Our organization.  

• Headquartered in Miami, Florida USA, Summit Global Education offers study abroad programs focused on short-term, traveling courses for university students to take during their summer and winter breaks. All of our programs are intended to be mobile, in which university professors travel with students while teaching and integrating real world experience into the class discussions.  From a pedagogical standpoint, our goal is to implement a unique learning method that blends international travel, experiential interactive learning, and demanding course content taught by internationally respected professors.

Our Mission:

• Our goal is to increase the level of internationalization of students, of teachers, and of citizens.  We are international educators and have a passion for developing global awareness of our students.  Our mission is thus to help students not only to better understand the world, but also to want to develop a life time of personal development in their global education.  Learn more about our philosophy

Our brands.  

1. Summit Study Abroad:  Short-term study abroad programs designed so that students may select up to  four "Summits" to attend during their summer break.  Each Summit is designed to last just over two weeks, with approximately one week of travel and professional visits in between.  Our programs are organized in partnerships with top European universities.  Customized study abroad program:  We allow students to customize their summer study-abroad program.  Depending upon their university schedule back home, students may choose to take the full 13 weeks with Summit Study Abroad .  Students with a shorter summer break may elect to study abroad with us for just two weeks, in one of our four sessions offered throughout the summer break.    We call each of these sessions "Summits", where students will take traditional academic courses offered in partnership with our European or international universities.   Please visit our Courses page for more information.
2. GloboTrends: This is our student-generated wiki for students taking our courses.  Here we look at important global issues and interesting trends, many of which become topics of discussion at our upcoming Summits.
   
3. Backpacker University - (coming soon).  This will be our site for online, independent-study courses that we will offer in partnership with excellent universities.

 Our Team: 

Before founding Summit Global Education, Brian was the Director of Marketing and Admissions at an academic study abroad program called "Forum-Nexus". 

As professor, Brian Butler has taught courses in International Finance and European Studies with Forum-Nexus Study Abroad, an academic program co-sponsored by the IQS School of Management of the Ramon Llull University in Barcelona (which is fully accredited by AACSB), and by the Catholic University of Milan (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, member of the ISEP Network). 

Brian previously worked as an analyst for the Columbia Institute of Tele-Information (of the Columbia University Business School). Brian earned an MBA with valedictorian distinction from the Thunderbird School of Global Management and he has lectured on Finance, Economics and Global Trade as course facilitator at Thunderbird’s Global MBA program in Miami. 

A global citizen, Brian was born in Canada, raised in Switzerland (where he attended international schools), educated in the U.S., started his career with a Japanese company, moved to New York to work as an analyst, married a Brazilian, and has traveled extensively in Latin America, Asia, Europe and North America.

Brian currently lives in Recife, Brazil with his wife and daughter where he has taught classes at a local university, Faculdade Boa Viagem.   He is a member of the Board of Trustees for the American School in Recife.

Connect with Brian Butler here:

• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Teaching - my class presentations
• Twitter

The following professors will be joining us in Brazil this Winter Intersession

As professors, we have taught study abroad programs for many years to students at universities across the US, and around the world.  If you would like testimonials or references from students at your university (or one nearby), please contact us.  Also, please see a handful of these testimonials for the professors below...

From:  Jason Fulbrook, College of William and Mary

Referrals: I hope these are appropriate: They are a little humored, but i mean them very earnestly...

• Brian: An enthusiastic Canadian with a European and Latin American background, Brian is well-versed in international affairs and knows how to navigate cultures effectively
  
• Mike: An accountant with a sense of humor and leadership, Mike is a great professor and became a good friend of mine while studying abroad
  
• Peter: The German who knows Spanish, Peter has in-depth real-world experience in international business and marketing
  

From:   Emma Nunan, Florida Atlantic University
Referrals:

• Brian:  "has a passion for travelling and enjoying what different cultures have to offer. He brings this enthusiasm into the classroom to ensure a well rounded, and fun, study abroad experience."

• Peter:  "It is important to Peter that every student has an experience of a lifetime and goes away having a better understanding of the ways different people live their lives."

• Mike:  "is always looking out for the students and making sure their best interest is in mind to make sure everyone has a smooth and enjoyable time abroad."