Professor David Hite Travels to Brazil

Bluefield College professor David Hite traveled to Brazil this summer to build partnerships for a new study abroad program to benefit BC students.

Sandra Argo, director of International Education Programs at Liaison America, invited him to make connections between Bluefield College and Brazilian learning institutions. During his trip, Hite had the chance to speak in front of hundreds of students in seven different institutions all over Brazil about social entrepreneurship. Collaborating with the various college leaders, Hite said he established strong partnerships that will provide opportunities for BC as well as Brazilian students.

“With our partnerships, we’re looking at taking our BC students and collaborating with businesses on social entrepreneurship projects,” he said.

By next summer, Hite wants to bring both faculty and students to Brazil to experience the culture and work on several projects. From helping high school girls develop apps to working on a marketing campaign for an entrepreneur project, Hite said he wants to make this experience something more than just a field trip for students.

Working on making the trip affordable, Hite encourages students to participate in the program. “Studying abroad is the number one learning opportunity that you can get during your learning career,” he said, while adding that it also pulls students out of their comfort zone and expands their network.

However, Brazil is not the only option for study abroad for BC students. Students may also participate in the exchange program with the Jiangsu Second Normal University in Nanjing, China, or take part in study abroad for a semester or year through BC partnerships with BestSemester to Australia, Costa Rica, Jordan, and England. Partnerships with Consortium for Global Education (CGE) and CAPA also provide study abroad in France, Italy, Argentina, and Ireland.

To learn more about study abroad through Bluefield College, visit BC’s Global Education website at bluefield.edu/study-abroad or contact Dr. Maria Zalduondo, director of Global Education, by email at mzalduondo@bluefield.edu.