WASHINGTON — College and university students have long benefited from the experience of studying abroad, and the Midshipmen of the U.S. Naval Academy are no exception. But federal budget cuts, beginning in 2013 have sharply reduced the money available to send Middies for a semester overseas.
The Capital Gazette reports that the Naval Academy is partnering with naval colleges in allied nations in order to boost the number of Middies who can study abroad.
South Korea is the latest nation to sign an agreement with the Naval Academy. Other nations that exchange naval students with Annapolis include Canada, France and Japan.
Middies still attend civilian overseas universities, but that’s a far pricier option for the Naval Academy.
The Naval Academy’s head of International Programs, retired Cmdr. Tim Disher said Middies who study abroad come back feeling like they’re better leaders.
“They get challenged more so than they do here. They learn more about themselves,” Disher told the Capital Gazette.
