Students from The University of Virginia’s College at Wise will now have the opportunity to study in the United Kingdom thanks to the signing of an international agreement with the University of Glamorgan in Pontypridd, Wales.

The University of Glamorgan became UVa-Wise’s sixth sister institution. Also, along with the University of Huelva in Spain, Glamorgan is the second comprehensive university to sign an international agreement with the College.

This agreement is also the first to be signed with an English-speaking country, which will open the possibility of studying abroad to students who may not be fluent in a foreign language.

“This is an excellent opportunity for our students, especially those who do not feel confident speaking a foreign language, to spend a semester or year in the United Kingdom,” said Witold Wolny, director of the Office of International Programs. Wolny traveled to the University of Glamorgan to sign the agreement on behalf of UVa-Wise.

According to Wolny, Glamorgan was originally chosen for its outstanding software engineering department. The university is particularly known for video game development, information systems and computer forensics, among 14 other software engineering majors.

The agreement will allow a semester or yearlong exchange of two students per semester. Students from the College will pay UVa-Wise tuition. Students can choose to live on campus and eat in one of the campus cafeterias. The cost of living on campus is about $150 a week, which is comparable to the cost of living for residential students in the United States. Off-campus housing is available in and around the university, including in the capital city of Cardiff. The city is a 30-minute train ride to the university and is two and a half hours from London.

The College’s other international agreements include the University of Istanbul (Istanbul, Turkey), the University of Huelva (Spain), CEU “Cardenal Spínola” College (Seville, Spain), Pädagogische Akademie Baden (near Vienna, Austria) and El Tec de Monterrey in Satillo, Mexico.

For more information about study abroad programs, contact Witold Wolny in the Office of International Programs at 276-328-0287.