#IEW2020 Q&A with… Aidan Rowe
International Education Week in the Faculty of Arts
EXP + Study Abroad: Going abroad with Aidan Rowe
November 16–20 is International Education Week, which is celebrated in over 100 countries around the globe. During this week, we will be highlighting stories from students and faculty who have gone abroad as part of their academic programs. As our borders currently remain closed due to the pandemic, we look forward to the time when we can travel and explore the world again. We present these stories as beacons of hope and a promise of better times to come.
All interviews conducted by Sherilyn Trompetter, Senior Officer International, Faculty of Arts, University of Alberta.
Next we meet Aidan Rowe, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Art and Design. Earlier this year Aidan was awarded the the Dr. Helena Fracchia International Teaching Award for his commitment to international teaching and learning.
Hi Aidan! Where did you go and what did you do?
I went to London, England to complete a Master’s degree at the University of Westminster, this was a 12-month degree (common in England), I then stayed in the UK for six more years working as a designer, teaching design and eventually running numerous design programs.
At what point in your academic career did you go?
After graduating in 1995 with a BFA in Visual Communication Design from the University of Alberta I worked in industry for about five years. In that time, I also had the chance to do some sessional teaching in the Faculty of Extension and in the Faculty of Arts, and that helped secure my passion for teaching. In 2000 I moved to England to complete my graduate studies.
Why did you go?
I had worked long enough in industry that I had many questions about my discipline and larger questions about my future in it. Additionally, I missed what university offered — the ideas, the dialogue and the chance to see the world differently. Moving to a new country and university also forced me to challenge my ideas and beliefs and exposed me to a wide range of different histories, practices and possibilities.
What delighted you about your experience?
Two main things: first off returning to full-time study was a luxury, for me it was also beneficial that this took place after working in my field for some time allowing me to really concretize the questions I was interested in. Secondly, relocating to a new culture was crucial, this move really forced me to identify what I wanted to do and why. Importantly it was to a place that was rich in its own histories, practices, and futures.
How did the experience influence you?
It is difficult to think how the experience has not influenced me. Undertaking a degree abroad was crucial in framing who I am today. It influenced me enough that I have worked to embed a range of international opportunities in the programs that I am involved with here, whether organizing international trips over reading week, supervising exchange programs or running summer session design courses in Germany.
What surprised you when you got home?
I did not return to Edmonton to live for over seven years, although I had visited. When I moved back here — for a position at the University of Alberta — I was reminded of the strength of our programs and the possibility in the city.
What advice do you have for other Arts undergraduate students who are considering a study abroad option?
Take every advantage of this you can. And plan early.
