We’re pleased to announce one of the 2011 GoAbroad Innovation Awards finalists in the category of Innovative Student Video. We received many wonderful nominations and the selection committee has chosen the finalists. Each day this week, we will be featuring one of the Student Video finalists.
UPDATE: The finalists have been chosen — and now it’s YOUR turn to help choose the winner of the 2011 GoAbroad Innovation Award for Most Innovative Student Video! This is the ONLY GoAbroad Innovation Award that is chosen by a public vote. The voting period is now open and the poll will close (and will no longer be visible) at a pre-selected time on Tuesday, May 31, 2011 — so get your votes in NOW and encourage others to vote! Submit your vote in the column to the right!
FINALIST: A Beijing Love Song by Feichang Fresh (students from France, Germany and the USA) on a The Education Abroad Network (TEAN) study abroad program at The University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) in China
Well – if we’re talking innovation… How about recording your experience and reflections of studying abroad in China by producing a pop song and music video? That’s what these study abroad students in Bejing did last Fall. They wrote the Chinese lyrics, composed the music and produced a music video incorporating footage of locations throughout Beijing. The result – “A Beijing Love Song”! The music video now has over 350,000 hits on China’s version of YouTube (and their Chinese channel has well over 1 million hits). While a direct translation is difficult, they have tried to provide a translation on their YouTube version of the video. Cameron Junion, one of the students involved says, “We find that writing songs and making videos is a great way to have others be interested in the Chinese language and culture. It is also a great way to show the Chinese population that we are interested in their culture and language.” The students involved are from France, Germany and the USA who studied abroad at the University of Business and Economics in Beijing. The US students involved, Cameron Junion (Iowa State University) and Patrick Dittmer (University of Iowa) studied abroad through The Education Abroad Network. Junion is now a Student Ambassador for TEAN on his campus.
Congratulations to each of the finalists! Public voting for best video will commence shortly after all the finalists have been announced. Be sure to vote for your favorite video!
The winner of this category will be announced at the GoAbroad invitation-only reception during the upcoming NAFSA: Association of International Educators Annual Conference and will be posted to the GoAbroad blog.