As previously communicated to all students enrolled in 2nd, 3rd and 4th
year computer science
courses, the department is actively encouraging international exchanges
and in that context it has organised, since 2003, summer schools in
Germany (Fachhochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, known also as
BRSU) and is continuing
to
expand these by organising in 2009 two summer schools as listed above.
These schools are consistent with and support a
broader
exchange program established with HRSDC financial support in
2004 and renewed in 2008 for a three year term. This program involves
two partners in Canada
(U of New Brunswick and Dalhousie U) and three partners in Europe
(BRSU, Warsaw University of Technology, and University of
Crete and ICS/FORTH). This program allows for short-term (summer)
or long-term (fall and/or winter)
student
exchanges across the Atlantic. Summer schools are an integral part
of this effort. Participating York computer science students will be
immersed in a foreign culture and language milieu for approximately a
month, and take an intensive computer science course abroad (
in
English) that counts toward their degree at York.
This brief visit, it is hoped, will whet the appetite of students and
prepare them to go back, to
the same or to one of the other two
European partner universities, for at least one long term of study
(fall or winter, or both).
Unlike
summer schools, instruction during
the longer
exchange visit in the fall or winter terms may be in the
host country's
native language, although there may also be some courses that are
taught in English.
It is important to note that the University of Crete provides
linguistic accommodation to English speaking students who visdit in the
Fall and or
Winter terms; instruction in
Summer Schools is, of course, in
English.
This accommodation, during fall and / or winter exchanges, extends to
instruction and examination. I quote from
http://www.uoc.gr/erasmus/uoc.html:
Language of Instruction
The language of instruction is
Greek. However, special arrangements for English-speaking students can
be discussed with each Department.
The language barrier will be addressed systematically, first by
"survival"
language courses offered by the host institutions during the
summer schools. These brief courses in basic language skills will give
the visiting students the ability
to interface with the locals in their native language, and will be a
good
co-requisite towards appreciating the host country's culture. These
skills along with
the fact that many people in Heraklion, Bonn and Warsaw are able to
communicate in English will make it fairly easy for York students to
communicate.
For longer term visits, York students who wish to participate in a fall
or winter (or both) exchange have access to, and
it is recommended that
they take, intensive
language courses
at York as part of their preparation to go for a fall and/or
winter exchange. York has a rich set of courses in both
German and (modern) Greek.
Of strong interest to those contemplating participation in an exchange
program is the new honours degree programs that leads to an
International BSc (
iBSc) and an
International BA (
iBA) in Computer Science. For
details see the latest on-line mini-Calendar and checklists on this
page
http://www.cse.yorku.ca/cscurrent_students/undergrad_students/index.html.
Why not plan to visit our EU partners in partial fulfilment of your
iBSc/iBA requirements and benefit from the HRSDC funding!
For advise and more information please
email
me.