Adam Knoblock

Adam Knoblock, a junior in agricultural business, was swayed to study at Iowa State University because of the array of international opportunities available to students, including studying abroad. Adam was encouraged by family and friends to apply for his first study abroad experience to the United Arab Emirates in the fall of 2021. Adam had prior travel experience but nothing internationally, so he was excited when he was accepted to the program as a sophomore.

“The Culture and Economic Diversification in the United Arab Emirates program was an eye-opening experience as I was immersed in a different culture and country that is very religiously focused. For example, the holy day in the UAE is on Friday, compared to Sunday in the US. I was also surprised to learn that English is the common language spoken in the UAE which helped me easily communicate with locals as we visited Souk (supermarkets) and bartered on goods being sold.”

Another unique aspect of the UAE program was the opportunity to attend the World Expo, which Dubai hosted while the students were visiting the country. The World Expo brought together over 24 million visitors from 178 countries and showcased real-life solutions and projects from around the world related to sustainability efforts and global innovation with a common goal of making societies and the environment a better place for all. Although this experience was unique to this specific year’s visit, the opportunity was eye-opening and informative for all the students as they were able to interact with individuals from all cultures, see first-hand best practices being implemented around the world, and be exposed to an event that is internationally recognized and attended.

“Being able to attend the World Expo was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It was cool to see all the countries interacting and coming together to highlight and showcase new technologies and bring attention to sustainability practices each country was utilizing.”

Adam also had the opportunity to participate in the Soils, Agriculture & the Environment of Uruguay program with Dr. Lee Burras, a professor in the Department of Agronomy. “Traveling with Dr. Burras was amazing! Dr. Burras was knowledgeable and engaging and helped make the program so memorable.” Although Adam wasn’t an agronomy major, he applied for the program to get a well-versed knowledge of agriculture in other parts of the world.

The hardest part of the Uruguay program was the language barrier, as Spanish is the country’s common language. Adam overcame this barrier by communicating and working with other students on the travel course that were more fluent in Spanish.  With Uruguay being a third-world country, Adam’s experiences were more impactful and eye-opening, being exposed to many different perspectives. “Participating in the Uruguay program exposed me to different agricultural and sustainability practices used by farmers in a much different climate and landscape than the U.S.” 

Studying abroad has helped Adam better understand different cultures, agriculture, and environments around the world.

“Studying abroad was the best decision of my college career. You don’t get these opportunities or accessibility to these types of opportunities for the price you pay and the experience you gain!”

Aside from participating in study abroad experience, Adam is an active member of the Agricultural Business Club and was most recently elected President of the Club.