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Tuesday April 16, 2024
Training Materials

TRAVEL PREPARATION: The CI-PIRE program has developed a 3-part program to prepare you for your travel and research abroad.

FIU Office of Education Abroad Presentation: 45min

The Office of Education Abroad requires that all students traveling with the FIU PIRE program complete the following self-guided orientation. Your participation will be tracked by login.

  1. View the Orientation Presentation. You can find this on the NSFPireNews Blog site (Note: You will need to login with your Pire Blog Credentials to see the presentation post.)
  2. Download and review the Predeparture Guide.
  3. Download and review the Orientation Letter.
  4. Download and complete the Acknowledgement of Materials. This packet of documents MUST be signed and returned to Silvia Marenco prior to your departure date.

If you have any questions about these materials, please contact Catherine Hernandez by email: hernandc AT cis.fiu.edu

The GlobalScholar Study Abroad: 6 hours, 10 modules

This online training program was designed at Loyola Marymount University with funding from FIPSE in the U.S. Department of Education to prepare college students for traditional study abroad programs. Your login to this program will be emailed to you. Participants in CI-PIRE are encouraged to explore ALL modules on in "Course 1: Before You Leave" as it contains an abundance of useful information. As part of your exploration, we ask that you make your year's first Blog entries to discuss relevant points raised in Course 1's "Info Log" or "Interaction" activities. Navigating the course is very simple. If you find you have questions, please contact Catherine Hernandez, hernandc AT cis.fiu.edu.

LOGIN: Browse to http://www.globalscholar.us/.
Click the Login tab
Use your email address as your username
Enter the password which has been provided to you


Once you have logged in to the Global Scholar site, please modify your Profile: From the "Profile" link on the "Welcome" tab, you are able to change your password and add information about yourself.

Language and Cultural Resources

The CI-PIRE team has pulled together a set of materials from the Internet to help you become familiar with the language of your destination country. This is by no means an exhaustive list and we will add to this list as new resources are discovered. Our intent is to provide references to as many free and open source materials as possible. As you discover new materials, please share them with your peers in your CI-PIRE Blog.

» More Language and Cultural Resources

Blog Posting Guidelines

The purpose of the CI-PIRE blog is to provide members of the CI-PIRE research community with a place to share experiences and research findings, discover common interests, and expand the community’s knowledge of the academic, social, and cultural aspects of international collaboration. CI-PIRE community members use the blog to disseminate information to collaborators and other members of relevant academic and industry communities. CI-PIRE faculty members evaluate CI-PIRE student participant performance via blog postings.

» More Blog Posting Guidelines

Previous Student Training

PIRE participants from 2007 to 2009 took part in a semester-long language and cultural training program to prepare for their travel experience. This program, organized by FIU’s Office of Education Abroad, covered the cultural history, underpinnings, and societal differences that students will find when they travel abroad. Each country’s business and academic cultures as well as differences in typical etiquette rules are discussed and rudimentary language training is provided.

» More Previous Student Training


"PIRE... provides our students with the kind of direct international experience and training that will prepare them for careers in an increasingly competitive global arena."
Dr. Modesto Maidique
President Emeritus, Florida International University

"PIRE...will enable the next generation of students participants to become fully engaged as members of the globally-aware IT workforce.""
Dr. Nicholas Bowen
Vice President of Strategy and Worldwide Operations, IBM Research

"We look forward to hosting students researchers ... to foster our existing collaborations and create new ones."
Mateo Valero Cortés
Director, Barcelona Supercomputing Center

"I was able to develop quite a bit as a person, researcher, and professional."
Marlon Bright,
FIU student

"Being able to learn elements directly related to my project, the likes and dislikes of another culture, and be able to communicate in a different language are all aspects related to the PIRE program for which I will always be grateful."
Simone Pasmore,
FAU student

"It helps you build confidence that the degree you hold will enable you to tackle any problem, and, more importantly, it lets you experience the job before committing your life to it."
Allison Lanager,
FIU student

This material is based in part upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number OISE-0730065. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. © 2007 Florida International University