Unlike most eleven year olds from Fredericton native Kyle Wedge spent a year living across the pond in Scotland, with his family. While travels to Holland and England were a common affair, Kyle’s love for Europe didn’t blossom until he travelled back to the continent two more times.  It was in 2007, while in Paris, that Kyle realized this love. Perhaps it was the city, the culture, the lifestyle, or the language – whatever it was, it was European experience that had him hooked.

Now a third-year BBA student, Kyle is back. And this time, he’s off to Austria.

While UNB’s Faculty of Business Administration offers many choices to students studying abroad through its international exchange programs, Kyle choose Austria because he wanted to experience the local color and culture of yet another European country. The university Kyle is attending this year, Fachhochschule Wiener Neustadt, offers a unique learning environment for its international students, as the university focuses strongly on only a few faculties, which was certainly a selling point for Kyle.

Kyle began his studies at Fachhochschule Wiener Neustadt (approximately 45 minutes south of Vienna) this past September, and will complete his program in June.

While he has experienced and learned about Austrian culture, academically, Kyle has learned about new ideas in business and new teaching methods. Also, Kyle now has an invaluable international business perspective – he has his finger on the pulse of the latest business developments and innovations in his new country of residence. 

Although he’s halfway around the globe, Kyle is taking many similar courses that are taught here at UNB Fredericton -  Sales and Salesforce Management to Consumer Behaviour and Insights to Corporate Finance -  showing that business students, whether in Austria or Canada, can find common ground in the world of international business.

Kyle estimates that there are 40 international students in his faculty, representing approximately 15 nations – “a melting pot of cultures,” he says. “I can hear five different languages in 10 minutes just by going to the café for a snack before class!”

While Kyle enjoys the academic aspect of studying abroad, it isn’t all work and no play.

“The school was great and arranged a weekend away for the exchange students that involved a three day bus tour of Austria; they took us up through the highest alps in the country, on to Innsbruck, Salzburg, and then to the beautiful Lake District of Hallstatt,” exclaims Kyle.  “I've also been to Croatia, Germany, Czech Republic and to Poland within the past two months with various people I've met through the program.”

Although he had the opportunity to discover the European landscape at a young age, Kyle highly recommends current students to consider taking the opportunity of a life time to study abroad.

“This is an eye-opening experience for anybody, no matter how well traveled or well-versed they are in world affairs. It's such an amazing thing to do a study abroad program, whether it is just for a summer session course or for a whole year. Austria has given me an unforgettable experience thus far, and I'm sure it will continue to do so.”

Due back in Canada next June, Kyle also wants to point out that there are numerous opportunities for students to apply for bursaries for study abroad programs. “Applying was very easy, and only took me about five minutes and the money is going to help me a lot!”

Students can visit UNB’s International Relations Office for more information on exchange and study-abroad programs at http://www.unbf.ca/international/

Signing off from Austria … auf Wiedersehen!