Mainly Mattias Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 How Studying or Working Abroad Makes You Smarter Annie Murphy Paul April 29, 2014 Research shows that experience in other countries makes us more flexible, creative, and complex thinkers. excerpted: ...These are the conclusions of a growing body of research on the effects of study- and work-abroad experiences. For example: A study led by William Maddux, an associate professor of organizational behavior at INSEAD, found that among students enrolled in an international MBA program, their “multicultural engagement”—the extent to which they adapted to and learned about new cultures—predicted how “integratively complex” their thinking became. That is, students who adopted an open and adaptive attitude toward foreign cultures became more able to make connections among disparate ideas. The students’ multicultural engagement also predicted the number of job offers they received after the program ended. More generally, writes Maddux, “People who have international experience or identify with more than one nationality are better problem solvers and display more creativity, our research suggests. What’s more, we found that people with this international experience are more likely to create new businesses and products and to be promoted.” Angela Leung, an associate professor of psychology at Singapore Management University, is another researcher who has investigated the psychological effects of living abroad. She reports that people with more experiences of different cultures are better able to generate creative ideas and make unexpected links among concepts. Like Maddux, Leung found that the advantages of living abroad accrue to those who are willing to adapt themselves to the ways of their host country: “The serendipitous creative benefits resulting from multicultural experiences,” she writes, “may depend on the extent to which individuals open themselves to foreign cultures.” This openness, she adds, includes a tolerance for ambiguity and open-endedness, a lack of closure and firm answers. .... excerpt from the actual Maddux "When in Rome.." article: Adaptation—also known as acculturation, adjustment, or integration—can be defined as a change in attitudes, beliefs, norms, values, and behaviors to be more consistent with that of a local, foreign culture. The adaptation process may be critical for creativity, as such a process can ultimately change individuals’ behaviors and thoughts to be more multifaceted and complex. However, not everybody who goes abroad is motivated or able to adapt; encountering a different culture and an unfamiliar environment can be a stressful experience, and people may feel overwhelmed by seemingly insurmountable cultural differences, leading to culture shock, which only a subset of individuals are able to overcome successfully. To manage the ensuing difficulties, some people actually cling to their own cultural beliefs, norms, and values even tighter than would otherwise be the case. As a result, exposure to a foreign culture can lead to either greater flexibility or greater rigidity. Thought this was interesting enough to share. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GLASSJAW Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 if its something you want to do, you should travel at least a little bit, regardless of your age and whether or not you are doing an MBA looking for a creative portfolio beyond that, if you're really interested in becoming a creative, emotionally/intellectual complex person, stop treating "art" like it's escapism and learn to challenge yourself: learn. to. read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadian Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 I've spent the last 5 years teaching abroad and I know it's broadened my horizons tremendously. If more people spent time away from Canada/ the "West", it would lead to more acceptance and tolerance in society. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainly Mattias Posted August 10, 2015 Author Share Posted August 10, 2015 if its something you want to do, you should travel at least a little bit, regardless of your age and whether or not you are doing an MBA looking for a creative portfolio beyond that, if you're really interested in becoming a creative, emotionally/intellectual complex person, stop treating "art" like it's escapism and learn to challenge yourself: learn. to. read. Hmm.. although they do use the word, "creative", I don't think they mean it in the context of art per se; it's just more of an ability to make new connections and think new thoughts. Bringing up an art is/is not escapism discussion would be a novel topic. As for reading, I should introduce you to my friend who's a voracious reader - single and intimidates all men she meets with her knowledge, job and attitude. I've spent the last 5 years teaching abroad and I know it's broadened my horizons tremendously. If more people spent time away from Canada/ the "West", it would lead to more acceptance and tolerance in society. So you've been teaching abroad, eh? Good for you. Japan? Korea? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GLASSJAW Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 Hmm.. although they do use the word, "creative", I don't think they mean it in the context of art per se; it's just more of an ability to make new connections and think new thoughts. Bringing up an art is/is not escapism discussion would be a novel topic. As for reading, I should introduce you to my friend who's a voracious reader - single and intimidates all men she meets with her knowledge, job and attitude. i didn't necessarily mean it in the 'create art' way either -- i just mean that exposing yourself to different types of art can lead to creativity too--in loads of fields/mediums. the articles seem to mention the word creativity a lot, and while i do agree that travelling (obviously) can bridge those gaps, i just think if people really cared about expanding their minds, there are a lot of ways to do it in our own back yards as well anyway, i wish i took the opportunity to do a semester abroad. it can be extremely expensive though, from what i understand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drummer4now Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 i didn't necessarily mean it in the 'create art' way either -- i just mean that exposing yourself to different types of art can lead to creativity too--in loads of fields/mediums. the articles seem to mention the word creativity a lot, and while i do agree that travelling (obviously) can bridge those gaps, i just think if people really cared about expanding their minds, there are a lot of ways to do it in our own back yards as well anyway, i wish i took the opportunity to do a semester abroad. it can be extremely expensive though, from what i understand. It really depends where you go for a semester abroad. At Uvic you pay the same tuition rate abroad at a parterened international uni, but things like textbooks, living costs, plane ticket, etc.. can make it more expensive than living domestically in Victoria. Europe is certainly the most expensive, but since you like romanesque architecture I guess Asia would not cut it.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadian Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 So you've been teaching abroad, eh? Good for you. Japan? Korea? One of the largest BC Offshore Schools in China Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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