TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A student video for The University of Alabama’s Capstone International Center has been named the winner of a GoAbroad Innovation Award.
The award for “Innovative Student Video,” designed to honor a student for creativity in marketing, was won by George Guarino, former Capstone International Center graduate assistant and recent UA MBA graduate.
The award-winning video was about the UA study-abroad course, “Alabama in Bangladesh-Grameen Bank Basic Training Program,” designed to teach students and professionals fundamental philosophies and skills needed to replicate the Grameen Bank model in other parts of the world.
The Grameen Bank, developed by Dr. Muhammad Yunus in 1976, is a microfinance and community development bank that makes small loans to the poor, without requiring collateral, for starting small businesses within the community.
“It is a great honor to win this GoAbroad award. The video consists of a variety of student pictures from last year’s trip and a short video clip from a Bangladesh school,” says Guarino.
Winners were announced June 2 during the GoAbroad reception at the annual NASFA: Association of International Educators Conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, and were chosen by the public via online voting. UA was also a finalist for most innovative program.
“The unique programs honored by GoAbroad demonstrate advancements in study abroad programming and signify the extraordinary impact international programs have on people’s lives and the creativity of our colleagues in the field,” says Holly Buckner, Capstone International Academic Programs director.
Through the Grameen Bank Basic Training Program, students study micro-credit first hand in rural Bangladeshi villages to lean about micro-credit’s strengths and weaknesses.
Rashmee Sharif serves as director of the program and draws on her personal networks in Bangladesh throughout the class.
“I feel that the immense interest in the Bangladesh program demonstrates a shift away from the traditional study abroad destinations of Europe to developing countries. This shift is important as I sincerely feel students grow so much more from going to a less traditional destination,” says Sharif.
Buckner adds, “It is great to see hard work and creativity rewarded and I look forward to next year and the exciting programs we will contribute to the study abroad field!”
Here is a link to the winning video: Alabama in Bangladesh-Grameen Bank Basic Training Video.
For more information about Capstone International Academic Programs, contact Buckner at 205/348-5313, hhbuckner@ua.edu.
Contact
Casey O’Rear or Linda Hill, UA Media Relations, 205/348-8325, lhill@ur.ua.edu
Source
Holly Buckner, Capstone International Center, 205/348-5313, hhbuckner@ua.edu