Interested in actually experiencing other cultures abroad? The 4 part series of blogposts ‘Xperience new worlds’ helps you to identify what type of educational travel would suit you best, in relation to what you would like to get out of the experience in terms of personal development, cross-cultural competencies and professional competencies. This is part 1: A short history of educational travel. Image by Carl Spitzweg.
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The origins of educational travel
The origins of international educational travel can be traced back many centuries. Within Europe, perhaps the best known traveling scholar was Erasmus of Rotterdam (1465-1536), who was later honoured by having his name given to the European exchange programme. Between the Sixteenth and Eighteenth Centuries, the European upper-classes often sent their sons on a Grand Tour to major cities as part of their education.
After World War II
The size and scope of educational travel grew exponentially after World War II, due to major innovations in transport and communication technology and rising incomes. In the Western world both European and American institutions were established to promote educational travel in the form of study abroad, study tours and international internships. The main rationale behind such programs was to develop cross-cultural understanding in an increasingly interdependent (and, in the early days, war-ravaged) world. Lately, short-term educational travel programs such as summer school programs and the international research project have gained in popularity. This is partly due to the more flexible nature of such programs which can run parallel to the curriculum of the students.
Although much of the research has been conducted by western institutions, in the aftermath of the second world war, in general it is believed that educational travel is in particularly beneficial to students from developing countries, helping them acquire state of the art knowledge. This doesn’t just refer to technical knowledge but also to tacit knowledge. Developing and transition countries place great value on the development of soft-skills such as foreign language proficiency, independence, communication skills, flexibility and creativity. Often these competencies are underdeveloped among the populations of these countries due to an traditional rotelearning educational system which places a high emphasis on technical competencies.
21st century
The maturation of the educational travel sector, at around the beginning of the 21st Century, due to cultural globalization, the lack of peace threats, and lack of exclusivity, has increased the relevance of the outcomes of educational travel programs, made poignant in 2022 by the events in Ukraine and the threatening clash between Europe, the USA and Russia.
Go to part 2: The learning potential of different types of educational travel
Related books (which include all references)
