{"59076":{"#nid":"59076","#data":{"type":"news","title":"LBAT Program Adds Critical Arabic and Korean Foreign Studies","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe School of Modern Languages teaches five of the major languages which are designated by the U.S. State Department as \u0022critical\u0022  for national security and economic competitiveness \u0022\u0022 Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Arabic, and Korean.  This year\u0027s expansion of the highly successful Languages for Business and Technology (LBAT) in-country studies program to include Egypt and Korea means the program is now available to Georgia Tech students in all of those languages.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe School of Modern Language\u0027s LBAT is the nation\u0027s only in-country summer intensive business and technology language program.  The existing program offered studies in China, Japan, and Russia, as well as France, Germany, Spain, and Mexico.  School Chair Phil McKnight emphasized the careful decision-making process for locating the new LBAT countries, especially the Arabic program.  \u0022It is essential for Modern Languages to have programs available for students from all walks of life, regardless of gender or ethnicity, and in locations that are at least as safe as being a student at Georgia Tech.\u0022  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERajaa Aquil, Assistant Professor in Modern Languages, traveled to Egypt, Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, and to Saudi Arabia to explore possibilities with various university officials and foreign language facilities.  In consultation with McKnight and Steve McLaughlin, Georgia Tech Vice Provost for International Initiatives, Aquil selected the Arab Academy in Cairo, Egypt, for Arabic-focused studies with significant time also spent in Alexandria.  For Korean, Dr. Jayoung Choi followed a similar process, visiting numerous universities with whom Georgia Tech has relationships before settling on a liaison with Sogang University in the heart of Seoul, South Korea.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe 2010 expansion was made possible by a grant from the Institute of International Education.  The three year $850,000 award also funded enhancements to the existing China and Russia programs.  While the grant targets ROTC students by providing $5,000 study abroad scholarships, the programs are open to all third year language students at Georgia Tech.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELBAT involves nine to sixteen weeks of intensive summer study depending upon the country.   Classroom lessons are taught by Modern Languages faculty and include business, culture, technology studies and field work, cultural events, excursions, and visits to area business and professional institutions.  While in the host country, faculty can assist students in finding further study, internship, or work experiences.  The faculty-led LBAT makes an excellent bridge to those experiences by easing the shock of a new culture.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EChet Sanders, a fourth year electrical engineering major who combined LBAT and work experience in Germany, said \u0022It really opened up a lot of new doors that otherwise would have remained closed... U.S. companies don\u0027t trust that professionals who haven\u0027t lived in the culture will be successful there.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"The School of Modern Languages teaches five of the major languages which are designated by the U.S. State Department as \u0022critical\u0022  for national security and economic competitiveness \u0022\u0022 Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Arabic, and Korean.  This year\u0027s expansion of the highly successful Languages for Business and Technology (LBAT) in-country studies program to include Egypt and Korea means the program is now available to Georgia Tech students in all of those languages.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Program Expansion for Summer 2010"}],"uid":"27167","created_gmt":"2010-01-13 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:06:50","author":"Rebecca Keane","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-01-13T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2010-01-13T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"59077":{"id":"59077","type":"image","title":"tls19258.jpg","body":null,"created":"1449176211","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:56:51","changed":"1475894515","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:55","alt":"","file":{"fid":"190834","name":"tls19258.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tls19258_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tls19258_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":33673,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tls19258_0.jpg?itok=hytdYnZd"}},"59078":{"id":"59078","type":"image","title":"tnd19258.jpg","body":null,"created":"1449176211","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:56:51","changed":"1475894515","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:55","alt":"","file":{"fid":"190840","name":"tnd19258.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tnd19258_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tnd19258_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":40522,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tnd19258_0.jpg?itok=exfyOMC-"}}},"media_ids":["59077","59078"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.modlangs.gatech.edu\/lbat-program\/","title":"More about LBAT program"}],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"10030","name":"Expansion"},{"id":"5101","name":"LBAT"},{"id":"3643","name":"Modern Languages"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003ERebecca Keane\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIvan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=rkeane3\u0022\u003EContact Rebecca Keane\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-1720\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["rebecca.keane@iac.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}