Mohawk College students and faculty members explored a millennium of history while developing skills for the future during a recent Global Learning Opportunity (GLO) trip to Croatia, funded by Mohawk International.
A group of 10 full-time students from a variety of programs and two faculty members experienced a trip of a lifetime in February 2024. This impactful and creative learning initiative, GLO, helps international and domestic students acquire the global skills coveted by employers to help bolster the Canadian economy.
In preparation for the trip, International Department team members Sandra Gruosso and Blake Rubini hosted a series of pre-departure sessions to broaden participants' understanding of cultural context, intercultural competence, team building, and travel safety. With exposure to different perspectives, lifestyles, cultures and customs, Mohawk students were provided real-time learning opportunities to adapt and learn to communicate across cultures.
GLO participants engaged in a guided walking tour of Croatia's 1000-year-old city, Zagreb, where they learned about the local history as they marvelled at medieval architecture and visited colourful markets. Hiking the most famous Croatian National Park - Plitvice Lakes - and visiting the University of Zagreb's campus helped to "bridge the gap towards a deeper understanding of other cultures and remove any biases from my own," said Jeremy Christopher Cuison, a second-year student in Canadian Health Care for Foreign Trained Professionals.
Professors Lisa Pegg and Christine Boyko-Head led a design thinking workshop at the global campus of Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Zagreb for both Mohawk and RIT students. Their workshop focused on how to generate creative ideas to contribute positively to United Nation's sustainability goals.
Participants stepped into the past with a timeless visit to Trakošćan Castle and the City of Varaždin, which was initially built as a defense fortress in the 13th century. Rida Malik, a second-year Business Administration-Marketing student recalls, "going on walks while eating ice cream and staring at beautiful architecture was a feeling that was indescribable for me. These were the moments when I felt most at peace."
Practicing the Croatian language, networking, and collaboration were some of the skills development opportunities that contributed to becoming global citizens. First-year Business Analysis student Ananye Sharma remarked, "most importantly, the bonds formed among trip participants made the experience truly unforgettable. Overall, it was a well-rounded journey of exploration, learning, and friendship."
In cultivating global citizens, the GLO program is aligned with Mohawk College's strategic focus toward enhancing global competencies and learning of our students and faculty. The global competencies developed during this trip include cultural self-awareness, intercultural communication and adaptability, global engagement and responsibility, and global perspective.
To learn more, please visit Global Engagement.
