| Dr. Vahid Lotfi
As you may know, I really enjoyed my visit to Russia.
I am grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in this program.
Visiting another country like Russia is a chance in a lifetime. Equally
valuable was the opportunity to teach there and get to know a Russian
university, its students and faculty. As a business faculty, my travel
to Russia certainly improved my limited knowledge of international business.
Something that I could have never learned from a textbook.
As far as things that worked, here are a few items
that I found worth mentioning:
1. Travel arrangement to and from Russia worked well.
Having someone to handle the airline reservation (and changes) was very
helpful. Most of us are very busy to do this ourselves. Equally important
was being received at the airport in Russia and having taken to the airport
on the way back. While this may not be necessary for travel to a European
country, it is critical in travel to countries like Russia and China with
totally different language and culture.
2. Having a host at the other end was very helpful,
especially having access to efficient transportation (e.g., a car). Food
was very good and accommodation was reasonable.
3. While I would have gone to Russia anyway, getting
paid a stipend will be a must for most faculty. From my perspective, the
amount was very reasonable.
4. The students were well prepared. Or, perhaps I
should say, they were the right mix. Their language skills (in most cases)
were very good and most of them were highly motivated. This makes teaching
in a foreign environment a bit easier for the faculty.
5. Having access to the host university HIGH administrators
was helpful.
Thing that could be improved:
1. Not all students having textbooks was somewhat
problematic.
2. Having access to better technology (e.g., computers,
internet access in class) could help.
3. Ability to interact wit the local community.
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