Ireland with our program for graduate students enrolled in the Professional MIS program with the with the help of our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship.

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Learn About the Peace Corps at Story Slam

Do you have a passion for service and a heart for exploring new cultures? If so, the Peace Corps could be a good fit for you.

Learn about the Peace Corps at Story Slam from noon-1:30 p.m. on Friday, March 1, in the Holcombe Hall Living Room.

The event is a celebration of the 58th anniversary of the founding of the Peace Corps. Returned Peace Corps volunteers will share stories about their service and answer questions about their experiences.

Returned volunteers sharing their stories are:

• Justin Barnum, volunteered in Cape Verde
• James Flammer, volunteered in Thailand
• Jessica Ginger, volunteered in Moldova
• Mary Beth Lemoine, volunteered in Lesotho
• Mary Alice Serafini, volunteered in Sierra Leone

Others who have served in the Peace Corps are welcome to share their stories too.

Lunch will be provided. RSVP is appreciated, but is not required.

Contact Lauren Hughes at lrallen@uark.edu with any questions.

Closing Ceremony and Reflection #HogsAbroad in China

The last day of the conference included the awards and closing ceremony on that Friday morning. We had an awesome keynote presentation on the importance of United Nations peacekeepers. It is awesome to hear how our participation in the conference serves as a catalyst to changing the world. The University of Arkansas picked up 4 awards:

• Outstanding Position Paper – China ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council)
• Outstanding Delegates in Committee – China ECOSOC
• Distinguished Delegation – China
• Distinguished Delegation – Republic of Korea (South Korea)

I cannot express how proud I am of the hard work and dedication of this group. Our committee sessions were long. They included multiple speeches and hours of negotiation and debate. Every single country and committee from the University of Arkansas gave more than 100% effort and represented our school in very high fashion. In addition to the awards, our group benefited from personal and professional development. Because of our participation in this conference, we are better researchers, negotiators, and public speakers. We have mastered the skill of presenting and communicating research effectively and working in groups to create proposals and solutions that the body can actually implement. Our group also bonded and created a family. I cannot say enough about Dr. Stapp and the 20 students that participated in NMUN China 2018. I’m proud of myself and the group for getting out of our element and meeting other people from around the world. We challenged ourselves to work multilateral and have confidence in our research and proposals. We ended the conference with a celebration at an awesome Hot Pot restaurant. Great work, delegates!

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Follow along with Eric and the Model UN delegation at https://esw2018nmun.home.blog/.

Cultural Excursions #HogsAbroad in China

The first two days of our trip consisted of cultural excursions to various locations. On Monday, the group went to visit the Terra Cotta soldiers. It was about an hour drive outside of the city to the museum. The area to view the soldiers was divided into three pits, each of different sizes. We visited all three pits. It was a neat site to see. It was hard to get pictures because it was dark in several locations, but there were a ton of warriors. The figures also included chariots and horses. Monday also included a visit to the Bell and Drum Towers. These are located in the center of Xi’an. You could go inside the tower and up at the top was a great view of the city center. Not too far from the Bell Tower is the Drum Tower. The Bell Tower rung at dawn to start the day and the Drum Tower is struck at night to conclude the day. In the Drum Tower, there were multiple drums that signified certain things. For example, there was a drum for each solar term or weather phenomenon. My favorite was a drum for “slight heat.” I assumed this meant a period of the summer, but I wasn’t exactly sure. There is also a drum museum inside the tower. The Drum Tower also gave great views of the city.

The next day, Tuesday, also consisted of cultural excursions. Our day started with a visit to the Xi’an City Wall. It looks a lot like the Kremlin in Moscow in my opinion. It was my favorite of the cultural excursions. It is situated at the end of the ancient Silk Road, which ironically is also located in the center of the urban district. We walked along one of the sides of the wall and got more good pictures of the city. We took a group picture at one end of the wall. After some free time at the wall, we walked to the Muslim Quarter. It was a short distance to the Muslim Quarter, since the district is located inside the City Wall. It is called the Muslim Quarter due to its large Muslim population. The area is most known for its culture, food, and shopping. We were given about two hours of free time here in addition to lunch. It was a fun area, very lively. Some of our group went again the last night of the trip. They were not disappointed.

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Follow along with Eric and the Model UN delegation at https://esw2018nmun.home.blog/.

Committee Working Sessions #HogsAbroad in China

Our conference commenced with a thorough rules training and an incredible opening ceremony. Patrick Parsons, the Deputy Secretary-general, conducted the rules training. Here we learned the time for each speech and other info necessary to have a successful committee session. He explained to us where we could find both the short and long form of the rules and then left the last 30 minutes or so to take and answer questions. The opening ceremony and welcome dinner were nice. They included many speakers and live performances. After dinner on Monday, the committee sessions began.

My co-ambassador Kali Fleming and I representing Japan UNIDO at the opening ceremony.

Each committee session begins with a roll call of each country, where you stated if your country is “present” or “present and voting.” All the U of A countries are ALWAYS “present and voting” no matter what! During the first session, we first worked on setting the agenda. The group voted to start with Issue 2. For UNIDO, this was Enhancing Economic Competitiveness through Global Access. I’m not sure how the other committees decided to set their agenda, but each committee is required to set the agenda. Once we had the agenda set, committee sessions were divided into formal and informal sessions. Formal sessions consisted of speeches from Member States on the speaker’s list. Informal sessions are where the delegates would break for caucusing and work on working papers and draft resolutions. This process repeated until we voted for the final draft resolutions. Unfortunately, we did not vote until the very last committee working sessions, so we did not have a chance to tackle Issue 1, which for UNIDO, was the Montreal Protocol: Mobilizing for Climate Action. In the end, UNIDO ended up with four draft resolutions. All 4 were passed. In one of the draft resolutions, a clause from my committee was left out. My co-ambassador and I had to complete an amendment form. Friendly amendments are ones where all sponsors (major contributors to working paper language) on the working paper agree to amend. Unfriendly is the opposite. This amendment was unfriendly since one of the sponsors (Ukraine) left the conference early. This means the entire body had to vote on it. The majority voted on it, and our clause was added to the resolution! My co-ambassador and I gave wonderful speeches. We alternated speaking during each committee session and spoke a combined 9 times. Our speeches consisted of various things including commending the work of the body, explaining our position, and getting signatories for our working papers. Japan UNIDO had language on three of the four final resolutions passed. Overall, I would say our committees had a positive experience in the sessions and the conference as a whole. Although Japan did not finish with an award, my co-delegate and I gave our all and actively participated.

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Follow along with Eric and the Model UN delegation at https://esw2018nmun.home.blog/.

Journey to Xi’an #HogsAbroad in China

It was a long and incredible journey to Xi’an, China. It took three flights spanning over 7,000 miles to get to this remote but beautiful location. I departed XNA Friday, November 16 at 2 PM bound for Los Angeles. There, I had a 9-hour layover which provided a great opportunity to go out into the city and explore. I then had a 15-hour overnight flight to Hong Kong. After only having to wait about 2 hours, I boarded my final flight to Xi’an. It was a quick flight, less than two hours. Xi’an and the surrounding area look great for the air.

After landing, clearing customs, and getting my bag, I met my driver Bruce in the arrivals area. He had a sign with my name on it. He very politely carried my bag down several flights of stairs. Bruce acted as a guide on our long drive to the hotel. He talked to me mainly about the traffic in the city, which is very heavy. He also talked to me about the geography of the area. He was very nice. The drive was nearly two hours. The airport is only about 30 miles from the hotel if that gives you any ideas about how traffic is. We finally got to the Westin Hotel Sunday evening just before 6 PM. We all got checked into our rooms and we had a quick team meeting at 8 PM. It was nice to get some sleep after over 30 hours of traveling.

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Follow along with Eric and the Model UN delegation at https://esw2018nmun.home.blog/.

Preparation for Model UN #HogsAbroad in China

As mentioned in the intro, twenty students are representing three countries: Japan, China, and Republic of Korea (South Korea) across four committees: Economic and Social Council Plenary (ECOSOC), General Assembly Plenary (GA), Security Council (SC), and United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

Here is a list of the issues each committee will be discussing at the conference:

ECOSOC

1. People-Centered Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation
2. Harnessing Cultural Heritage for Sustainable Development

GA

1. Safeguarding the Health of Refugee Children and Youth
2. Rebuilding Community Security in Post-Conflict Iraq and Syria

SC

1. Improving the Security of United Nations Peacekeeping Personnel
2. The Situation in Ukraine

UNIDO

1. The Montreal Protocol: Mobilizing for Climate Action
2. Enhancing Economic Competitiveness through Global Access

To become expert delegates on these issues, the first step is to conduct a lot of research. The past thirteen weeks have been a rigorous process of committee preparation. Committee preparation comes in four primary forms: position papers, caucusing, speeches, and resolution writing. I will talk about each of these in detail. Students came to class on the first day with their first version of position papers ready to go and at least one proposal per issue. Since the first day of class back on August 21, it’s been a thorough process of committee preparation.

Position Papers

Once students knew their assigned committees, preparation began with the position paper. The NMUN website provided a position paper guide and a committee background guide around July. Both of these resources are a critical part of doing sufficient research. Committees are required to submit one, two-paged paper stating their country’s position on both issues. The position paper guide gives strict guidelines on formatting that must be followed. This includes font type and size, Arial 10 pt. Position papers are typically in 3-paragraph format. In the first paragraph, you will set the stage for your issue and explain why it is important. In the second paragraph, you will talk about what’s already been done or discussed to remedy your issue. This is on a national and international level. The most important paragraph is the last paragraph. Here you will explain your proposals to fix or potentially fix the issues. The key here is you want your proposals to be convincing; something that will actually get the international community involved. Anything over the two page limit will not be considered. Students will typically type one page per issue. You don’t have to do this. The important part is just being clear and convincing on both issues in two pages. All the submitted position papers were posted November 2. This helps decide who you want to work with. Students downloaded and printed copies of every position paper for their committee and highlighted their proposals to determine the top 15 countries they wanted to work with. This is important for caucusing preparation.

The process of going through position papers is lengthy but essential to caucusing effectively at the conference. Here is where I highlighted every country’s proposals for my committee and ranked each based on their alignment with my paper. I made a list of what university represents each country in my committee. This will also help with caucusing.

Caucusing

This is arguably the most important part of preparation for the conference because it encompasses about 80% of what we’ll be doing at the conference. Caucusing is just simply a collaboration with other countries (same committee) on proposals to write resolutions. We will talk resolutions later. The goal of caucusing is to find other countries within your committee whose positions align with the position of your country. That way you can collaborate and potentially consolidate proposals and get them passed into resolutions. We spent several class sessions caucusing. This also helps you strengthen and sharpen your proposals.

Japan UNIDO is caucusing with Republic of Korea UNIDO to discuss effective measures to tackle climate change.

Speeches

Speeches are another important part of preparation for the conference. Students will give three main speeches: Setting the Agenda Speech, Position Paper Speeches, and Caucusing/Resolution Speeches. The Setting the Agenda speech is the speech that students have the lowest probability of giving, so we will talk about this one first. This one is self-explanatory. Each committee has two issues. Setting the agenda simply means discussing which issue is tackled first. In the set the agenda speech, you will try to convince the committee why you believe one issue should be discussed first over the other. Since this is the lowest probability speech, this one is practiced the least. There is a strong chance that you will be giving a position paper speech. These are roughly 90 seconds to 2 minutes, simply stating your position and your proposals. You want to sound convincing so other countries will want to work with you. Caucusing speeches are simply a synopsis of caucusing you did and what you worked on. You can also use this as an opportunity to talk about future caucusing and invite other nations to join you. You can also talk about any resolutions you are working on or want to work on. Speeches have to be good and convincing so these are practiced almost every class period.

Resolution Writing

The last part of our preparation is resolution writing. Resolutions are the result of conference research, debate, and negotiation. They are typically the typed results of a committee’s deliberation and will provide a committee’s statement on an issue. They will include suggestions and recommendations to the UN and other Member States. Sponsors are the principal authors of these working papers. Signatories are not authors, they just agree with the principles in the working papers. We want to be sponsors on as many resolutions and working papers as possible. Resolutions also have specific formatting requirements and will contain perambulatory (overview of the problem and past actions) clauses and operative (action to achieve in the future) clauses. We practice how to write these, but we are not allowed to come to the conference with any pre-written resolutions.

Groups of students working on resolutions within their committee.

Dress Rehearsal – November 6

The twenty students attending NMUN China are not only representing the University of Arkansas but also their respective country and committee. Therefore, it is important for delegates to act in a diplomatic fashion. This is not just for your committee. Delegation awards are given by country, not just committee. So it is important for all students on all committees to act as ambassadors. Part of acting and looking like an ambassador is dressing formally. Stapp required students to dress up once before the conference to simulate an actual conference performance. We practiced speeches, caucusing, and resolution writing in the procedures that will actually be in place during the conference. Students felt more comfortable and confident in their business professional attire.

Supplementary Information
Other prep includes designing our T-shirt, ordering our business cards, and securing our entry visas for China. Students collaborated on a T-shirt design for NMUN China. Students voted for their favorite color and design. Blue won! We have a team shirt and we should get them a few days before we depart for China. Here is our final design:

Stapp also required students make business cards for their committee to pass to other delegates for caucusing purposes. Visas are required to enter China. Sarah Malloy from the study abroad office was a tremendous help in securing those. We also had to pick roommates, give Stapp our contact information, and make sure the study abroad office had a copy of our flight itinerary and a photocopy of our visas. We also talked about the recommended typhoid vaccine for China. Staying healthy is a must and getting sick over there would be disastrous. We talked a lot about health, safety, money, adaptors, and all other necessary measures before departing overseas. Now that all the housekeeping, logistics, and prep are taken care of, we are now ready to depart for China!

This is an example of the student business cards. It has both students representing the committee, the committee itself, and an email to send resolutions and other working papers.

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Follow along with Eric and the Model UN delegation at https://esw2018nmun.home.blog/.

Introduction to Model UN #HogsAbroad in China

For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Eric S. Williams. I am a graduate student in the Masters of Accountancy (MAcc) program at the University of Arkansas. During my time at the U of A, I have had the privilege of studying abroad three times. I went to Vietnam for the January Intersession 2017 and Ireland Summer 2017, both with the Walton College. Now, I am attending National Model United Nations (NMUN) 2018 Conference from Sunday, November 18 to Friday, November 23, 2018. Twenty students will be traveling to Xian, China led by Dr. Robert Stapp to represent the U of A and discuss issues across various committees. The conference will take place at the Westin Xian Hotel throughout various ballrooms. Our journey will also include cultural excursions to the Muslim Quarter, Xian City Wall, and other cultural sites.

The students representing each committee are:

Japan ECOSOC -- Paul Newman & Kate Hedgecock

Japan UNIDO -- Kali Fleming & Eric S. Williams (me)

Japan GA -- Tenley Getschman & Victoria Lawson

China ECOSOC -- Kait Turner & Odessa Elie

China UNIDO -- Christine Carroll & Amanda Funderburg

China GA -- Ethan Edwards & Katrina Erickson

China SC -- Indy Hudec & Dalton Jones

Republic of Korea ECOSOC -- Sadie Bryant & Arianna Kiaei

Republic of Korea UNIDO -- Jared Pinkerton & Marco Gargano

Republic of Korea GA -- Gunner Gilbert & Hailee Hampton

Note: Japan and Republic of Korea (South Korea) are not members of the Security Council.

This is an excellent opportunity for twenty students to enhance their research and public speaking skills. Hopefully, we all do well and come away with many awards. I hope we all display passion and knowledge about important international issues. I hope to network with other students who see merit in our proposals. Most importantly, I hope we all come back with an unforgettable experience. Please follow my blog and join me on my extraordinary journey to China.

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Follow along with Eric and the Model UN delegation at https://esw2018nmun.home.blog/.

Boren Awards for International Study Information Session #HogsAbroad

Interested in pursuing a less commonly taught language and studying in a country critical to our national security? Interested in a future career in the federal government or in the foreign service?

Attend the Boren Scholarship information session from 3:30-5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 12, in Kimpel Hall 416.

University of Arkansas student Mattie Harris received the Boren scholarship to study Arabic in Israel during the 2018-19 academic year. This opportunity has allowed her to expand her understanding of languages and cultures in the Middle East as well as further her career aspirations of working in the federal national security arena.

The Boren Scholarship is an initiative of the National Security Education Program to provide unique funding opportunities for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to study less commonly taught languages. Boren scholars will study abroad in over 30-plus countries throughout Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East.

The most popular languages to study on a Boren award are Arabic, Mandarin, Russian, Portuguese, Japanese, Swahili, and Korean.

For more information visit www.borenawards.org or contact the Office of Study Abroad and International Exchange at studyabr@uark.edu

Info Meeting for 2019-2020 U.S. Student Fulbright Grants #FulbrightScholarship #FundingFriday

ATTN: Graduating seniors & graduate students. Interested in study, research or teaching English abroad? Attend this info session to learn how you can apply for a Fulbright Program research award to support your overseas study.

The 2019-2020 Fulbright U.S. Student competition is now open at https://us.fulbrightonline.org/applicants/getting-started

Make plans to attend this meeting to talk through Fulbright grant opportunities for students and the campus application process:

Thursday, August 23, 4:00-5:30pm, Silas Hunt Hall 223

The campus application deadline is Monday, September 10, 2018.

Meet one of our #HogsAbroad Graduate Assistants: Molly Kinder!

Hello everyone!

My name is Molly Kinder, I am a graduate student here at the U of A. I am studying Higher Education with my focus in Student Affairs. I currently work as one of the Graduate Assistants for the Office of Study Abroad and I hope to one day pursue a career in the field of Study Abroad.

I received my bachelor’s degree in Public Communication with a minor in international studies from Truman State University. I studied abroad twice while in college. I did a semester as well as a summer faculty-led program. The first time I went abroad was my sophomore year, spring of 2013. I did a program called Semester at Sea where I lived on a ship and sailed around the world to 11 different countries. That semester I got the chance to explore parts of Asia, Africa, and Europe as well as taking classes for my major and minor. This was a life changing, eye-opening experience for me. I fell in love with travel and knew I had found my passion.

I went abroad again the summer after my junior year in 2014. This time to rural Taiwan with a faculty member and 5 fellow students. I spent the summer traveling around teaching English camps to students K-12. I loved the immersive nature of this program and was able to gain a new understanding of a different country and culture.

After I graduated in 2015 I moved to California and did a year of service with AmeriCorps NCCC. In 2016 I received my TESOL certification (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and moved to Thailand where I worked as a high school English teacher. I worked for a public school in Samut Prakan, Thailand and had about 580 students.

Every time I travel I am continually amazed and awe struck by the wonder of different cultures and places. I have continued to grow, both personally and professionally through each of my trips abroad. Whether you choose to do a short-term program or a whole year abroad you will have a wonderful life changing experience. I encourage everyone to consider studying abroad because it is truly a once in life time opportunity that you will never regret.

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Come meet Molly and our peer advisors at a Hogs Abroad 101 information meeting! These hour-long sessions are held Tuesdays and Wednesdays during the fall and spring semesters, from 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm in the Center for World Languages, Literatures and Cultures (JBHT 207).