For keen Mathematics majors, an exciting global opportunity awaits in Budapest, Hungary with Budapest Semesters in Mathematics and Mathematics Education. These two programs allow Pacific University students to study alongside some of the top mathematicians in the world via a unique and collaborative learning environment at the College International. Students bring back with them skills to enrich their university education and alternative outlooks on career development for the future.
The goal of the program is to attract North American undergraduate students studying Mathematics and allow them to study in the Hungarian style of discovery. While perhaps a more rigorous abroad experience than most, the academic outcomes ensure competitive graduates.
Abby Lian, the first Pacific student to take part in this program, was first interested in the Mathematics Education program because she strived to teach high school mathematics after graduation. Lian described the Hungarian system to be discovery or inquiry based teaching, meaning students were given hints in order to learn more about a topic on their own rather than being told the answer.
The recent graduate believes this program expanded her opinion of how to teach mathematics and unveiled different strategies. This knowledge prompted her to focus her senior project on Combinatorics after learning that Hungarian schools cover this much earlier than the American education system.
To Pacific students considering taking advantage of this study abroad opportunity, Lian says it is an amazing program so do not be afraid to go out of your comfort zone and broaden your perspective. She finds it important for students to say yes to as many travel opportunities as they can and visit many European cities.
The university endeavours to provide meaningful study abroad opportunities to all students, meaning representation of all areas of education in study abroad partners are very important.
For the future of the study abroad programs, International Program Director Stephen Prag hopes to introduce more exchange partners that offer opportunities to students in the science department given its large numbers.
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