Fall 2012
Inside this issue:
From the Director
Study Abroad
2
Brazil
2
Faculty-Led
Programs
3
MDI
3
American Studies
4
Syria
5
Linkages
5
One of the key components
of successful international
education programs here at
Illinois State University is the
active participation of our
faculty members. We are
very excited to see a growing number of faculty-led
study abroad trips being offered to our students.
To further encourage these “home-grown”
study abroad experiences,
OISP is asking for proposals
for summer 2014 programs.
OISP staff members can as-
sist faculty members in planning and implementing successful
study
programs.
Please read on to find out
more about this exciting
opportunity.
I encourage everyone in the campus community to get involved with international education. It will
broaden your horizons.
Dr. Momar Ndiaye
Momar Ndiaye
Director, Office of
International Studies and
Programs
Samantha Potempa Joins OISP
American
college
students who study abroad
return to the United States
with a wider view of the
world and a greater appreciation of other cultures. OISP
Study Abroad Coordinator
Samantha Potempa is excited
about helping more Illinois
State students experience
education around the world.
Potempa
joined
OISP in September 2012,
after serving as the study
abroad coordinator at the
University of Wisconsin –
Eau Claire. Prior to working
in Eau Claire, Potempa was a
special projects coordinator
at her alma mater, the University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign,
where
she
earned a bachelor’s degree
in international studies and
Spanish and a master’s degree in Latin American studies.
“Study abroad is an
amazing life-changing experience which gives students
the ability to grow personally
and academically,” said Potempa. “I enjoy working with
students to help them make
study abroad part of their
academic career.”
When she sits down
with prospective study
abroad students to discuss
international education opportunities, Potempa is able
to bring a wealth of personal
1
Samantha Potempa
knowledge to the table. Her
academic work at the University of Illinois led her to a
number of exciting and valuable international experiences. Her studies took her to
Costa Rica and to Ecuador
and Brazil, where she also
taught English. During her
time in Ecuador, she was an
(Continued on page 4)
Page 2
Study Abroad Programs and Numbers
“ISU” is all over the world,
including in Morocco.
Check out the
latest study
abroad and
international
Study abroad programs
in Italy, Spain and England continue to be
favorites among Illinois
State University students seeking international education experiences. Those programs offer a wide
variety of options for language and culture studies
and general education classes. Those – like all study
abroad programs – also
provide students a number
of educational travel opportunities.
Illinois State will
have more than 130 students going abroad for classes in the spring 2013 semester, and close to 200
students studying overseas
next summer. The top destinations for student numbers are La Scuola Lorenzo
de’ Medici in Florence, Italy;
Universidad de Granada in
Spain; and programs in England at the University of
Leicester,
Canterbury
Christ Church University
and the University of Brighton.
OISP’s
Study
Abroad area offers a wealth
of international education
opportunities for Illinois
State students. Programs
range from short-term summer culture and history
tours to semester and yearlong programs in a wide
variety of academic subjects.
Studying in another country
has tangible academic and
cultural benefits in today’s
globalized world.
Many
students are also discovering that studying overseas
fits surprisingly well within
their college budget.
Study
Abroad’s
website provides international study program information, pre-departure instructions, travel and budgeting tips and information
for students returning to
campus after their time
abroad.
For more information,
visit
http://
illinoisstate.abroadoffice.net/
index.html
student “Open
Doors” census
figures at
iie.org
Science Without Borders
students support the
Cornbelters.
New Brazilian Initiatives
Recognizing Brazil’s
increasingly important role
on the world stage, Illinois
State University is expanding its educational ties with
that
nation.
Illinois State is
currently one of
18 U.S. colleges
and universities
taking part in
the 2012 Brazil
Initiative of the
Institute of International Education’s
(IIE)
International
Academic Partnership Program.
As a partner institution, the University is
hosting a cohort of 21 stu-
dents as part of Science
Without Borders-Brazil, a
scholarship program for
Brazilian students focusing
on the STEM disciplines of
science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The Brazilian students are
attending Illinois State for
one academic year before
completing degrees at their
home institutions.
Illinois State will
continue to host Brazilian
students beyond 2012 and
for the duration of the program. The University’s participation in the initiative is
the result of an ongoing
cooperative effort between
the Office of the Provost,
the Division of Student Af-
2
fairs, the Office of Admissions, STEM discipline departments on campus, the
Office of International Studies and Programs, and University College.
As part of a larger
effort to promote higher
education, the Brazilian government has committed to
sending 75,000 students
abroad to study at the
world’s best universities
over the next four years
through Science Without
Borders (now called Brazil
Scientific Mobility Program).
Illinois State officials have also signed memorandums of understanding
with several Brazilian uni(Continued on page 4)
Page 3
Faculty-Led Program Proposals for Summer 2014
The Office of International
Studies and Programs is
inviting faculty members to
propose new short-term
study abroad programs for
implementation in Summer
2014. Please complete and
submit the Feasibility proposal by April 1, 2013 to
the Office of International
Studies and Programs, Fell
308. The deadline has been
established so there is ample time to recruit and com-
plete program logistics.
Please keep in mind that it
typically takes two semesters to take a program from
creation to realization.
The International
Linkages Committee will
review program proposals
shortly after the April 1,
2013 deadline. The committee’s purpose in reviewing
proposals is to examine
logistics, planning, viability of
geographic area, and how
the local environment is used to enhance the learning
objectives of the
course. For a copy of
the Feasibility Proposal please visit
http://
internationalstudies.illinoisstate.edu/linkages/
If you have any questions
about the process, please
contact Samantha Potempa,
[email protected].
Students enjoy a faculty-led
program to Lima, Peru.
Management Development International Celebrates 10 Years
Celebrating
its tenth year, the
internationallyrecognized Management Development
International (MDI)
program offers training courses on various aspects of development project management to government and private
sector officials from
developing nations.
Intensive,
month-long training sessions
held in July, a customdesigned program for Haitian officials in late summer
and independent study sessions throughout the year
brought 105 participants to
campus in 2012. During the
course of a year, MDI staff
members also offer customized training sessions in other nations. An MDI training
program in Niger continues
to grow and attract participants from neighboring African nations.
MDI
programs
meet the needs of nations
working to improve the
Participants’ travel
and training costs
are paid by their
home
governments, sponsoring
organizations and
various international
development
agencies
including the United States Agency
for International
Development
(USAID),
the
World
Health
Organization (WHO) and
the World Bank.
Alberto Pena, OISP
associate director and MDI
administrator for the past
decade, retired from Illinois
State this fall. Pena, a recognized expert in the fields of
development banking and
project management, will
remain as a potential resource for teaching and
consulting in future MDI
training sessions.
OISP
Associate
Director
Abdourahmane
Thiam, continues in his
work overseeing MDI operations. Thiam and other
lives of citizens by focusing
on the effective implementation, management and evaluation of large-scale development projects, human resources management and
the financial management of
development projects. The
training sessions support
vital infrastructure work,
public health initiatives, education programs and other
development projects in
nations across the globe.
The classes are offered in
both English and French and
are taught by MDI staff
members, Illinois State faculty and visiting scholars.
3
MDI staff members work
throughout the year to
market MDI programs,
communicate with prospective participants and
investigate opportunities
to expand and enhance
training session offerings
both on-campus and overseas.
For more information about the programs offered by MDI visit
http://
internationalstudies.illinoisstate.edu/
mdi/
Page 4
Newsletter Title
Illinois State Hosts American Studies Programs
American studies
students enjoy visiting
Chicago.
Check out our new
website at
InternationalStudies
For more than 25
years, Illinois State University has partnered with Paderborn University in Germany to offer German students a unique opportunity
to experience American
culture. OISP’s American
Studies Program brings Paderborn University students
to
Bloomington-Normal
every fall for a month-long
immersion experience.
This fall, 23 German students took part in
the program which examined American history, politics and culture. The final
stretch of a presidential
campaign was an especially
eye-opening experience for
the students as they examined the candidates’ positions on pressing campaign
issues. Visits to Chicago and
St. Louis introduced the
students to the history and
sites of those two great
Midwestern cities. A visit
to the Abraham Lincoln
Museum and home in
Springfield put them in
touch with the life and legacy of one of the nation’s
greatest presidents.
Two
Paderborn
students, along with International House Coordinator
Matt Schwab, were special
guests on an afternoon radio talk show on WJBC-AM.
Schwab was interviewed
about the history of the
American Studies Program,
while the students spoke
about their experiences and
what they learned about life
in the United States.
Each spring semester, students from Hokkaido
University of Education in
Japan come to Illinois State
for a program focused on
the American education
system. The students, who
are training to be teachers,
attend classes at Illinois
State’s English Language
Institute (ELI) to enhance
their English language skills
and visit local elementary
and secondary schools,
where they observe American teaching styles and interact with American students. Visits to Chicago,
Springfield and St. Louis are
also part of the month-long
experience.
are being explored including
developing a study abroad
class on transcultural nursing, training Brazilian scholars in the use of a nursing
simulation lab and teleconferencing in the classroom.
On campus, the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures is now
offering a section of firstyear Portuguese, taught by
visiting Fulbright Scholar
Jucenir Da-Silva-Serafim.
.IllinoisState.edu
Brazil, continued
(Continued from page 2)
versities. While not formal
exchange agreements, the
memorandums lay the foundation for possible student
and faculty educational exchanges with schools in
Brazil.
A number of new
educational
opportunities
Potempa, continued
to her role as study abroad
coordinator,” said OISP
Director Momar Ndiaye. “In
recent years, we’ve seen a
marked increase in the number of students who want to
take part in international
education programs. Saman-
(Continued from page 1)
intern with the women’s
rights NGO Foro de La
Mujer.
Reggie helps promote study
abroad at a recent fair.
“Samantha brings a great
deal of knowledge, energy and professionalism
4
tha’s experience is a great
benefit to students exploring education options and
those students already studying overseas.”
Special Syrian Student Relief Project
ILLINOIS STATE
UNIVERSITY
International Studies and
Programs
308 Fell Hall
Campus Box 6120
Normal, IL 61790-61204
Phone: 309-438-5276
Fax: 309-438-3987
Email: [email protected]
www.internationalstudies.ilstu.edu
Check out our
new web site!
InternationalStudies.
IllinoisState.edu
Illinois State University is one of 33 colleges, universities and other organizations
across the globe offering academic support to Syrian students and scholars threatened by
the ongoing unrest in that nation. The consortium, led by the Institute of International Education (IIE), has committed more than $1.3 million in emergency support for Syrian students and scholars.
The IIE Syria Consortium for Higher Education in Crisis is part of a partnership
between IIE, the Syrian economic and social development organization Jusoor and the Illinois Institute of Technology. Consortium members are based in the United States, Canada,
France, Hungary, Mexico and the United Kingdom.
Consortium members have pledged to provide scholarships for Syrian students
and to serve as host campuses for professors and senior scholars. Illinois State is offering
partial tuition waivers for up to five Syrian undergraduate students who may wish to apply
to the University.
“Through our participation in this program, we continue to show our support of
Illinois State’s advancing global education efforts in the midst of emergency situations and
crisis,” said Assistant Provost Rita Bailey. “By joining other institutional partners in this initiative, we are part of a global action that will have local impact and a local action that can
have global impact. We are very happy to be able to support these students in their time of
need.”
More information on the consortium and the IIE Emergency Student Fund is available online.
Unit for International Linkages
The Unit for International Linkages (UIL) has
helped to establish and
strengthen ties between
Illinois State University and
universities in Europe, Asia,
the Middle East and South
America. A number of faculty and student exchange
programs have resulted
from UIL’s efforts.
An exchange agreement with Universidade
Federal de Viçosa in Brazil
was recently finalized and
memorandums of understanding were signed with
three other Brazilian universities: Pontifica Universidade
Catolica de Minas Gerias,
Universidade Federal do Fio
Grande do Sul and Universidade Estadual de Londrina.
Within the past year, UIL
also helped to finalize a student exchange agreement
between Illinois State and
Birzeit University in the
West Bank and renew a
long-standing
exchange
Linkages/Seminar Series
coordinators pose with a
presenter.
agreement with Hokkaido
University of Education in
Japan.
Working with faculty members across campus, UIL has also been instrumental in establishing
new
faculty-led
study
abroad programs for summer 2013. Programs include
education studies in Ireland,
Scotland and Taiwan; dance
studies in Brazil; Spanish
language and culture studies
in Costa Rica; and a human
development and family
relations study tour in
China.
5
The Unit for International Linkages also helps
to connect international
students and visiting scholars with the campus and
surrounding
community
through a variety of academic and intercultural programming. The unit’s most
publicly visible work is the
popular International Studies Seminar Series, a weekly
speakers program that offers information on global
politics, culture, arts and
education. The seminars,
co-sponsored by the Women’s and Gender Studies
Program, attract an average
of 30 to 50 students, faculty
and community members
each week.
For more information,
visit
http://
internationalstudies.illinoisstate.edu/linkages/
or contact T.Y. Wang, associate director of OISP, at
[email protected].