An Office of International Programs newsletter Vol. 6 No 2 Belk College Hosts Xiamen University On January 14th, the Belk College of Business and the Office of International Programs hosted five representatives from Xiamen University, including the Vice President of Academic Affairs, Mr. Daguang Wu. They met with various members of the university community, enjoyed lunch in the Student Union with members of the Belk College of Business Department of Finance and Mathematics, and ended the day with dinner hosted by Chancellor Dubois and Lisa Dubois. Last fall, Xiamen University entered a partnership with the Belk College of Business Department of Finance and Mathematics to accept students into the Master of Science in Mathematics Program. Xiamen University, located in the Fugian province of Xiamen, is currently ranked 13th among top universities in the People’s Republic of China. The university offers 82 undergraduate programs, 219 graduate programs, and 134 Ph.D. programs. Having spent the last year as a preparatory year, Xiamen University students will be entering their second year of the program when they arrive at UNC Charlotte this fall. “Sometimes referred to as the Hawaii of China, the city of Xiamen is situated on an island widely recognized for its beautiful landscapes, subtropical weather, and geographical advantage as a port city,” said Rick Conboy (Director, Global Business Studies Office in the Belk College). “Xiamen as a university is acknowledged as one of approximately 20 top-tier schools in China. The Wang Yanan Institute for Studies in Economics (WISE) at Xiamen University hires many Western faculty to teach courses in English. Our agreement with WISE is to bring students from Xiamen to study here, at the Belk College of Business.” WISE is a recent effort of the Ministry of Education of China and Xiamen University to build a first-class research institute and to facilitate domestic and international research and academic exchanges. Labor economics and related fields in public, educational, and health economics are among the priorities of the development strategy of WISE. Students of WISE coming to UNC Charlotte will be integrated into the Masters of Science in Mathematical Finance program classes, as opposed to receiving separate instruction. They will attend as full-time students, arriving in July, beginning class work in August, and completing classes at the end of June the following year. Dear Colleagues, We are so pleased to bring you another issue of our quarterly newsletter. Of particular note this spring, OIP will welcome a new associate director to our team charged with developing assess- ment measures to determine the impact of campus international- ization as well as identifying addi- tional ways in which we can sup- port our faculty members pursuing international scholarship. Plans are also underway to launch our new website that we hope will more ef- fectively highlight our ser- vices and programs to the cam- pus community. Finally, I encour- age all of you to participate in our open forums to be held over the next few weeks. It is our goal to strategize and consider the best ways in which we communicate to our stakeholders and share infor- mation with you. Please look for scheduled times in the Campus News for these focus groups. As always, we welcome your guid- ance, feedback, and ideas that develop our students’ internation- al perspectives which ultimately contribute to their role as global citizens. Assistant Provost’s Welcome
Transcript
An Office of International Programs newsletter
Vol. 6 No 2
Belk College Hosts Xiamen University OnJanuary14th,theBelkCollegeofBusinessandtheOfficeofInternationalPrograms hosted five representatives from XiamenUniversity, including the Vice President ofAcademicAffairs, Mr. Daguang Wu. They met with variousmembersof theuniversity community, enjoyed lunchintheStudentUnionwithmembersoftheBelkCollegeofBusinessDepartmentofFinanceandMathematics,andended thedaywithdinnerhostedbyChancellorDuboisandLisaDubois. Last fall, XiamenUniversity entereda partnershipwith the Belk College of Business Department ofFinanceandMathematicstoacceptstudentsintotheMaster of Science inMathematics Program.XiamenUniversity, located in the Fugian province of Xiamen, is currently ranked 13thamong topuniversities in thePeople’sRepublicofChina.Theuniversityoffers82undergraduateprograms,219graduateprograms,and134Ph.D.programs.Havingspentthelastyearasapreparatoryyear,XiamenUniversitystudentswillbeenteringtheirsecondyearoftheprogramwhentheyarriveatUNCCharlottethis fall.
“Sometimes referred to as the Hawaii of China,the city of Xiamen issituated on an island widely recognized for itsbeautiful landscapes,subtropical weather, andgeographical advantageas a port city,” said RickConboy (Director, GlobalBusiness Studies Officein the Belk College). “Xiamenasauniversityisacknowledged as one of
approximately20top-tierschoolsinChina.TheWangYananInstituteforStudiesinEconomics(WISE)atXiamenUniversityhiresmanyWesternfacultytoteachcoursesinEnglish.OuragreementwithWISEistobringstudentsfromXiamentostudyhere,attheBelkCollegeofBusiness.” WISE is a recent effort of the Ministry of Education of China and XiamenUniversity tobuildafirst-class research instituteand to facilitatedomesticandinternational researchandacademicexchanges.Laboreconomicsand relatedfieldsinpublic,educational,andhealtheconomicsareamongtheprioritiesofthedevelopmentstrategyofWISE. StudentsofWISEcomingtoUNCCharlottewillbeintegratedintotheMastersofScience inMathematicalFinanceprogramclasses,asopposed to receivingseparate instruction. They will attend as full-time students, arriving in July,beginningclassworkinAugust,andcompletingclassesattheendofJunethefollowingyear.
DearColleagues,
We are so pleased to bringyou another issue of our quarterly newsletter.Ofparticularnotethisspring, OIP will welcome a newassociate director to our teamchargedwithdevelopingassess-ment measures to determine the impact of campus international-izationaswellasidentifyingaddi-tionalwaysinwhichwecansup-portourfacultymemberspursuinginternational scholarship. Plans
are also underwayto launchour neww e b s i t ethat wehope willmore ef-f e c t i v e l yh i g h l i g h t our ser-vices andprogramstothecam-
puscommunity.Finally,Iencour-ageallofyoutoparticipateinouropen forums tobeheldover thenext fewweeks. It isourgoal tostrategize and consider the bestwaysinwhichwecommunicatetoour stakeholders and share infor-mationwith you.Please look forscheduled times in the CampusNewsforthesefocusgroups.Asalways, we welcome your guid-ance, feedback, and ideas thatdevelopourstudents’internation-al perspectives which ultimatelycontribute to their role as globalcitizens.
Assistant Provost’s Welcome
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UNCCharlotteandAAC&UAddressGlobalLearning UNC Charlotte will participate in “GeneralEducation for a Global Century,” a curriculumand faculty development project throughthe Association of American Colleges andUniversities(AAC&U).Asoneof32collegesanduniversities selected to participate, a workinggroupthroughUNCCharlottewillworktomorecoherently integrate curricular designs thataddress contemporary, dynamic global issuesthatreachacrossdisciplines. At the national level, UNC Charlotte will beworking with a Global Learning LeadershipCouncil to: articulate essential global learningoutcomesforallstudents;refineanddisseminatemodelsofglobalgeneraleducationcurriculathatcan be adapted across all institutional types;provide faculty development opportunities toassistcollege faculty indesigningandteachinginterdisciplinary, integrative courses that focusonreal-worldglobalissues;and,developrubricstoassessgloballearningoutcomes. TheworkinggroupatUNCCharlotteconsistsofCharlesBrody(Sociology),HarryChernotsky(Global, International and Area Studies),Akinwumi Ogundiran (Africana Studies), JoëlGallegos(InternationalPrograms),PilarBlitvich(English), Liz Fitzgerald (University College)andTomRogers(AfricanaStudies).JohnSmail(UniversityCollege)isleadingtheinitiative.
WebsiteLaunchedforChinaInitiative
TheChina Initiative atUNCCharlotte has developed awebsite tofurtherarticulatethemissionandobjectivesof furtheringtiesbetweenChina and the University. Hosted at http://oip.uncc.edu/china/, thewebsite includes information related to current exchanges, researchandcollaborationsandprovidescontact informationforthosewhoareinterested in more information. TheChinaInitiativeatUNCCharlottehasestablishedasitsgoals: • PromoteinteractiveresearchbetweenChinesescholarsand scholarsatUNCCharlotte; • ServeasaninformationclearinghouseforUNCCharlotte scholarsseekingtodeveloprelationswithChineseacademia, andviceversa; • BuildandmaintainconnectionsinvolvingNorthCarolinaand Chinesegovernmentalandprivatesectorinstitutions; • Providestudentlearningopportunities; • ServeasaresourceforChinese-Americancultural,educational, andsocio-economicexchangeintheGreaterCharlottearea; • GenerateabroaderinterestamongChineseandU.S.citizens regardingtheirrespectivecountries;and, • Promotecollaborativeresearchinitiativesbetween UNCCharlottefacultyandChinesescholarsandseekfunding fromrespectivenationalfundingagenciesandinternational organizations.
RecentHireinEducationAbroadtoSupportFaculty
TheOfficeofEducationAbroadwelcomedKimberlyKuhn to theirstaffastheCoordinatorofShort-TermProgramsattheendofthe2010FallSemester.Kuhn’srolewillbetoworkdirectlywithfacultywhoareinterestedintakingstudentsabroadonshort-term,faculty-ledprograms.As the interest in spring break and summer programs has risen, bystudentsandfacultyalike,thedemandforfull-time,professionalsupporthas increased.Kuhn’spositionwill fill an important role in facilitatingfacultyparticipationinstudyabroadandcreatingmoreopportunitiesfor
UNCCharlottestudentstohavean international experienceoutside of the U.S.
“I look forward to workingwith faculty members whoare interested in developingtheirownshort-termprogramsand am enthusiastic aboutthe opportunity to facilitatethis type of education abroadopportunityatUNCCharlotte,”Kuhnsaid.
Prior to coming to UNCCharlotte,KuhnworkedinstudyabroadatDukeUniversityandininternationalrecruitmentandmarketing at the University ofPennsylvania.ANorthCarolina
native,sheholdsundergraduatedegrees in InternationalStudiesandSpanishfromUNC-ChapelHillandamaster’sdegreeinhighereducationadministration from the University of Pennsylvania. Her primaryinterests are study abroad program development and management,andthepublicpurposesofstudyabroadandinternationaleducation.
InvitationforFeedbacktoInternationalPrograms The Office of International Programs (OIP)invites UNC Charlotte faculty and staff toparticipate in one of two open discussionsregarding effective methods of informationdissemination. During strategic planningdiscussions, OIP identified a need to bettercommunicateavailableservicesandprogramstothecampuscommunity.Todoso,weneedtohear from you. Stop by for light refreshments and anopportunity to weigh in on how we can bestsupport the work that you do and how toimprove communication with faculty and staffregardingavailableinternationalprogramsandservices.Aseriesofquestionswillbepresentedanddiscussionswillbefacilitatedforthesehoursessions. Any member of the UNC Charlotte facultyor staff is welcome to participate. Join us onMonday,March14at9:30AMinCHHS207oronTuesday,March15at3:30PMinCHHS207.PleaseRSVP [email protected],March11,2011.
RecognizedbytheUnitedNationsandcelebratedannuallysince1908,InternationalWomen’sDay(March8)iscelebratedindifferentwaysinmanycountriesaroundtheworld.Whenwomenonallcontinents,dividedbynationalboundariesandbyethnic, linguistic,cultural,economicand political differences, come together to celebrate International Women’s Day, they canlookbacktoatraditionthatrepresents100yearsofstruggleforequality, justice,peaceanddevelopment! At UNC Charlotte, IWD has been celebrated annually since 2006 and has attractedhundredsof students, faculty, andstaffwhomakean impacton the livesofwomen locallyand globally. The event includes historical and cultural information sharing, performancesandaspecialceremony inwhich faculty,staff,andstudentswhohavebeennominatedarerecognizedforthecontributionstheymakeinourliveseverydayandwhoembodytherichnessof internationalism.
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2011 Faculty andStudentInternationalEducationAwards.ThedeadlinefornominationsisMonday,March14th. The Faculty Award recognizes a faculty member for his/heroutstanding contributions to the enhancement of the internationaleducation experience at UNC Charlotte. Areas of excellence mayinclude: teaching, research, curriculum development, programdevelopment, grant writing, university service, and/or communityservice. To be eligible for this award, individuals must hold a full-timefacultyappointmentatUNCCharlotteandmusthaveheld thisappointmentforatleastthreeyears.Individualsmayreceivetheawardonlyonce.Deans,chairs,andfull-timeadministratorsarenoteligible. Letters of nomination may come from faculty, students, staff,alumni,ormembersofthecommunityandcanbesupplementedbyadditionalsupportiveinformation.LettersofnominationshouldbesenttoJudyAulette,InternationalEducationAwardCommittee,c/oOfficeofInternationalPrograms. The Student Award recognizes outstanding contributions andinvolvementininternationalprogramsandstudiesatUNCCharlotte.Eligibility criteria include: enrollment in a full-time degree grantingprogram at the junior level undergraduates and in the secondsemesterofstudyforgraduates;3.0GPAforundergraduatesand3.5forgraduates;significantinvolvementinacademic,serviceand/orco-curricularactivitieswithaninternationalfocus.Astudentmayreceivetheawardonlyonce. Nominations may come from any member of the Universitycommunityandmust includeanomination formanda letterstatingthestudent’squalifications for theAward.Aseconding letter fromaUniversityornon-Universityindividualisencouragedbutnotrequired.NominationformscanbeobtainedfromtheInternationalStudentandScholaroffice. ForfurtherinformationcontactMarianBeane(Director,InternationalStudentandScholarOffice)[email protected].
… the parties with our new internationalfriends.AliBoucetta,studyingabroadatUNCCharlotteHome University: University of Limoges,France
… attending a church service at WestminsterAbbey. the historic church is the destinationwedding and burial spots for England’s mostfamous and influential people. having the op-portunitytowalkintothesameAbbeyasHenryVIII, andQueenElizabeth II leavesmewithasurreal feeling. i had the best time there and its myfavoritemomentthusfar!CathyWaters,studyingabroadatKingstonUni-versity,UKHomeUniversity:UNCCharlotte
...thepicturesqueview fromcampusoverlook-ingthetownofCanterbury.AhugefieldinfrontofthelibraryprovidestheperfectvantagepointoftheCathedralatthecity’scentre.Atnightthetown is lit up and sparkleswith theCathedraljuttinguplikesomeancientcreature,itisliterallybreathtaking.TremaineTillman,studyingabroadatUniversityofKent-Canterbury,UKHomeUniversity:UNCCharlotte
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MuChapterofPhiBetaDeltaInductsNewMembers
DuringInternationalEducationWeek2010,theMuChapterofPhiBetaDelta(PBD),anHonorSocietyforInternationalScholars, inductedover fifty newmembers fromUNCCharlotte. Faculty and students representing each collegewere
recognized in a ceremony followed by a briefreception.FacultyinducteesincludedClaudiaAvellaneda(Political Science); Maren Coffman (Nursing);JoyceDalsheim(Global,InternationalandAreaStudies); Debarati Dutta (English);Ahmed El-Ghannam (Mechanical Engineering); DennisLong (Social Work); Na Lu (EngineeringTechnology); and, Elena Platonova (PublicHealthSciences).Inaddition,eachyearPBDconfershonorarymembership to one community organizationor individual who actively contributes to theinternational experience in Charlotte. Thisyear, the Carolina Refugee ResettlementAgency, Inc.was recognized for their growingandsupportive involvementwith theCharlotterefugeepopulation.The keynoteaddresswas
DanielGonzalez,aLatinAmericanStudiesmajor,willbetravelingtoBrazilonaBenjaminA.GilmanScholarship for $5,000. The Gilman Scholarshipwas established under the InternationalAcademicOpportunityAct of 2000 to support undergraduatestudy abroad. Scholarships are awarded todeservingstudentsattwo-yearorfour-yearcollegesor universitieswhoare currently receiving fundingthroughtheFederalPellGrantprogram. While attending UNC Charlotte as a full-timeundergraduate student and working sixty hours aweek,Gonzalezconsideredthefinancialpossibilitiesofstudyingabroadtobedaunting.Heapplied,andhis 4.0 GPA and clear academic goals made afavorableimpressionontheselectioncommittee. Originally from Costa Rica, Gonzalez is fluentin Spanish and will be studying in Brazil to learnPortuguese.AsheappliesforgraduateschoolintheLatinAmericanstudiesprogramatUNCCharlotte,he is optimistic that a comprehensive languagebackground in Spanish, English and Portuguesewill make him well situated to better understandthecomplexityofcultureandhistoryofthewesternhemisphere. According toGonzalez, “Iwasvery lucky tobechosenasarecipient,andasaresultIamcurrentlyembarkedona learningopportunity thatwillproveinvaluable.”
StudentsStudyShakespeareinEngland
Twelve students will participate in this spring’s ShakespeareinEngland program, offered by theOffice of EducationAbroadinconjunctionwiththeShakespeareinActionCenter.Followingthreeweeksofon-campusstudywithAndrewHartley(DanceandTheatre), students will complement their on-campus course byspendingninedaysoverspringbreakinLondonandStratford-upon-Avon, exploring the places that shapedWilliam Shakespeare’spersonalandprofessionallife. Studentswillkeepanonline journalanduploadphotoswhileontheprogram.Thejournalwillbeavailableatwww.cepa-europe.com/journal.htmlforfacultyandstafftofollowtheirexperiencesintheUnitedKingdom.
InternationalStudentScholarshipsAnnounced
Beginning in the Spring 2011 semester, the InternationalStudent/ScholarOfficewillaward twoscholarshipseachyear inrecognitionofthecontributionsthatinternationalstudentsmaketotheUNCCharlottecampuscommunity. The Morrow Scholarship Program is named after a formerUNCCharlotteemployeewhosekindnessmadean impactonaformer international student. It is intended foraUNCCharlotteinternationalundergraduatestudent.TheInternationalGraduateStudent Scholarship Program is intended for a UNC Charlotteinternationalgraduatestudent.Eachawardis$1,000. Selectionwillbebasedonacademicperformance,contributionsto the campus community, a personal statement and letters ofreference. Studentswho havemet the academic qualificationshavebeennotifiedandinvitedtosubmittheirapplications.
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AustralianStudentsCometoUNCCharlotte
SeventeenstudentsfromuniversitiesacrossAustraliaparticipatedinathree-weekprogram,“TeacherEducationandPracticeProgram,”hostedbyUNCCharlotte’s InterculturalOutreachPrograms.Thestudents were pre-service teachers completing their Bachelor’sdegreeinEducation. TheprogramprovidedthestudentswithinsightintoboththeoreticalandpracticalaspectsoftheU.S.educationsystemwiththeprimarygoalsofdevelopingtheirawarenessandskillsrelatedtotheissues,terminology, teaching methods and techniques employed in theU.S. education system. The program offered academic classeswithUNCCharlotte’sCollegeofEducationfacultyontopicsrangingfrom urban education to classroom assessment. These classesalso highlighted current educational issues, innovative teachingmethodsandnewinstructionaltechnologies. Inaddition to theacademic lectures,visits toavarietyof localschools provided a comprehensive overview of the academiclandscape inCharlotte,NorthCarolina.Thegroupvisitedawiderange of schools including public elementary and high schools,private, charter and magnet schools throughout the Charlotte-Mecklenburgarea.
“The school visits and university classes have all been veryinterestingandinformative,”remarkedonestudent.“IknowthatIhave learnedsomuch that Iwill be takingback toAustraliaandincorporatingintomyteachingandclassrooms.” Participantsalsospentthefinalweekoftheprogramasinternsinamentorteacher’sclassroomatCarolinaInternationalSchool,alocalpubliccharterschool,observingandparticipatinginallfacetsoftheprofessionalresponsibilitiesofateacher.Astheculminationoftheprogram,thestudentstaughtalessononAustralianculturetostudentsinthementorteacher’sclassroom. In addition to the academic component of the program, thestudentsalsohadopportunitiesthroughouttheprogramtointeractwiththecampuscommunitythroughvariousculturalandrecreationalactivities.TheprogramranJanuary16-February5,2011. ThisprogramwasdirectedbySusanLambertandcoordinatedbyMaureenWhiteandJessicaWilkinsonintheOfficeofInternationalPrograms at UNC Charlotte.
AmbassadorsSpeak
On Thursday, January 20, UNC Charlottehad the unique opportunity to hear from twoAmbassadors to the United States. Hosted bythe Allegro Foundation, a non-profit dedicatedto serving childrenwith disabilities,AmbassadorGillesNoghès ofMonaco andAmbassador LuisGallegosofEcuadorgavebriefglimpsesintothepolitical, social and economic aspects of theirrespectivecountriesandreceivedquestionsfromtheaudienceofoversixtyfacultyandstudents. Ambassador Noghès went beyond the glitzy
stereotypes ofMonacotodiscussthe realities of living in thesecond smalleststate in theworld,their governmentand many of the concernsof the country.He answeredquestions relating to Monaco’sinvolvementinnon-military functionsof NATO, theiraid commitments
to post-earthquake reconstruction in Haitiand Pakistan and their tax policies on foreignbusiness. AmbassadorG a l l e g o sgave a directand forthright p r e s e n t a t i o non the inter-relatedness of the United States and Ecuadoron matters of the drug trade and agricultureand challengedAmericans to bemorediscerningintheirconsumptionof media i n f o r m a t i o n . Questions directed to Ambassador Gallegosreflectedthesetopicsandcommentsappreciatedhiscandorthroughouthispresentation. Theeventwasco-sponsoredby theOfficeofInternational Programs and the Department ofGlobal, International and Area Studies (GIAS).HarryChernotsky(GIAS)facilitatedthehour-longprogram.
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Upcoming Events
Monday, March 14FacultydropinsessionforOIPQEPfocusgroupCHHS207,9:30-10:30am
Tuesday, March 15FacultydropinsessionforOIPQEPfocusgroupCHHS207,3:30-4:30PM
Wednesday, March 16GlobalPerspectivesLuncheonPresentationAhmedEl-Ghannam,DepartmentofMechanicalEngineering,“TissueEngineering:TheSecretisintheDesertSandCHHS207,12:30-1:30PM
Thursday, March 17AfricanStudiesAcademypresentsDavidMwambari,RwandanGenocidesurvivorandSanejoco-founderon“TheRoleofAfricanYouthinPost-ConflictReconstruction”Barnard244,3:30-5:00PM
Thursday, March 17InternationalCoffeeHourProspectorCafeteria,4:00-6:00am
Thursday, March 24InternationalWomens’DayStudentUnionMultipurposeRoom,3:30-5:00PM
Wednesday, April 6StudyAbroadFairBetweenCollegeofEducation&CollegeofHealth&HumanServicesBuildings,9:00am-3:00PM
Wednesday, April 6AfricanStudiesAcademypresentsGuyMartin,ProfessorofPoliticalScience,Winston-SalemStateUniversityon“ThePost-ElectoralCrisisinCoted’Ivoire:ACrisisofLegitimacy”Barnard244,3:30-5:00PM
Thursday, April 7InternationalCoffeeHourProspectorCafeteria,4:00-6:00am
Tuesday, April 12YoungProfessionalsInternationalCareerPanelLocationTBA,3:30-4:45PM
Wednesday, April 132011InternationalEducationAwardsReceptionTBA,3:30-5:00PM
Thursday, April 21InternationalCoffeeHourProspectorCafeteria,4:00-6:00am
Thursday, April 28AfricanStudiesAcademypresentsNathanPlageman,AssistantProfessorofHistory,WakeForestUniversityon“TheFrictionontheDanceFloor:ContestingPopularMusicandPowerinPost-WarAccra,1945-1960”Barnard244,3:30-5:00PM
Monday, May 2 - Saturday, May 14EducationAbroadPhotoExhibitDisplayStudentUnionArtGallery
Tuesday, May 3EducationAbroadPhotoExhibitOpening
DesperationandHope:StudentSpendsMonthinHaitiByAddisonHodgeOriginallypublishedintheWinter2011issueofExchange, the magazineoftheCollegeofLiberalArts&Sciences
I spent thispast July livingandworking inPort-au-Prince,Haiti.MydaysinHaiticanbedividedinto“beforeandafter”my fellow UNC Charlotte Model United Nations teammates’arrival.FreshoffawinningseasoninModelUNinternationalcompetitions,wedecidedwewanted toput theprinciplesofourclubintoaction:weembarkedonamissiontriptoHaiti. OnmyseconddayinHaiti,IvisitedforthefirsttimetheGoodSamaritanOrphanage,wheretheteamandIwouldbeworking.Theorphanageislocatedoffadust-filled,bumpyroadinPort-au-Prince,and,asofJuly2010, itwashome to93children.Thesceneattheorphanagewasoneofgreatneed.Thefourcaretakersworkedaroundtheclockwashingclothes,cookingortendingtoachild’sneed.Mostofthechildrenhadworms;some also had malaria, anemia or a host of other diseases. Afterthatfirstvisit,IspokewiththeteambackinCharlotte,anditwasdifficulttodescribethesituation. OnmyfifteenthdayinHaiti,theteamarrived.Wehadtwoprimaryobjectives:aphysicalinfrastructureprojectandasocialinfrastructureproject.Thephysicalprojectfocusedonbuildingaraisedlatrinesystemalongwiththreeprivateshowerssincetheiroldsystemwaswithintenfeetoftheirwatersourceandthreatened contamination. Our social project consisted ofteachingdifferent skills to thechildreneveryday¬¬—basichygiene,artsandcrafts,andEnglish languageclasses. WesawthatthehygieneandEnglishclasseswereagreatsuccessasthechildrenstartedtowashtheirhandsbeforemealsandconstantlywantedtospeakandlearnEnglish.Weaccomplishedmuch,butthereisstillsomuchtobedone. Theteams’fourthdaywasthemostdifficult.Asix-month-oldgirl,whohadbeensufferingfrommalaria,died.Thatmoment,morethananyotherinHaiti,showedustherealitythatengulfsthecountry.Whenaninfantdiesfrompreventableandeasilycurablecauses,thereissomethingfundamentallywrong.Wewere frustrated thatwe could not do anything. Forme, thedeathofthechildpersonalizedtheword“indifference.”Perhapsthesaddestpartwasthattheinfantgirlwasinadeadlockedadoptionprocess.ASpanishcouplehadbeeninHaitiwaitingtoadopther,butbecauseshedidnothaveabirthcertificate,the Haitian government would not approve the adoption.Technically,onpaper,shedidnotexist. Asthetripcametoaclose,IreflectedonhowIhadimaginedthe trip before I had arrived. Everything I had read aboutHaitiinpreparationforthetripwasnegative.Whatthemediaoften left out is that the people are amazingly strongwilled,eager to learn,andhaveanoverall constantdrive inpursuitofthebettermentofthemselvesandsociety.Asmuchgloom,destructionandextremepoverty that exists inHaiti, there isalso a sense of hope that permeates throughout. Evenwithall thedestitution at theorphanage, the children still smiled,playedandwereexcitedtoseeanewface.
SoongsilUniversityStudentsCometoUNC Charlotte Intercultural Outreach Programs welcomed eightundergraduate students from Soongsil University inSouthKoreatoparticipateintheEnglishLanguageandAmericanCultureInstitute,January30toFebruary23,2011. TheEnglishLanguageandAmericanCultureInstituteincludes English language classes with a focus onAmerican culture and history, English communicationskillsandpronunciation,TOEFLandTOEICpreparation,andteamworkskills.
ThestudentsalsovisitedavarietyofmuseumsandorganizationsinCharlotteandutilizedtheskillslearnedintheirEnglishclass,gainedabetterunderstandingofthedifferentaspectsofAmericancultureandinteractedwithAmericans.ThegroupvisitedsomeofCharlotte’smostpopularattractionssuchastheLevineMuseumoftheNewSouth,theMintMuseumofArt,theCharlotteMotorSpeedway,andDiscoveryPlace. In addition to the academic component of theprogram,thestudentsalsohadopportunitiestointeractwith the campus community through various culturaland recreationalactivities.Participantsspent the last threedays of the programin Washington D.C.visiting museums,monuments, and popularattractions. This programwas directed bySusan Lambertand coordinated byMaureen White andJessicaWilkinsonintheOfficeofInternationalProgramsat UNC Charlotte.
BeforeThursday,somestudentsatWoodrowWilsonElementarySchoolsaidwhattheyknewaboutAustraliawasthattherewerelotsofkangaroos,beachesandmoviesfilmedthere.Duringschoolyesterday,somelearnedthatthecountryiscurrentlyinitssummerseason,ittakesaboutadaytoflytherefromtheU.S.,andthetop10poisonoussnakesintheworldare found there, among other things. Students fromWoodrowWilsonwereable tomeetsomeof the17Australiancollegestudentswhovisited theschoolonThursday.ThestudentsfromAustraliaarrivedatUniversityofNorthCarolinaCharlotteonSunday,toparticipateintheTeacherEducationandPracticeprogramthere. Thecollegestudentsarealleducationmajors fromuniversities inAustralia,andwillbehere for thepracticeprogramuntilFeb.5.TheprogramgivestheminsightaboutAmericaneducationthroughvisitstolocalschools,coursesatUNCandaweekofinterninginclassrooms.WoodrowWilsonisoneoftheschoolsstudentsvisited. TheAustraliansspentThursdaymorningtouringtheschool,visitingclassroomsandtalkingtostudentsfromeachgradelevel.Theywereabletoobserveatypicaldayintheclassroomsandaskandanswerquestionswiththeyoungerstudents.Assomeofthemmetwiththird-graders,thecollegestudentsshowedthemwhereAustraliawasonaglobeandaskedwhattheyknewaboutthecountry. Theelementarystudentsaskedthemabouthowwarmitgetsthere,what kindsof food,animals, sports theyhave,and if theyhadeverseentheoutback. The students from Australia laughed. “It’s hot and dry (in theoutback),” said Ashleigh Knight, a student at Victoria University inAustralia. ItwasnottheoddestquestiontheAustralianstudentsreceived.Theyhadalsobeenaskedwhatlanguagetheyspoke,inadditiontothecommonones,likewhatsportsareplayedintheircountry. When thecollegestudentswere telling thechildrenabout thesports inAustralia,SarahQuinseeandCandiceCollinsdecidedtodemonstratehowthegamecricketisplayed.TheytoldthestudentsthatgamingsystemslikePlayStationandmoviesarereleasedlaterinAustraliathantheyareintheU.S.,sotheyhavetowaitforthem. TheelementarystudentsalsoaskedwhatholidaystheycelebratedinAustralia,andfoundoutthatthenewyearbeginsandiscelebrated15hoursbeforeitishere.“That’sonethingwegetbeforeyou,”Collinssaid. ThecollegestudentsaskedtheyoungeroneswhohadheardabouttherecentfloodinginAustralia,andmanyraisedtheir
hands that they had. PrincipalDavidFleischmannsaidthevisitwasawayforhisstudentstolearnwhatlifeislikeinAustralia.“It’sagreatwayforourstudentsto experience another culture,” Fleischmann said. “It broadens ourstudents’knowledge.”Thecollegestudentswerealsoabletobroadentheirownknowledgeandlearnwhateducationis likeintheU.S.“It’sveryorganizedandstructured,”saidRebeccaSingleton,astudentatGriffithUniversityinAustralia.“Studentsknowwhatthey’redoing.” GriffithUniversitystudentKerrieMoorenoticedthat learningheretook placemore often indoors,whileCollins said that, inAustralia,students do not eat in cafeterias and bring their lunches instead.SheandtheothercollegestudentswereexcitedtoseethecafeteriaatWoodrowWilson. “It’s so typicallyAmerican, like in themovies,”Singletonsaid.“Yougetthemilkandthetray.”“Wedon’thavethatsortofthing,”Collinssaid.
Four students, two in-ternational students study-ing at UNC Charlotte and two UNC Charlotte stu-dents studying abroad, wereaskedtosharesomequickreflectionsonthefirstfew weeks on their hostcampuses.Participants in-cluded the following: Tre-maine Tillman is a UNCCharlotte student studying at the University of Kent-Canterbury in the United Kingdom;CathyWaters isa UNC Charlotte student studying at Kingston Uni-versity in theUnitedKing-dom;AliBoucettaisastu-dentfromtheUniversityofLimoges inFrancewho isstudyingatUNCCharlotte:Adam Watts is a studentfromKingstonUniversityintheUnitedKingdomwhoisstudying at UNC Charlotte. Weather is often thesource of immediate dis-tinction between homeand host campuses. TheUNC Charlotte students had similar responses buthadnot letweathercondi-tions dampen their spirits.AccordingtoTillman,“Theweather here is cold andwet with little sun…I’manxiously looking forwardto summer.” Waters con-firmedwith“…chillybutnotrainy.”Ironically,Wattsan-
sweredaquestionregardinghis favorite moment so faras “playingAmerican Foot-ball in the snow” and thenfollowedupwithhissynop-sisontheweather inChar-lotteas“somuchbetterthanbackhome!”Whethersnowin Charlotte trumps chillyandwet inLondonremainsto be conclusively polled,but Boucetta summed uphisperspectiveonCharlotteweather with a balancedassessment: “The weatherhereisalmostlikeinIreland.Youneverknowifitisgoingtobewarmorcold.” Weather, good or bad,has not restrained any of thestudentsinexploringthelocalareaandenjoying thevariousopportunitiesofferedon their campuses. Bouc-etta has quicklymade newinternationalfriends,Watersranked attending a churchservice atWestminsterAb-beyasherfavoritemomentandTillmanexperienceshis“favorite moment” repeat-edly as he reflects on “thepicturesqueviewfromcam-pusoverlookingthetownofCanterbury.A huge field infront of the library providestheperfectvantagepointofthe Cathedral at the city’scentre. At night, the townis lit up and sparkles withtheCathedraljuttinguplike
someancientcreature,itisliterallybreathtaking.” Snapshots of culturalappreciation pair well withculinaryexploration.Quickreflections on “most fa-vorite” and “least favorite”foodsreflectedsomecom-monanswersandacouplesurprises. Junk food andcheeseburgers (“I eatwaytoo many,” according toWatts) were on the list of“least favorite foods” atUNC Charlotte, while lo-calproduce(Boucetta)andAppleandCinnamonChee-rios (Watts) made the listof “most favorites.” In theUnitedKingdomfreshoys-ters (Tillman) “pried openby the fisherman himself”weretastyandmemorable,while Waters preferredclassicfishandchipswhileranking roast pork as aleastfavoritedish. In the end, the aim ofinternational exchange isnottoseeniceplacesandexploredifferentfoods,butit is to learn and broaden one’s mind. Even in justa few weeks of classesand intercultural connec-tions,thestudentsreportedstimulating academic en-vironments and welcom-ingopennessat their hostinstitutions. Boucetta de-scribedhisclassesas“En-
joyable–lotsofinteractionbetween professor andstudents”; Tillman, acrossthe Atlantic Ocean, ap-preciated a different ap-proach to learning, “Theemphasis on independentstudymakesmesomuchmore curious and able tolearn…outside of class Ihave found myself delv-ing deeper into subjectsthanIwouldprobablyeverventure in a classroom.”When asked to reflect onwhat surprised them themost, Waters enthusiasti-cally referred to the Brit-ishpeople:“WhenIaminclasswiththemtheycomeoverandaskmehowIamdoingandtheyinvitemetohangwiththemafterclass.Theyarejustsuchwonder-ful kind-hearted people!”WattslikewiseappreciatedhisAmericanhostsas themostsurprisingpartofhisvisit: “How nice everyoneis! Americans are sup-posedtobeannoying!” Glimpsingintocompar-ativeexperiencesenrichesour understanding of the value of international ex-change.Certainly,studentswill comment most freelyon the immediate and no-ticeableaspectsofcultureduring their initial weeks,but experience suggeststhat the end resultwill bechallenged minds and abroader appreciation oflife’s global context. AsTillman concluded his re-marks on what surprisedhimthemost,henoted:“Ithink all of this is telling of something really new anddifferent that is the upris-ingofaspecialgeneration.A generation where trivialthings such as race, gen-derandsexualpreferenceare dismissed and the real issuesthatshapeourlivesarerealized.”
GreatDecisionsLectureSeriesConcludes
TheGreatDecisionsLectureSeries2011,coordinatedthroughtheOfficeofInternationalProgramsand in collaborationwith theWorldAffairsCouncil ofCharlotte, concludedonTuesday,February22.SixguestlecturerswereinvitedfromUNCCharlotteandotherlocalareacollegesanduniversitiestopresentontopicsofforeignpolicysignificanceatCharlotteCountryDaySchoolforsixeveningsinJanuaryandFebruary. OriginallyslatedtobeginonTuesday,January11,inclementweatherforcedareschedulingand the later end date. Speakers included Elkhan Mehdiyev (Fulbright Scholar, DukeUniversity)on“CrisisintheCaucasus”;KennethMenkhaus(DavidsonCollege)onthe“HornofAfrica”;JimWalsh(UNCCharlotte)on“GlobalGovernance”;ChrisVanAller(WinthropUniversity)on“SanctionsandProliferation:NorthKoreaandIran”;RichardButtimer(UNCCharlotte)on“RespondingtotheFinancialCrisis”;and,ScottDenham(DavidsonCollege)on“GermanyAscendant.” ThelectureseriesisbasedoninformationandmaterialsprovidedbytheForeignPolicyAssociation.
