Pagoda Projects

We're thrilled to be an association partner for this year's Times Higher Education Global Sustainable Development Congress in Bangkok, Thailand.

We're looking forward to meeting with colleagues from across the higher education sector to discuss urgent solutions to the global sustainability emergency.

There's still time to secure your ticket. Exclusive discounts available for Pagoda Partners. Get in touch for more information.

We're thrilled to be attending Times Higher Education's Global Sustainable Development Congress in Bangkok this June, alongside 3,000 sustainability leaders from academia, government, business and civil society.
✅ Inspiring talks from 350+ world-class speakers
✅ Masterclasses and practical workshops
✅ Global exhibition for invaluable networking
✅ Featuring the International Green Skills Summit
✅ Data labs to forge strategic partnerships
✅ Witness the live THE Impact Rankings reveal
Book now: https://bit.ly/3uTznW2

Pagoda's Head of Partnerships Paul and APAC Account Manager Nalinrat will be attending APAIE (Asia-Pacific Association for International Education)'s 2024 conference in Perth next week. We'd love to discuss your , and goals, so please do feel free to get in touch with Paul directly to book a meeting.

Paul will also be presenting a session on Enabling International WIL: Mobility Partnerships for Maori and Pacific Youth with our colleague Anne Fitisemanu, Chief Executive of TupuToa on Wednesday 6th March: https://bit.ly/48DEhnI

We're looking forward to meeting up with colleagues and partners from the international higher education sector at next week's Universities UK International Global Mobility Conference at Lancaster University If you're attending, come and visit Pagoda's founder Jamie Bettles on our stand during one of the networking breaks.

In addition to gaining work experience and learning about the global employment market on their placements in Bangkok, we've been showing students from UTS: University of Technology Sydney, RMIT and TupuToa some of the sights of the city, with trips to the Old Town, the Museum of Siam, the Temple of Dawn and more.

"It has been an incredible learning, growth, and professional development journey. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with such talented individuals and contribute to the company's projects." - Usama, remote internship participant 2023, University of Dundee

In addition to hosting in-person programmes across international destinations from Vietnam to Portugal, Pagoda also offers a remote internship option. This programme is designed to prepare students to join today’s digital, global workforce, offering and without the need for travel.

https://bit.ly/41T2zs5

📷 by Rinal Gudkha, Swansea University

"This experience provided a unique opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations with like-minded individuals, from a diverse array of backgrounds, fostering both personal and collective growth. The centrepiece of this group project was rooted in a deep dive into the sustainability efforts of individuals and companies, with the main goal of ensuring the environmental security of future generations." - Thank you to University of Southampton student Jessica who took part in a 2023 Sustainable Global Experience study tour in Amsterdam and gave insightful feedback on the impact of the programme.

Students from our current Nanyang Technological University, Singapore cohort in Ho Chi Minh City, taking 'a brief glance at Vietnamese culture' as part of their orientation. Improving intercultural fluency is a core element of Pagoda's programmes, with orientation activities helping to ensure that students feel immersed in their new host locations.

Read our short article for Manchester Metropolitan's Institute for Experiential and Skills Based Learning exploring how experiential learning is evolving in international contexts https://bit.ly/41uy4ZB

If you have best practice to share and/or are interested in talking about experiential learning in the international space, please contact us/tag in the comments and join the Institute for Experiential and Skills-based Learning.

We had a great campus tour of RMIT University Vietnam with this year's RMIT University cohort in Ho Chi Minh City. Orientations and activities with Pagoda’s in-country staff are a key part of our programmes, alongside supporting work-integrated learning through the students' internships and placements.

Happy holidays from all of us at Pagoda Projects!

We're delighted to be partnering with TupuToa to be delivering our first Bangkok PMSA programme on behalf of Ministry of Education NZ

From experiencing a vertical hydroponic smart-farm, to enjoying cultural exchange activities with the Song Dam minority community and meeting with monks at an upcycling temple, it's been great to support the students' intercultural fluency and get them started with their new work placements.

Next month, Pagoda's founder Jamie will be speaking on 'Unlocking Global Markets' at the second event in Insider Media's Breakfast Series, in partnership with the Department for Business and Trade. The event will bring together a panel of companies and international trade advisors poised to answer questions on the mechanics and logistics of entering new territories. Registration is open here: https://bit.ly/3tmjF4S

Great evening at the Insider Media North West International Trade Awards in Manchester last night. We were thrilled to be shortlisted for the Impact Award. Congratulations to all the winners!

From a Vietnamese language class to company visits. From a food tour to a trip to the Mekong Delta. We're thrilled to have partnered with De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) to complete another brilliant Vietnam Study Tour. Thanks to the staff and students for being so curious and receptive - we're very happy to be supporting your intercultural fluency and student success!

We're looking forward to presenting an online session at BUTEX (British Universities Transnational Exchange's digital winter workshop this Thursday. For anyone attending, join our founder Jamie Bettles at 3.30pm for a session on Different Partnership Models for Funding International Mobility in HE. Registration is open until 5PM on 29th Nov https://bit.ly/47yIKsg

Pagoda is in Vancouver this week for CBIE BCEI's CBIE2023 conference. To discuss how we can help you meet your student success and global mobility goals, send us a message to book a meeting with our colleague Chris McKenzie.

We're pleased to have partnered with the Australian Collaborative Education Network (ACEN) to fund Global Online Internships scholarships for seven students in February 2024. The students have been selected and are currently being placed with their host companies. These scholarships enable eligible students from equity groups to access a diverse range of work-integrated learning experiences.

We work with universities worldwide to deliver work-integrated learning programmes as part of university courses, summer placements and extra-curricular activities. But when it comes to embedding programmes in the university curriculum, one size doesn’t fit all. In this article, we show the different ways our programmes are embedded into curricula by our partners.

https://bit.ly/46ff1mJ

We're thrilled to be shortlisted for the Impact Award at the Insider Media North West International Trade Awards 2023. We're looking forward to catching up with old and new neighbours in industry right here in Manchester at the awards event next month!

On 1st November, we will be taking part in Universities UKs Access, Participation and Student Success Conference 2023, alongside our partners from UWE Bristol.

Frances Adam will be delivering a presentation entitled 'The Benefits of Short Global Mobilities for Students With a Background of Care or Family Estrangement', using UWE's experiences of partnering with Pagoda to offer our Sustainable Global Experience™ study tour to some of their students. Following the presentation, Pagoda's Director of Academic Strategy Professor Abigail Gregory MBE will be taking questions.

If you're attending the event and would like to understand more about how Pagoda's programmes can help you meet your and goals, please feel free to come and find us. Alternatively, you can book your place for the event here: https://bit.ly/45FNMBr

We are on campus with some of our partner universities this week. Thanks to Ulster University student and 2023 Sustainable Global Experience participant Caitlin for sharing your knowledge with your fellow students this morning.

If you're interested in learning more about Pagoda's 2024 programmes, come and visit our booth at these events this week:

Ulster University Coleraine Campus Go Global Fair - 24th Oct - 11am - 2pm

Newcastle University GO Global Fair - 24th Oct, 11am – 2pm

Cardiff University Global Opportunities Fair - 25th Oct, 10am - 3pm

Wonderful feedback for Cardiff University student Eleanor from host company 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 in Ho Chi Minh City: "Eleanor was our Marketing intern for two months - one month remotely and on month in person at our hub in HCMC.

"She not only helped with marketing and social media but also with ad hoc events and operational tasks. She was resourceful and capable, and at the same time a fast learner and great team member."

Ready to support your business with interns? Contact us: https://bit.ly/3PYr7dM

Pagoda’s blended internships combine in-person internships with a 4-week online internship. Students spend 4-weeks working remotely for a host company before travelling overseas to gain in-person experience.

Blended internships provide students with high-quality mentoring and career development opportunities while working in an international environment.

"Thanks to Pagoda Projects, I had the privilege of exploring new cultures and broadening my horizons, both personally and professionally."

"The seamless onboarding process and their commitment to ensuring that every aspect of my internship was enriching and rewarding were truly appreciated.

"Pagoda Projects' dedication to connecting students with global learning experiences is commendable."

Benjamin, student at University of Dundee who completed an internship programme in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam this summer

"The training was such an eye opener for me on climate change and carbon emissions. It allowed me to reflect on my day-to-day actions and made me realise how important it was to make changes in my life for the planet’s sake.

I look forward to continuing my journey in sustainability and hopefully influencing those around me to take action too."

Congratulations to Cardiff University student Emily on completing a Sustainable Global Experience programme in Brussels and on becoming certified Carbon Literate through The Carbon Literacy Project. It's wonderful to see SGE participants improving their carbon consciousness and gaining a global perspective of sustainability.

Our Sustainable Global Experience programme is designed to minimise carbon emissions wherever possible, through more sustainable travel options, meal choices, site visits to businesses and organisations leading the way in sustainability best practice, and more.

In addition, we partner with Gold Standard to buy carbon credits for Climate+ projects that will offset 150% of our programme emissions. Student participants vote for the project which they'd most like Pagoda to support through offsetting. This year's project supports the rollout of sustainable biogas for cooking in Uganda.

https://bit.ly/452fmZf

One of our goals is to develop participants' relationships with their university and enhance their overall student experience.

Following our 2023 partnership with the University of Dundee,
​94% of responders said their Pagoda programme enhanced their overall experience of university, while 86% said their programme gave them a greater sense of belonging at their university.

📷 University of Dundee students taking part in an Experience Day with AIA in Ho Chi Minh City

Harirak, Business Development Manager for Umpire Legal in Bangkok, went from intern to host this year. On hosting an intern, he says:

"I decided to sign Umpire Legal up as a Host Company due to my previous experience completing an internship with Pagoda. As an intern, it was certainly great getting to go somewhere new and to immerse myself in a new culture.

I thought the concept was beneficial to all parties involved.

It's been a pleasure working with our intern. He's worked on several tasks, from completing a rough business plan for a new service, to updating our company profile, to completing copywriting work."

Interested in gaining a fresh perspective and supporting your organisation? https://bit.ly/companies23