JGSOM launches Junior Term Abroad program
The John Gokongwei School of Management launched its Junior Term Abroad (JTA)
program last April 2003.
The Junior Term Abroad program is a student exchange agreement between the Ateneo de Manila University and various partner universities in Asia, Europe, and the United States. It aims to develop a global perspective among the young leaders of the country. The program makes possible for juniors enrolled in JGSOM programs to spend a semester abroad at any one of the following institutions: Sta. Clara University, Boston College, the University of San Francisco, Hong Kong Baptist University, Waseda University, Kyushu University, the Beijing Center at the University of International Business and Economics, Graz University of Technology and Ecole Superieure des Sciences Commerciales d'Angers.
Despite the availability of scholarships abroad, very few Ateneo students pursue these because differences between the Philippine and foreign academic calendars necessitate the delay of their graduation by a full year if they opt to spend one term aboard. Through the JTA Program, participating students can complete their first semester at the Ateneo by mid-August, in time for them to catch the fall semester abroad. They can start their second semester at the Ateneo in January, right after completing their term abroad. Through this synchronization of academic calendars, which is referred to as the JTA Calendar, students will be able to spend an entire semester abroad and complete their academic programs at the Ateneo on time.
A pilot group of twenty four (24) students made up the first batch that started their studies abroad last August 2003.