We serve international students, researchers, staff, military, and faculty at the campuses of the CSRA.
Augusta University (Health Science & Cyber Campuses)
The largest campus we work with is Augusta University Health Sciences campus. There are around 100 research labs and they employ many internationals in that research, most of whom are doing post-doctoral research. Dozens of countries are represented. Some scholars are here alone, but many bring their families (spouses, children, parents) with them. They will be here for several months to several years.
Fort Gordon
Officers from the militaries of Middle Eastern, Eastern European, & African countries are well-represented at Fort Gordon. The majority of international officers are male. A few travel here with their families, but the majority are here alone. Most of these military students are here for the lieutenants or captains course from 3 to 6 months. Because of the short duration of their stay, many do not purchase a car and thus are eager for any chance to meet Americans and travel off-post, even if only for a few hours.
Other Campuses
We also are connected with international students, faculty and staff at other area campuses, including Augusta University undergrads, University of South Carolina (Aiken), Augusta Technical College, Paine College, and Aiken Technical College. From time to time we also work with internationals who are not connected with a particular school or campus but are in the area for work or family reasons.
What is an international student like?
As you might guess from reading the campus profiles above, the internationals we serve are from countless professional, socio-economic, religious, and political backgrounds. One of the best ways to understand the perspective of an international is to imagine putting yourself in his or her shoes.
Pretend for a moment that your job has required you to take an extended business trip to a city you’ve never heard of in an unfamiliar country on the other side of the world. And not just a business trip, but an extended stay of six months, two years, or more. Imagine the stress of preparing to transition from your home in the southern United States to the city of Dhaka in Bangladesh. Or think about the emotions that would come with leaving your family to study for two years at Wuhan University in eastern China. Think about the uncertainty you would feel leaving your comfortable home for an empty apartment in Islamabad, Pakistan. How will you say goodbye to your family and friends whom you won’t see for months or years? Who will pick you up from the airport when you arrive? You’ve studied the language in preparation for your visit, but will you be able to understand the locals when you arrive? Will they understand you? What will you eat the first few days after you arrive? Will you walk everywhere when you arrive, or will you buy a car or a bicycle? Can you trust the local merchants who can tell that you’re not familiar with the way they do things? Will you be able to count the local currency? Will you find anyone whose religion is the same as yours? Will you make any friends in the area, or will you endure your entire stay in isolation? Will the locals welcome you or ignore you? Who will you call for help when you’re sick, lost, or have trouble with your travel papers? Will your visit be a success, or will you be so overwhelmed that the entire journey is a complete failure?
These are just a few of the questions that swirl in the mind of an international visitor to Augusta. They wonder about the same things you would wonder if you were visiting their country!
This is where you come in! Through serving as a Friendship Partner you are able to be a friend and help provide answers to all of the questions that at filling the mind of an international student or family.