Perhaps one of the most exciting things about teaching is showing a student something new... something that they never even thought about seeing or doing. Sending students abroad to study Landscape Architecture certainly meets the criteria! The University of Georgia currently has two, university-approved exchange programs, based inAustralia. Both considered very successful, one program is located at theRoyal Melbourne Institute of Technology, and the other is located at the Universityof Canberra. Australia was chosen for the exchange program because they have a common language with the United States; being able to communicate is of prime importance in order for students to comprehend each other, which filters many other countries from being considered as possible exchange sites. After looking at our program, it was decided that we should begin to expand our exchange opportunities for our students. The University of Georgia prides itself at being an "international" university. Providing new and exciting methods for students to learn is our prime motivation for developing and continuing any type of "foreign" exchange program. Seeking some advice from faculty made choosing the student exchange site simple. Let's investigate some of the schools in the United Kingdom. The primary targets were England and Scotland for the start of this quest. After doing some research I was able to find six or seven schools that had "landscape" programs. It was difficult reading through the materials to see what "landscape"" meant. In some cases the actual words Landscape Architecture appeared, and in some cases they were obviously missing. . . Once the schools were identified, the next step was to try and set up on-site meetings with each school. The visits had to be arranged to stay within a small travel budget granted to the school through the vice president's office. Once arranged, I had visited five schools in twelve days. The schools selected for visitation included the Manchester Metropolitan University in Manchester, the University of Central England in Birmingham, Wye College near Ashford, the University of Greenwich in Greenwich and the Edinburgh College of Art in Edinburgh, Scotland. All of the schools had accredited programs in Landscape Architecture, with the exception of Wye College. After getting to the Wye campus and visiting with the faculty it was clear that their landscape program was more oriented toward landscape ecology and management rather than design. The students in these programs progress through a much different program than the students in the United States. In each case, a student can earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in just three years. This provides a student with a basic background for practicing Eandscape Architecture. However, almost ninety percent of the students will go on to earn a BA (Hons) degree. This advanced degree allows students to be approved by the Landscape Institute for practice as a design professional. The Drafting Institute can be compared to CLARB in the United States. Students wanting to earn the advanced degree are required to work in an office for a twelve month period between their first and advanced degrees. Each of the schools were very different and would provide different experiences for our students. Some of the schools had very large faculties, and one had as few as three. One of the schools was so cramped for space there were no drafting tables available for students. Faculty would lecture and explain project opportunities and the students would work on the assignments at home. Two of the schools were outside city centers and three were basically "downtown." Some of the faculty worked closely with students while other faculties took a very distant approach to teaching. Perhaps the best part of the trip was talking with the students. The students seemed to be very "interchangeable" with our students. In most cases. Landscape Architect students at these universities were older than the average American student. All the students were excited about a possible exchange with the University of Georgia, and one student even volunteered to accompany me back home and start as soon as possible! The idea of exchanges outside the United States really has one goal: to broaden the knowledge of the students that participate. As a Landscape Architect designs through experiences, this type of educational opportunity would help any student to expand their knowledge base by adding a once-in-a-lifetime chance to study abroad. Students at the University of Georgia are more well-rounded individuals in the field of Landscape Architecture, due in part to the exchange programs offered with the University of Georgia. Companies looking to recruit would do well to look to this University for aspiring Landscape Architects. To close, the Manchester Metropolitan University was chosen for the exchange program because it most closely resembled the philosophy and style of teaching as that of the University of Georgia. This in turn will also help the students facilitate better in the program. The University of Georgia is looking forward to begin their new exchange opportunity the fall of 1998. LASN Associate Editor Scott Weinberg shares his overseas experiences and his professional quest for fuelling student exchange programs abroad. THE AUTHOR'S QUEST FOR A FINE STUDENT EXCHANGE PROGRAM ABROAD TOOK HIM TO DOWNTOWN EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND (TOP) AND THE CENTRAL CAMPUS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ENGLAND, BIRMINGHAM. (ABOVE) A STRIKING ARCHITECTURAL ENTRANCE WELCOMES VISITORS TO WYE COLLEGE, LOCATED NEAR ASHFORD ENGLAND. BRICK FACADE OF THE FAMED COLLEGE OF ARTS, EDINBURGH, ENGLAND. CULTURE EXCHANGE IN DIGITAL FORMAT AT THE COMPUTER LAB OF THE UNIVERSITY OF GREENWICH. Photos provided courtesy of Scott S. Weinberg BY PROFESSOR SCOTT S. WEINBERG, ASLA LASN Associate Editor Scott Weinberg shares his overseas experiences and his professional quest for fuelling student exchange programs abroad. Perhaps one of the most exciting things about teaching is showing a student something new... something that they never even thought about seeing or doing. Sending students abroad to study Landscape Architecture certainly meets the criteria! The University of Georgia currently has two, university-approved exchange programs, based inAustralia. Both considered very successful, one program is located at theRoyal Melbourne Institute of Technology, and the other is located at the Universityof Canberra. Australia was chosen for the exchange program because they have a common language with the United States; being able to communicate is of prime importance in order for students to comprehend each other, which filters many other countries from being considered as possible exchange sites. After looking at our program, it was decided that we should begin to expand our exchange opportunities for our students. The University of Georgia prides itself at being an "international" university. Providing new and exciting methods for students to learn is our prime motivation for developing and continuing any type of "foreign" exchange program. Seeking some advice from faculty made choosing the student exchange site simple. Let's investigate some of the schools in the United Kingdom. The primary targets were England and Scotland for the start of this quest. After doing some research I was able to find six or seven schools that had "landscape" programs. It was difficult reading through the materials to see what "landscape"" meant. In some cases the actual words Landscape Architecture appeared, and in some cases they were obviously missing. . . Once the schools were identified, the next step was to try and set up on-site meetings with each school. The visits had to be arranged to stay within a small travel budget granted to the school through the vice president's office. Once arranged, I had visited five schools in twelve days. The schools selected for visitation included the Manchester Metropolitan University in Manchester, the University of Central England in Birmingham, Wye College near Ashford, the University of Greenwich in Greenwich and the Edinburgh College of Art in Edinburgh, Scotland. All of the schools had accredited programs in Landscape Architecture, with the exception of Wye College. After getting to the Wye campus and visiting with the faculty it was clear that their landscape program was more oriented toward landscape ecology and management rather than design. The students in these programs progress through a much different program than the students in the United States. In each case, a student can earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in just three years. This provides a student with a basic background for practicing Eandscape Architecture. However, almost ninety percent of the students will go on to earn a BA (Hons) degree. This advanced degree allows students to be approved by the Landscape Institute for practice as a design professional. The Drafting Institute can be compared to CLARB in the United States. Students wanting to earn the advanced degree are required to work in an office for a twelve month period between their first and advanced degrees. Each of the schools were very different and would provide different experiences for our students. Some of the schools had very large faculties, and one had as few as three. One of the schools was so cramped for space there were no drafting tables available for students. Faculty would lecture and explain project opportunities and the students would work on the assignments at home. Two of the schools were outside city centers and three were basically "downtown." Some of the faculty worked closely with students while other faculties took a very distant approach to teaching. Perhaps the best part of the trip was talking with the students. The students seemed to be very "interchangeable" with our students. In most cases. Landscape Architect students at these universities were older than the average American student. All the students were excited about a possible exchange with the University of Georgia, and one student even volunteered to accompany me back home and start as soon as possible! The idea of exchanges outside the United States really has one goal: to broaden the knowledge of the students that participate. As a Landscape Architect designs through experiences, this type of educational oppor- tunity would help any student to expand their knowledge base by adding a once-in-a-lifetime chance to study abroad. Students at the University of Georgia are more well-rounded individuals in the field of Landscape Architecture, due in part to the exchange programs offered with the University of Georgia. Companies looking to recruit would do well to look to this University for aspiring Landscape Architects. To close, the Manchester Metropolitan University was chosen for the exchange program because it most closely resembled the philosophy and style of teaching as that of the University of Georgia. This in turn will also help the students facilitate better in the program. The University of Georgia is looking forward to begin their new exchange opportunity the fall of 1998. LASN THE AUTHOR'S QUEST FOR A FINE STUDENT EXCHANGE PROGRAM ABROAD TOOK HIM TO DOWNTOWN EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND (TOP) AND THE CENTRAL CAMPUS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ENGLAND, BIRMINGHAM. (ABOVE) A STRIKING ARCHITECTURAL ENTRANCE WELCOMES VISITORS TO WYE COLLEGE, LOCATED NEAR ASHFORD ENGLAND. BRICK FACADE OF THE FAMED COLLEGE OF ARTS, EDINBURGH, ENGLAND. CULTURE EXCHANGE IN DIGITAL FORMAT AT THE COMPUTER LAB OF THE UNIVERSITY OF GREENWICH. Photos provided courtesy of Scott S. Weinberg