LANGUAGES
Subjects
KEI offers a foreign languages at most program locations. Click on a subject area to view program locations that offer courses in that subject. An asterisk (*) next to the country indicates the language is taught intensively.
KEI was founded on the belief that education abroad should focus on students’ academic and professional goals. Our focus on discipline-specific programming and our core values of cultural understanding, global participation and access to quality education are integral to all KEI programs.
KEI Faculty Steering Committees contribute to and oversee the integrity of the academic curriculum. The Committees consist of faculty from KEI affiliated universities in the USA.
KEI is in the process of forming the a committee on Arabic Language & Islamic Studies. The following faculty have joined the committee. If you are interested in joining the committee, please contact Eduard Mandell for more information.
Christian SinclairDirector of International Studies
Moravian College
sinclairc@moravian.edu
Edgar Francis
Associate Professor
Middle Eastern Studies
University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point
efrancis@uwsp.edu
Eric Nigh
Director, Arabic & Middle Eastern Studies Program
University of Wyoming
enigh@uwyo.edu
Ghadir ZannounAssistant Professor
Arabic & Islamic Studies
University of Kentucky
ghadir.zannoun@uky.edu
Emran El-Badawi
Program Director & Associate Professor
Middle Eastern Studies
University of Houston
emran01@gmail.com
Adel Amer
Professor, Religion & Linguistics
University of Georgia
profadel@uga.edu
KEI is in the process of forming the a committee on French Language & Studies for the purpose of creating and improving the KEI program in Paris, France. The following faculty have joined the committee. If you are interested in joining the committee, please contact Eduard Mandell for more information.
Erin HippolyteAssociate Professor of French
International Study Coordinator
Fairmont State University
Erin.Hippolyte@fairmontstate.edu
Shannon Halicki
Associate Professor of French
Dean of the Honors College
Study Abroad Coordinator
West Liberty University
shalicki@westliberty.edu
Nicholas ShanglerAssistant Professor of French
Marshall University
shangler@marshall.edu
Vivian Brown
Associate Professor of French
Morehouse College
vivian.brown@morehouse.edu
Paul M. Brown
Professor of French
Clark Atlanta University
pbrown@cau.edu
KEI is in the process of forming the a committee on Russian Language & Slavic Studies. If you are interested in joining the committee, please contact Eduard Mandell for more information.
Michael KiddAssociate Professor, Spanish Language
Chair, Language Department
Augsburg University
kidd@augsburg.edu
Guillermo de los Reyes
Associate Professor, L. American Studies
Associate Dir., Gender & Sexuality
University of Houston
jdelosreyes@uh.edu
Ksenia Reeves
Associate Professor, Spanish Language
Wright State University
xenia.bonch@wright.edu
Megan Gibbons
Associate Professor, Spanish Language
Glenville College
megan.gibbons@glenville.edu
José Palacios
Assistant Professor, Spanish Language & Hispanic Literature
Northwest Missouri State University
jpperez@nwmissouri.edu
Maria AkrabovaAssistant Professor, Spanish Language
Chair, Language Department
Metropolitan State University of Denver
makrabou@msudenver.edu
Marianela Rivera
Assistant Professor, Spanish Language
Florida Gulf Coast University
marrivera@fgcu.edu
María del Pilar Chouza-Calo
Associate Professor, Spanish Language
Central Michigan University
chouz1m@cmich.edu
Felipe Rojas
Assistant Professor, Spanish Language
West Liberty University
felipe.rojas@westliberty.edu
Program Spotlight: Moscow, Russia
IN THE NEWS
How Studying Abroad Makes You A Better Leader by Shellie Karabell
Once upon a time, doing business abroad was unique: Berlitz and others published books on business etiquette for those venturing across the ocean, language books enabling you to order in a restaurant or to get you through a social encounter. And once upon a time, that was enough. Today, thanks to technology and the internet, the world is global. Business is global. Nearly three-fourths of all S&P 500 companies today report some kind of international revenue. Read more.
Study abroad: the career benefits by James Connington
There are skills to be gained from moving country and adjusting to a new teaching system. It’s also far easier to identify the skills you are lacking when you step outside your comfort zone – and going abroad to study is a fairly serious step. Read more.
Employability & Education Abroad
Education abroad has been shown to have significant impact on learning, academic performance, graduation, careers, and personality development. Below is a summary of results from notable studies on the impact of education abroad.
| Careers, Salaries & Job Skills | |
|---|---|
97% |
of study abroad students found employment within 12 months of graduation, when only 49% of college graduates found employment in the same period. (1) Among study abroad alumni, 90% landed a job within 6 months. (2, 11) |
25% |
higher starting salaries: that’s how much more study abroad students earn than those college graduates who do not study abroad.(1) This equates to approx. $7,000 annually for US students. (3) |
90% |
of study abroad alumni who applied got into their 1st or 2nd choice grad school. (1) |
84% |
of study abroad alumni felt their studies abroad helped them build valuable skills for the job market. (4) A second study confirms this at 85%. (9) |
40% |
of US businesses failed to expand due to a dearth of staff international experience. (13) |
80% |
of study abroad students reported that study abroad allowed them to better adapt to diverse work environments. (4) |
70% |
of study abroad alumni claimed that because of study abroad they were more satisfied with their jobs. (4) |
59% |
of employers said study abroad would be valuable in an individual’s career later on with their organization. (10) |
34% |
of study abroad alumni claimed that study abroad helped them choose their career field. (4) |
19% |
lower unemployment rates were found among study abroad alumni according to a British study. (4) |
| Graduation & Academic Performance | |
100% |
greater improvement in GPA post-study abroad. Students who studied abroad saw their GPAs rise twice as quickly as their peers. (8) |
19% |
more likely to graduate: that describes how study abroad participants are more likely to graduate than non-participants. (5, 6, 7) |
| Personal Growth | |
97% |
of study abroad alumni attributed study abroad to increased maturity. (12) |
96% |
of study abroad alumni claimed an increase in self-confidence attributed to study abroad. (12) |
89% |
of study abroad alumni reported that study abroad facilitated a greater tolerance for ambiguity. (12) |
| Resources | |
| 1 | Benefits of Study Abroad |
| 2 | New Survey Shows College Graduates Who Study Abroad Land Career-Related Jobs Sooner, with Higher Starting Salaries |
| 3 | How Higher Education Affects Lifetime Salary |
| 4 | AIFS Study Abroad Outcomes |
| 5 | UC San Diego Study: 2011 EAP and OAP Retention, Graduation, and Time-to-Degree Combined |
| 6 | Go Abroad and Graduate On-Time: Study Abroad Participation, Degree Completion, and Time-to-Degree |
| 7 | The Effect of Study Abroad on College Completion in a State University System |
| 8 | Academic Outcomes of Study Abroad |
| 9 | The Impact of Studying Abroad on Recent College Graduates’ Careers |
| 10 | Employers Value Candidates Who Study Abroad |
| 11 | Mobile Students More Likely to Have a Job |
| 12 | How More Study Abroad Programmes Could Benefit Society |
| 13 | Paul Simon Study Abroad Act Back on Legislative Cards |
