The recent NCUB report on the value of work experience was unequivocal on the virtues of students heading out into the workplace during their studies.
Nowhere is this more so than when the work experience is conducted overseas. A recent PwC report highlighted the growing appreciation for the value those with international experience can bring to an organisation.
The value of overseas experience
A good example of this is the story of Caroline Marshall, who recently celebrated her 21st birthday in the Far East as part of a scholarship to study Japanese at the International Christian University (ICU) in Tokyo.
She won the prestigious Thomas Blake Glover Aberdeen Asset Scholarship to study in Japan this summer, and she is a firm advocate of the benefits gained from the experience and is hoping others follow in her footsteps.
Entries for the 2016 programme are currently open and can be accepted up until the 4 December 2015.
Caroline says: “I feel really honoured that I was afforded this amazing opportunity as I have been passionate about Japan for many years.
“I never dreamt I would have the opportunity to go to Japan and work on language skills and this will be a huge help to my future career and my plans to go into international commercial law. It was a great trip – I’d really hope other people might look into trying for the scholarship because it’s something that has changed my life.”
She hopes that the experience will support her forays into the world of international commercial law, with the work experience also including a spell at the TMI Associates law firm.
The scholarship is run in collaboration with the Japan Society of Scotland and Aberdeen Asset Management, and is open to any student in Scotland that has an interest in business and Japan.
Martin Gilbert, chief executive of Aberdeen Asset Management, says: “The Thomas Blake Glover Aberdeen Asset Scholarship is dedicated to providing students with the chance to travel to Japan and study the language and culture. As our 2015 winner, Caroline proved to be a dedicated and enthusiastic student who got so much out of her time in Japan and we wish her well in her ongoing studies and future career.
“We are proud to support initiatives which give committed and enthusiastic Scots with a such keen interest in Japan, both culturally and commercially, an opportunity to advance their career opportunities.
“This scholarship offers an exceptional chance to experience Japanese education, industries and lifestyle and an opportunity to forge new partnerships with the country, which has one of the world’s largest economies.”
If you would like to apply, you can do so via the Japan Society of Scotland website.
National Centre for Universities and Business
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