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International

International

From anywhere across the globe, there is an opportunity waiting for you

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Welcome

International experiences are an invaluable asset to your personal and professional development. SFU provides its students with many opportunities to study, work or volunteer abroad. As these stories show, when you travel internationally, you learn to step out of your comfort zone, embrace risk and become accustomed to different ways of living. Many of our SFU community have seized these opportunities, and in turn authored these stories, tips and strategies on how to prepare for your international trip, developing your cultural intelligence and building international networks.

"Why Would Ever You Choose to Work in India?”

India can be a catalyst for personal growth and a life-changing opportunity for those who are bold enough to explore beyond the tantalizing edge of that comfy, complacent comfort zone.

Real Talk: Is an International Co-op Worth It?

International Co-op is a great opportunity for you to work on self-reflection and personal growth. It pushes you into an unfamiliar and challenging situation wherein you must learn to adapt.

Nancy and the children in their class smiling
Beyond Comfort: My Co-op in Korea with TaLK

Nancy applied as an English instructor in South Korea with the intention of just adding another bulletpoint to their resume. However, the experiences they have gained from teaching and living abroad has made their co-op so much more meaningful than what can be written on paper.  Read Nancy's story to learn more about Teach and Learn in Korea. 

Ali Najaf posing with BC mountains in background
British Columbia and International Students

Coming to a new country thousands of miles from where you grew up and from everything you know is no easy journey. In this award-winning story, SFU Business student Ali Najaf reflects on the past four years since arriving in Canada from Pakistan in 2012, sharing both his challenges and truimphs.  

Ali Najaf
Planning for Exchange or Study Abroad Trip

Going for exchange or a study abroad trip to a different university and country is a great experience in itself. But to make that experience remarkable, a bit of planning is required.

Erik Bainbridge Smiling
International Co-op: An Interview with Erik Bainbridge

Erik Bainbridge, a Political Science student, shares his international experience doing four work terms in three different positions in China and Hong Kong. He worked as an English teacher in Shandong, an Event Manager at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CamChamHK) in Hong Kong, and a Trade Intern for the Consulate General of Canada in China.

Farmer walking
Discussing Development

Working in development and for Non-governmental organizations (NGO) is a tricky and delicate field. In Naiomi's article, they discuss the new approach that the Sustainability though Agriculture and Microenterprise (SAM) Project has taken on for their work in Zimba, Zambia.

Tanya
Risk Takers and Novelty: Demystifying the Barriers of International Co-op and Exchange

Consider the benefits of doing an international co-op and exchange.

Adrian Quiroz and his friends
Teaching English Abroad? Top 5 Tips for Success

Adrian Quiroz is a fourth year student of French, Linguistics, and Speech Sciences at Simon Fraser University. After teaching English in France, he wanted to share his tips for success. Read more to learn about Adrian's experience, and his invaluable tips!

author, christina, smiling
The Summer Internship of a Lifetime: Meet Christina Guan

What’s your dream job? Like many students, Christina Guan has some big dreams.  But her dreams actually became a reality this summer.  Find out how this SFU student was able to utilize her skillset and land an internship of a lifetime.

five friends on the bikes
Develop Your Career in Hong Kong
Consider going abroad for your co-op. When Alan did his co-op in Hong Kong, he not only got first hand experience with a new culture but he also developed new skills.
The European Spirit (ship) on the ocean
I’m on a (Big Big) Boat

Follow Soloman on an adventure to Los Angeles as his company "throws" him out to sea on a large vessel to test out filming at sea. Here's the story.

Layla in Myanmar
Beyond the BC bubble: My co-op term in Burma (Myanmar)

In a country filled with monks, crazy drivers, and frequent power outages, things were different living in Burma. After four months, it started to feel a bit like home. Here’s a glimpse into my unique experience as a political intern for the Embassy of Canada to Burma (Myanmar). 

Nick in Barcelona
Teaching English Abroad: Skill Improvements for Any Career

Have you ever wanted to live and work abroad but could “never” find something career related? Well, in my opinion, what you “could not find” might actually be right in front of your eyes. There are countless opportunities for students to live abroad while teaching English. You just might be surprised at what occupational skills you might be able to extract from such a position. Have a read of my article to find out.

Pamela
International Invite Turned into a Dual-Self-Directed Co-op

Pamela Plantinga, BPK Behavioural Neuroscience student, took advantage of a once-in-a-lifetime invitation to a paid trip abroad and augmented it into a self-directed short-term dual internship experience in Nashville, Tennessee before going further abroad to Europe.

A photo of the author
“What Did You Just Say?”: How to Communicate in a Foreign Country

Worried about the difficulties you may face while trying to communicate in a foreign country? I hope these 5 tips can be of some sort of encouragement! 화이팅!

An image of Samantha at work with her colleagues
Samantha’s Journey to Japan

Samantha went to Japan through the Canada Japan Co-op Program and worked at Kao Corporation as a co-op student. Find out what it took for Samantha to settle into her life in Japan.

Kendra teaching a class
How I Stepped Out of my Comfort Zone and Embraced Life Abroad

Looking to maximize your time abroad and integrate with locals, but nervous to take the first few steps? Read on to learn how Kendra broke through their personal barriers, and the advice they have for future travellers to make the most of their work term overseas.

ian and coworkers in scrubs
Ian's International Co-op in Mexico: Babies, Mothers, and Hearts

When Ian first came to SFU, Ian was a student in the Biological Sciences program. After their first year, they realized that they didn't just want to study living organisms, they wanted to learn about the human body. So at the end of their first year, they found themselves transfering to the Biomedical Physiology program.

Michael smiling in front of broken glass mural
Reinvent Yourself by Working Abroad

Michael Welk went to Spain to teach English for his co-op and shares about his adventure in a new country. Read on to find out about what you can gain from an experience such as leaving your comfort zone and exploring! This article was originally published in the Arts Co-op Newsletter in Spring 2015.

Jiwon standing under a bridge
The International Experience Melting Pot

Jiwon Lee is an English student who did her co-op in Korea, where she taught English to school children. She shares what it's like to do a co-op on the other side of the world!

PricewaterhouseCoopers
The Variety of Experiences at a Multinational Professional Services Corporation

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) offers opportunities beyond accounting. Jackie, an Economics student, spent his co-op in the Learning and Development Department of PwC in Hong Kong. Read about his experience doing two work terms with PwC, and the variety of skills he picked up!

two heritage buildings in barcelona
BPK in Barcelona?

BPK student, Nick Crivici, spent nine months as an English Language Assistant in Barcelona.  Although this co-op was not directly related to the BPK field, he found tremendous educational value in his experience abroad.

Tesla's headquarters in Palo Alto
Preparing for a Summer in Silicon Valley | Part One
Ian Brown shares both his experience working at Tesla Motors and Edwin Chand’s experience working at Apple and their general thoughts about going to California to intern for co-op. Ian and Edwin are both recently graduated from engineering, and share their perspective on relocating to California for a co-op position. In this article, Ian describes the preparation and going to California.
five people smiling from the Love Your Neighbour club
Love Your Neighbour

This week's SFU Club of the Week is the SFU Chapter of Love Your Neighbour. Here's a spotlight on this club that has expanded to offer local and international opportunities for students.

View of Hancheon Elementary School where Corina taught
TaLK in Korea

Third year Business student, Corina Inigo, shares about her co-op experience with Teach and Learn in Korea (TaLK).  She discusses what TaLK is all about and also shares personal anecdotes from her teaching experience. 

view of town in germany
My Co-op in Germany
SAP

Hubert Tam shares about his experience in Germany working at SAP.  Hubert is a 7th year Business student who spent 3 co-op terms at SAP.

Jacky smiling, with a view of China to the right
My Co-op in China

Jacky is a fourth year Business Student who spent his co-op in Beijing China.  Read his interview to discover what his co-op abroad was like.  Jacky covers preparing for the work term, work life, and living abroad.

Children holding hands and playing in front of a hut
My Time At Destiny Reflection/Foundation

Nicole Molinari is a Health Sciences BA student who shares her experience working in Kolkata, India, where she worked with Destiny Reflection/Foundation, an organization that works to empower survivors of human trafficking and at-risk women.

Julia smiling
Working Abroad: Overcoming a Language Barrier in the Work Place

Learning how to effectively communicate in a new work environment can be difficult enough, but add a language barrier and things get even more complicated. Here are Julia's top tips for overcoming language barriers in the workplace.

SFU K.STORM Logo
SFU K.STORM

Want to get involved with clubs on-campus? Emily takes a look at K-Storm, a club promoting involvement in Korean Culture to SFU students!

A photo of the author smiling
Should You Stay or Should You Go? 8 Gifs to Help You Decide!

Having trouble deciding to whether stay local or move abroad for your co-op placement? Read through SFU Communication Co-op student Samantha's tips on how to make an educated decision when it comes to going abroad for co-op!