The purpose of th e research

1. basiq international conferenceThe importance of international exchange programs in students success mindset and integration within the economic-business context U.S. Summer work & travel - student international exchange programPhD. Candidate Carmen Vlasceanu -Bucharest University of Economic StudiesProf. Dr. Univ. Tigu Gabriela - Bucharest University of Economic Studies

2. The purpose of the research • provide an analytical framework of the actual educational and business context, within the dynamic global economic landscape • propose a complementarity relationship between the societal, entrepreneurial & leadership dimensions and the students growth mentality

3. methodology • theoretical and conceptual explanation of the characteristics pertaining to the personality, motivational and self-influence • evaluation of the SWT program organized by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, based on a survey

4. methodology • the quantitative research - examination of an international exchange program • the role of education, the importance of a success mindset in students achievements

5. Global Context • The two most important features of the world we inhabit (OECD2003): • the unprecedented economic dynamism of the last two centuries – the product of institutions, practices & attitudes that emerged in the worldover an extended period • the divergence in performance across countries - the result of the uneven spread of this form of rapid growth New world requires new approaches

6. Success mindset • * A growth mindset - set of character traits & skills enabling the individual to use the uncertainty towards its benefit • The goals should match the performance and the behavior should match the goals (Blanchard, 2003)

7. Success mindset * How do we manage to achieve the balance at our society level, training, educating & shaping the new generations into embracing the continuous trends of transformation while manage to stay true to the core values of the society?

8. SWT Overview The greatest opportunities are found in volatile environments and scarce times, and only those individuals who have cultivated a success mindset and to whom dealing with challenges seems embedded into their DNA, manage to outgrow the pressure of complexity and confusion (Krass,1999). The U.S. Summer Work and Travel Program - educational goals through international cultural contacts, providing an excellent working experience benefiting the students future professional career path andthe social environment .

9. U.S. SWT Objectives ● Provide a comprehensive review of the program, while understanding how it contributes to the development of the students professional career & life perspectives ● Understand the reasons of participating students and the impact of the program on acquiring self confidence & esteem, towards a healthy and well-balanced mentality of hard work &success

10. U.S. SWT Objectives ● Asses the experiences of the SWT participants in terms of their own appreciation & satisfaction with the outcome, their overall views on personal & professional gains, as a result of their active involvement. Such programs encourage students to discover, produce and evaluate knowledge, seeing the real-life applicability of the theoretical concepts learned, the students level of understanding and information absorption rate increases dramatically, so is their competence, social skills and overall capability of reasoning (Betsy, 2018).

11. 437 Students participants of SWT Exchange Program. Records show: • 51.3% College • 29.3% Bachelor • 18.8% Master • 0.7% Doctorate SWT – 3 months working + 1 month traveling, participant students were assigned with employing companies located in beach & ski resort tourist destinations 360 SWT Survey

12. Survey data indicates that the top reason for joining the SWT program is acquiring work experience: 89.4% (29.7%, 31.8%, 27.9%) • benefiting from the interaction with fellow colleagues, customersand the surrounding community. • reported high levels of appreciation of the program • major professional gains for thefuture careers helping with labor market integration SWT Survey FINDINGS

13. 89.2% of participants rated learning specific skills as being very important. Opportunities to develop skills are necessary to operate in an increasingly diverse world. SWT Survey FINDINGS

14. Most participants concluded that the experiences helped them improve their English language skills and enhanced their communication abilities. SWT Survey FINDINGS

15. The majority of participants (92.5%) consider traveling experience important in their overall development. SWT Survey FINDINGS

16. 94.7% - indicated to have benefited from traveling the world & meeting new people and cultures, experiencing the differences and similarities between ways of thinking, helping them better understand and accept others while appreciating more their own cultural legacies and traditions. SWT Survey FINDINGS

17. The program focuses on cultural exchange & professional support: 95% of the returning students describe how much living on their own and working in the U.S. helped them gain independence, maturity, and life skills that prepare them for the future. SWT Survey FINDINGS

18. 84.2% participants reported being happy with their experience in U.S. • 15.3% of students were somewhat happy • only 0.2% were unhappy with their stay in the U.S. • Cultural exchange - important characteristic of the program, directly influencing the creation of a better work environment and a friendly climate for the local employees in the Romanian labor market, in addition to providing a better service experience for customers. SWT Survey FINDINGS

19. Map of SWT Participant Placement:

20. SWT in student words: • ”an unique opportunity for personal growth” • “a real life experience that everyone must try” • “a challenge, an opportunity to develop professionally& travel in wonderful places” • “a dream come true” • “the most amazing working holiday” • “the best way to connect and learn from people from around the world” • “an authentic life experience”

21. # 1 World Record Bucharest, Romania: • Year - # Students • 2017 – 7600 • 2016 – 6904 • 2015 – 5948 • 2014 – 5323 • 2013 – 4106 • 2012 – 3537 • World-wide between • 2012 – 2016: • Jamaica (9.6%) • Romania (8.4%) • Bulgaria (8.1%) • Ukraine (6.1%) • Serbia (5.0%) • Philippines (5.0%) • China (4.9%) • Turkey (4.1%) SWT in numbers

22. Conclusions The students work history in the U.S. makes their resume stronger, showing that they had successfully navigated challenging opportunities, experiencing other cultures and new situations, improving their professional & English skills, ultimately giving them a competitive advantage in the global job market.

23. * The organizations today value people who are determined and prepared to invest time and energy to keep ahead of the game by continuously learning, they are respectful and dedicated to their work. * Besides teaching the theoretical principles and concepts, the goals of the educational system may concentrate on increasing the practical training and students involvement in workshop activities, aiming towards shaping the workforce of tomorrow, future managers, entrepreneurs and business leaders. * On the home front the private business sector is making efforts of successfully attracting employees that posess the skill-based requirements and increase their retention level by offering them extra training Conclusions

24. The overall global trend is to embrace education as being the gateway towards a better adapted society to the transformational changes, to the point where the well-developed countries are increasingly supporting entrepreneurial and leadership specialized training and funding programs. sailing towards the future Thank you 