{"668429":{"#nid":"668429","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Metz\u2019 La Semaine Magazine Speaks with Abdallah Ougazzaden","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech\u2019s European campus in Metz, France has emerged as the go to destination for students looking for a once-in-a lifetime campus abroad experience while discovering Europe,\u201d said Georgia Tech-Europe (GTE) president, Abdallah Ougazzaden, speaking to La Semaine, a French regional magazine. The magazine recently published an article on the arrival of the summer cohort.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EOugazzaden explained that the program is in growth mode, with the Metz campus welcoming 785 students in 2022 as opposed to 730 students in 2019 before the pandemic. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThis summer, Georgia Tech-Europe is hosting just over 400 students, a record for the campus! High demand is a good problem, and GTE rented additional classroom space at CentraleSup\u00e9lec, a nearby partner school for GTE\u2019s dual-degree master\u2019s program, reserving additional rooms in local student residence halls to\u0026nbsp;accommodate everyone.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAt Georgia Tech-Europe, students take Georgia Tech courses, taught in English, with most courses taught by Georgia Tech faculty, both visiting and permanent. Ougazzaden told La Semaine that, \u201cThe academic program matches what you would find on the Atlanta campus, but outside of the coursework it\u2019s a different story! The goal is to stimulate students\u2019 curiosity and creativity to get them to think differently. Our students are tomorrow\u2019s decision makers, and it\u0027s important to equip them with more than just a solid academic foundation. We bring them beyond this foundation so that they have the tools to develop solutions to tomorrow\u2019s challenges.\u201d \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EOugazzaden\u2019s comments are timely, as developing global leaders dovetails with the Georgia Institute of Technology\u2019s strategic plan. One of the plan\u0027s key focus areas is to \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/strategicplan.gatech.edu\/focus\/global\u0022\u003EConnect Globally\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d and developing Georgia Tech-Europe programming and facilities while striving to make the program accessible to all students is an important step in furthering this goal.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EBeyond their coursework, GTE students have access to well-programmed activities that help them relax and expand their minds. Throughout the\u0026nbsp;semester, the school organizes game nights, cooking workshops, visits to museums, concerts, and other local cultural events. Said Ougazzaden, \u201cThe goal is to connect students to worlds they might not have even known existed.\u201d \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EStudents are in class four days a week, giving them long weekends to travel independently throughout Europe. As soon as classes are finished for the week, students jump on night trains or inexpensive European flights, to experience as much of Europe as they can.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ELast year\u2019s summer cohort was lucky to receive a visit from Georgia Tech president, \u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u00c1ngel\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003ECabrera. President Cabrera accompanied GTE students to the American Cemetery in Saint-Avold, just outside of Metz, where they commemorated the heroism of ten American Georgia Tech students who lost their lives during World War I and World War II and are buried in American cemeteries in France. They laid a wreath at the grave of Rupert E. Barnett, Jr. who perished during World War II. President Cabrera was so moved that he declared that each year on D-Day (June 6th), Georgia Tech-Europe would remember and honor those Georgia Tech students whose lives were tragically cut short in in France while in service to their country.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EOugazzaden explained to La Semaine that, \u201cJune 6th is an important day of commemoration for our school. This year we planted a magnolia tree on the Metz campus. The magnolia is the most emblematic tree in Atlanta and Georgia Tech-Europe\u2019s magnolia will stand as a symbol of longevity and courage.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThis led to a discussion on Georgia Tech-Europe\u0027s strong commitment to sustainability. GTE offers a French immersion program focused on sustainability in the fall semester. Students at an intermediate level in French or above can participate in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sls-france.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EServe-Learn-Sustain France Program\u003C\/a\u003E to learn about everything from waste-management to renewable energy, all while improving their French language skills by volunteering with local organizations in Metz. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ENo matter where\u0026nbsp;their\u0026nbsp;semester takes them, students return to Atlanta transformed. Ougazzaden noted that, \u201cSurveys confirm that students who travel, study, and live in a country other than their own are more likely to succeed in their studies.\u201d \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe exchanges work both ways \u2013 during the spring and fall semesters, students from all over the world participate in GTE\u2019s dual-degree master\u2019s program. Georgia Tech-Europe partners with close to thirty prestigious partner institutions in Europe and North Africa, with students receiving a master\u2019s degree from both their home school and Georgia Tech. After studying on the Europe campus, master\u2019s students have the option of finishing their studies on Tech\u2019s Atlanta campus. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe Georgia Tech-Europe program also benefits the Grand Est region. Over 400 students arrived in Metz this summer, and often their families join them at some point to travel, bringing even more visitors to Metz and beyond. Students return home as ambassadors for the region. As GTE president Abdallah Ougazzaden sees it, \u201ctheir participation ensures global visibility for the region,\u201d and with over 12,000 students having studied at Georgia Tech-Europe since it opened its doors in 1990, that is quite a few ambassadors!\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELa Semaine, a regional print and web magazine in the Grand Est, spoke with Georgia Tech-Europe president, Abdallah Ougazzaden, to learn more about Tech\u0027s European campus, its students, and programs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A record 400+ students arrived in Metz this summer to study at Georgia Tech-Europe while traveling Europe on weekends."}],"uid":"28490","created_gmt":"2023-07-11 15:17:31","changed_gmt":"2023-07-11 15:33:32","author":"Andrea Gappell","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-07-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-07-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"671144":{"id":"671144","type":"image","title":"Building A.JPG","body":null,"created":"1689088804","gmt_created":"2023-07-11 15:20:04","changed":"1689088804","gmt_changed":"2023-07-11 15:20:04","alt":"Georgia Tech-Europe - Metz, France","file":{"fid":"254155","name":"Building A.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/07\/11\/Building%20A.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/07\/11\/Building%20A.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":40682,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/07\/11\/Building%20A.JPG?itok=GMMxT36y"}}},"media_ids":["671144"],"related_files":{"254152":{"fid":"254152","name":"La Semaine - 06.04.2023 (article in French on 400+ students at GTE this summer)","file_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/2023-07\/Article%20La%20Semaine%20du%2006.04.2023%20-%20Plus%20de%20400%20%C3%A9tudiants%20am%C3%A9ricains%20accueillis%20%C3%A0%20Metz.pdf","file_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/2023-07\/Article%20La%20Semaine%20du%2006.04.2023%20-%20Plus%20de%20400%20%C3%A9tudiants%20am%C3%A9ricains%20accueillis%20%C3%A0%20Metz.pdf","mime":"application\/pdf","description":"Article in the French magazine, La Semaine, on the students welcomed in Metz this summer at Georgia Tech-Europe."}},"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/europe.gatech.edu","title":"Georgia Tech-Europe"},{"url":"https:\/\/sls-france.gatech.edu","title":"SLS French Immersion Program @ Georgia Tech-Europe"}],"groups":[{"id":"54809","name":"Georgia Tech-Europe (GTE)"}],"categories":[{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"191589","name":"GTE"},{"id":"192830","name":"GT-Europe"},{"id":"192831","name":"La Semaine"},{"id":"3445","name":"Metz"},{"id":"167217","name":"summer semester"},{"id":"166843","name":"Study Abroad"},{"id":"172500","name":"campus abroad"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAndrea Gappell\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Program Manager, Georgia Tech-Europe\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["andrea.gappell@europe.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}