Professor Victor Beker is certainly well qualified to be Dean of International Affairs at Argentina's University of Belgrano.
First of all, he is himself a former international student, graduating from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Then there are the economist's academic credentials: the six books and numerous articles published, the Fulbright fellowship and a first prize from the Buenos Aires Academy of Sciences. To this we can add perhaps the most important thing – a real enthusiasm for international graduate studies.
"I joined the University of Belgrano in 1990 as a professor in economics. One year later I was appointed Chair of the Department and managed one of Belgrano's most popular and successful departments for a number of years.
"In 1995 I was promoted to my present job as Dean of International Affairs at a time when we received only 100 international students a year. This was a moment of great change in Argentina and we were interested in making sure that a university like Belgrano could somehow help to encourage more international links with the country.
"We must have been successful in some small way as today we receive around 2,000 international students out of a total of 10,000 students in the university as a whole."
Changing times in Argentina
Professor Beker's experience of the academic world has been moulded, in part, by the changes in higher education in Argentina.
As one of the powerhouses of Latin American university and college education, Argentina used to offer large, state-run universities. But in the 1960's, smaller private institutions began to emerge offering focused and student-centred undergraduate and graduate programs for local and international students.
Entering into the world of privately funded university education allowed Professor Beker the time to develop relationships with his students and ensure that all students had the best possible student experience. Founded in 1964, the University of Belgrano has developed an enviable reputation throughout Latin America and beyond for its graduate programs across a range of academic areas including law, economics, international studies, humanities and information technology.
In recent years it has also become well known for its distance learning and joint programs, making it possible to read a joint degree offered with universities in Germany, Spain, France, Italy and the US.
International exposure
As Dean of International Affairs, Professor Beker has seen the impact of international exposure firsthand and relishes the opportunities such an approach has for all those involved in the process.
"Teaching international students has manifold effects for both teachers and students. As an academic and an administrator I would say that it certifies the quality level of the host institution and its faculty members but it also creates a very important intercultural atmosphere which enriches the teaching and learning activities."
There are also some unexpected results of the international education experience, according to Professor Beker, that add much to its value. "I have often seen that the discussion of different topics, when they are analysed from very different points of view and cultural perspectives provide for some unforeseen conclusions. It opens the mind of professors and students as well as making everyone more involved."
With over 30 years of experience, Professor Beker has met an enormous number of students who have benefitted from the increasingly international nature of higher education, particularly the two-way exchange of students. Just as the more academically focused areas of the international experience have some unexpected results, travelling abroad can impact on different aspects of life.
"The first story which comes to mind is the case of a student of mine whom I recommended for an exchange program at the Erasmus University Business School in Rotterdam. One of the tasks she had was to study the Russian market for a beer company. For that purpose she had to visit Russia and her report was assessed as one of the best and ultimately, when she returned to Argentina, she held a contract with the beer company to promote their business in this country.
"But the story does not stop there. I did not hear from her for one year or so until I received an invitation to attend her marriage with one of her classmates she knew during her stay in Rotterdam!"
Focus on employability
While the personal benefits of pursuing graduate programs abroad can be various, the University of Belgrano has developed strong relationships with local and national companies to ensure that what is taught at the university is relevant to future employers and a student's career prospects.
Whether through an extensive program of internships available to students while they are pursuing their degree, or via an annual "Fair of Enterprises," held for the recruitment of new staff to Argentine companies, the links between the academic and business worlds are very strong for all students at Belgrano.
Reflecting on his own international experiences, Professor Beker points to one episode that has altered the way he views the international student experience. "Something that helped me was not only the fact that I had been an international student myself - which was, after all, a long time ago - but that in 1996 my son Pablo went to study at Cornell University in the USA. This more recent, but different episode, really brought home to me first hand an impression of the challenges and problems an international student faces when they study abroad."
Support for international students
As a way of reducing these challenges for international students studying at the University of Belgrano, Professor Beker has implemented a program of support. "I strongly believe in team work and I trust and empower the people with whom I work and they know I will back them up if a problem arises. International students really benefit from this environment."
The support offered to international students at Belgrano by Professor Beker and his team ensure they can focus on their graduate programs during their time in Buenos Aires. The effect, according to Professor Beker, is very positive indeed.
"Our recruitment of new international students is mainly based on word of mouth and most of the international students come here because our university has been recommended to them by their companions. We have a whole team of academic advisors and administrative staff to support international students once they come to Argentina and we help them solve any academic, administrative or personal issue."
Professor Beker truly believes in the benefits of an international graduate program and recommends leaving one's home country for an education as well as a personal experience to as many students as possible. "If somebody doubts the importance of internationalization in education, seeing one of my students employed and married as a result of studying abroad is a good example of the international experience that it has not only academic but cultural and personal."