ACCENT International the George R

SPRING 2010 EDITION ACCENT International The George R. Muirhead Center for International Education

CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY WWW.CCSU.EDU/CIE

Inside this issue: Partner University in UK Impressed by Visiting CCSU Journalism Students *CIBER Conference 2 *IELP Student Journalist Sometimes short-term courses abroad can have a long-term impact on CCSU’s reputation with its partner universities. Recently, the following article appeared in the April 2010 issue of e-clips, the staff newspaper of one of CCSU’s partners in the UK, the University of Hertfordshire: *Kyung Hee Program 3 *Gilman Scholarship Taking International Journalism to New Levels

*Images from Courses 4 “The University was recently visited by a group Abroad 2010 of journalism students from Central Connecti- *International Festival 5 cut State University (CCSU), USA. These high flying students visited their University counter- * Visiting Scholar parts on the de Havilland campus for a conference on the challenges facing journalists and *Voices for Peace 6 journalism students on both sides of the Atlan- *Where Have You Been? tic. The event was organised by CCSU Profes- *Meet the Staff sor Vivian Martin and University Senior Lec- turer in Journalism, Sharon Maxwell Magnus. *Conversation Partners 7 Presentations included the differences between *Fulbright Competition UK and US defamation law, women's maga- zines and the treatment of a variety international stories. University students were also *Contact Information 8 fascinated to learn that US student newspapers pay their staff a salary! For their part, the US students were impressed by the layout of British newspapers and horrified by the stringency of UK libel law. Both sets of students felt the meeting had not only increased their awareness of international issues in journalism but increased their interest in taking a year abroad.”

Study Abroad Participant Wins URCAD Award

History major Laura Elliott, was chosen as the recipient of the URCAD Senior Prize in Arts and Humanities in Fall 2009. Laura’s research project was a paper titled “City Walls as Political Canvas: Loyalist and Republican Murals in Derry,” which was completed for History 498: Historical Field Studies Abroad: Place, Politics, and Memory in Irish History, in spring 2009. The paper involved research that was inspired by the murals Laura visited in the city of Derry, while on the Course Abroad program led by CCSU Professor of History Louise Williams. ACCENT International SPRING 2010 EDITION

CCSU and UCONN Collaborate on April CIBER Conference

The CCSU School of Business and CCSU’s campus on Friday, April tionalizing the curriculum. Mr. CCSU Marketing Professor Jean Center for International Education 9. Angelo J. Tomasso, a member Lefebvre and Professor of Fi- collaborated with the University of the Board of Trustees for Funded by the U.S. Department nance Donna Sims. The confer- of Connecticut’s Center for Inter- Connecticut State University of Education and the UCONN ence was free of charge and national Business Education and System since 2004, and Vice CIBER, conference participants open to CCSU business faculty Research (CIBER) to present a President and Chief Financial met to collectively identify cur- as well as all other interested one-day academic conference for Officer of Otis Elevator, a divi- rent obstacles to globalizing individuals. business faculty and deans from sion of United Technologies business education on their throughout the Northeast region. Corporation, presented the The conference, Globalizing Busi- campus, and designed strate- keynote address. Conference ness Education, was held on gies for successfully interna- sessions were facilitated by

Star Vietnamese Journalist Studying in Intensive English Language Program Approaching the summit of Mount IELP student Nam Hoai Nguyen is a talented, award-winning multimedia journalist from Vietnam. Nam has distinguished herself as a print and online newspaper reporter and Kilimanjaro editor, magazine writer, TV anchor and host, and blogger. Among Nam’s many accom- plishments, one item of particular note is that she hosted a program called "The Journey from Vietnam to Mount Everest." In the process of working on that project, she became the first woman from Vietnam to summit Kilimanjaro, and spent several months writing, editing, and hosting a weekly reality show from Everest Base Camp, all the while con- tinuing to write her weekly newspaper column.

When asked about how she found the physical strength and endurance to literally climb mountains for her work, Nam said, “If you want to summit the mountain, you have to summit by your spirit, by your mind...I am a tiny person, but my spirit is big.”

While improving her English language skills in the Intensive English Language Program, Nam continues to share her expertise as a journalist here in the U.S. She is currently serving as a member of the Culture Committee for the Institute for Vietnamese Culture and Education (IVCE) in New York City, and she has also been invited to be a guest speaker in the Vietnamese Language Program at Yale University. Nam plans to pursue a Master’s degree in Journalism at Quinnipiac University in Spring 2011.

Nam becomes the first Vietnamese Nam writing in her tent “office” at woman to summit Kilimanjaro Everest Base Camp

PAGE 2 Nam (right center) with finalists on the Vietnamese Everest Team ACCENT International SPRING 2010 EDITION

Kyung Hee University Offers New Sustainability Program

Kyung Hee University -- CCSU’s partner university in Seoul, South Korea – has added a new summer program – Sustainable Development towards a Green Planet -- to its highly successful and internationally-acclaimed Global Collaborative Summer Program, offered in conjunction with the University of Pennsylvania. CCSU students may now choose to participate in either the new program, or the long-standing Global Governance and East Asian Civilization program, which has been rising in popularity among CCSU students in recent years.

The new program, Sustainable Development towards a Green Planet , provides increased opportunities for CCSU students to study such topics as: climate and environmental change; the international political economy of sustainability; energy systems engineering; renewable and green energy sources; water quality; and the future and challenge of nuclear energy. This program is particularly suitable for geography, engineering, and political science majors, though students of any major may apply.

The older program, Global Governance and East Asian Civilization, offers students two tracks of courses to choose from: Track I: United Nations and International Non-Governmental Organizations, and Track II: Global Governance and East Asian Civilization.

Both programs are one-month long, and students can earn up to six credit hours. Program faculty are drawn from prestigious universities in Asia and the United States, including Peking University, Ritsumeikan University, Moscow State University, and the University of Pennsyl- vania.

Each summer, Central Connecticut State University students are invited to apply, and financial support is available through the Center for International Education. For more information about both of these programs, visit the CIE’s website at www.ccsu.edu/coursesabroad and click on summer 2010.

CCSU Student Receives Gilman Scholarship

We are pleased to announce that Ms. Jenna Aubertin, a junior Accounting major at CCSU, has received the highly competitive Gilman scholarship to support her studies abroad at the University of Hertfordshire in England this semester.

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program offers grants for U.S. citizen undergraduate students to pursue academic studies abroad. The Gilman Scholarship Program aims to support students who have been traditionally under-represented in study abroad, including but not limited to, students with high financial need, community college students, students in under-represented fields such as the sciences and engineering, students with diverse ethnic backgrounds, and students with disabilities. The program seeks to assist students from a diverse range of public and private institutions from all 50 states, Washington, DC and Puerto Rico. To be eligible, students must be a U.S. Citizen studying at a 2 to 4 year college or university and receiving federal Pell Grant funding. Award recipients are chosen by a competitive selection process and must use the award to defray eligible study abroad costs. For more information on the Gilman program, visit http://www.iie.org/en/Programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program.

Images from Winter 2010 Course Abroad, United Arab Emirates

PAGE 3 ACCENT International SPRING 2010 EDITION

Images from Spring 2010 Course Abroad, Rome

Images from Spring 2010 Course Abroad, Ireland

Images from Winter 2010 London Passport Program

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CCSU’s 2010 International Festival Big Success

CCSU’s 2010 International Festival was held on Sunday, April 11th from 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. in the Alumni Hall of the Student Center. This year, the Festival theme was Engaging Global Communities. Appropriate to that theme, the Festival featured over 20 exhibit booths, food samples, and performances presented by CCSU international students, local community organizations, and campus clubs and organizations. The Festival, co- sponsored by the CCSU Center for International Education and Interna- tional Relations Club, was open to the public and free of charge.

English Department Welcomes Visiting Scholar Earlier this semester, the School of Arts and Sciences, the English Department, and the Center for International Education welcomed Dr. Nicholas O. Pagan, Professor of English Literature and Humanities at Eastern Mediterranean University, to CCSU as a Visiting Scholar for the spring 2010 semester.

Dr. Pagan specializes in American literature and in literary theory and criticism. He has taught courses in contemporary American literature in relation to modernity, spirit, and technology; moral philosophy; and globalization and cosmopolitanism; and comparative literature: twentieth century and contemporary American and Arabic drama.

At CCSU he is currently teaching a sophomore level course in American literature and ethnicity and a senior world literature course that focuses on Middle Eastern literature in translation. He is also working on a book-length manu- script, Literary Minds and Memes, which he intends to submit to a university press this summer. He presented a talk on the topic on May 2.

Dr. Pagan has been delighted by the warm welcome that he has received at CCSU, especially by Professor Gil Gigliotti and other colleagues in the English department, and he would be happy to repeat the exchange at some point in the future.

Dr. Pagan may be reached at 832-1720 or by e-mail to [email protected].

PAGE 5 ACCENT International SPRING 2010 EDITION

CCSU Students Participate in Voices for Peace Assembly at Local Middle School

An event organized by CCSU’s Peer Mediators and the International Relations Club, the Voices for Peace Assembly at Smith Middle School in Glastonbury, was a great success. CCSU students addressed a crowd of 7th and 8th graders on April 14. One CCSU participant, Hamed Yusuf, shared a letter reflecting on the value of this community engagement experience:

It’s quite elating to have had the pleasure of addressing a young and vibrant group of minds like those at the Glastonbury middle school we visited today. I think something like this should be undertaken more often because the few words and photographs that were spoken and displayed may just be that definitive advice that would positively in- fluence the decisions of these kids at some point in their lives.

Affording both the kids and ourselves exposure to the diverse cultures of the inhabitants of this one planet we all call home is very vital to the perception and appreciation we will have for ourselves and those that seem quite “different” from us. Enabling us understand our uniqueness whilst celebrating our similarities and all the other fun stuff we share as one people, inevitably promoting peace across the globe: one kid/young mind at a time.

I will be happy to participate in such a presentation again. In addition, I will encourage looking in this direction of engaging young minds as a public service and gift to humanity by educating these minds about the peoples of the world.

The wall of International Peace - Arbat Quarter – From Nigeria with love, I leave a message of Peace. Moscow. Hamed Yusuf (Online image) http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=peace&w=all#page=2 Proudly Nigerian M.S. Technology Management Class of 2010

Where have you been?

The Center for International Education is seeking photos and stories about the international travels of faculty and staff. If you’ve recently been abroad and would like to share some of your photos and/or travel stories with us, send an e-mail to Erin Beecher at [email protected]. With your permission, your photos may be published in our newsletter or other publications or on our website.

Meet the Staff: Lisa Marie Bigelow

A member of the CIE staff since Department of Labor regarding 1995, Ms. Bigelow’s responsibili- employment-based immigration ties as Associate Director include issues, she co-edits the CIE’s providing administrative support newsletter ACCENT International, (program design and develop- and assists the CIE Director, as ment, contract administration, requested, with budgeting, re- policy and processes) to the porting, new initiatives, and spe- University’s growing array of cial projects. study abroad programs, includ- Ms. Bigelow has a B.S. degree in Lisa Marie Bigelow, Associate Director, ing short-term faculty led International Business and an Center for International Education Course Abroad programs and International MBA, is a member full-semester/year-long study of NAFSA: Association of Interna- abroad programs. PAGE 6 tional Educators, and is the Cam- Ms. Bigelow is the University’s pus Coordinator for (and an liaison to USCIS and the U.S. alumna of) the Fulbright Program. ACCENT International SPRING 2010 EDITION

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR IELP CONVERSATION PARTNERS PROGRAM

Would you like to help your students have an international experience at CCSU without leav- ing the campus? If so, then you might consider encouraging them to volunteer to become a Conversation Partner for the Intensive English Language Program (IELP). Being a Conversation Partner offers American students an opportunity to share their ideas and interests with a peer from another part of the world. CCSU faculty and staff members and their families are also welcome to volunteer. The IELP staff pairs volunteers with IELP students who are interested in improving their English conversation skills, and learning more about life in the United States. Volunteers and partners usually meet for just one hour per week, but the connections they make can be long-lasting. Working with IELP can be an easy way to add an international dimension to your class; you might choose to offer extra credit to students who volunteer, or you can take the relation- ship a step further by partnering with an IELP class for a shared group activity. For more information, please contact: Christie Ward * [email protected] Carmetta Williams * [email protected] Application forms are also available on the IELP Home Page.

Fulbright U.S. Student Program Competition Opens International Study or Research Grants and English Teaching Assistantships Now Available

New York, NY (May 1, 2010) – The Institute of International Education (IIE), in cooperation with the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, is pleased to announce the launch of the 2011-2012 Fulbright U.S. Student Program competition.

For more than 60 years, the federal government-sponsored Fulbright U.S. Student Program has provided future American leaders with an unparalleled opportunity to study, conduct research, and teach in other countries. Fulbright grants aim to increase mutual understanding among nations through educational and cultural exchange while serving as a catalyst for long-term leadership development.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards over 1,500 grants annually and currently operates in more than 140 countries worldwide. Fulbright English Teaching Assistantships are now available to over 50 countries. Fulbright grants provide funding for round-trip travel, maintenance for one academic year, health and accident coverage, and may also provide full or partial tuition.

Applicants to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program must be U.S. citizens at the time of application and hold a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent by the beginning of the grant. In the creative and performing arts, four years of professional training and/or experience meets this basic eligibility requirement. Professional applicants lacking a degree but with an extensive professional study and/or experience in the field in which they wish to pursue a project may also be considered. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program does not require applicants to be currently enrolled in a college or university. Applications from young professionals interested in an international experience are also encouraged.

For more information, interested individuals should visit the Fulbright U.S. Student Program website at www.us.fulbrightonline.org. Students currently enrolled at CCSU should contact their campus Fulbright Program Advisor Lisa Marie Bigelow for more information. Ap- plications must be submitted electronically to [email protected] by the campus closing date of September 24, 2010. For the national deadline, applications must be submitted electronically by October 18, 2010.

PAGE 7 CIE FULL-TIME STAFF CONTACT INFO AND RESPONSIBILITIES Dr. Nancy Birch-Wagner, Director (832-2050 / [email protected])

 University internationalization initiatives, overall Center plan- ning, management, budget, staffing, and reporting Ms. Lisa Marie Bigelow, Associate Director CENTRAL CONNECTICUT (832-2042 / [email protected]) STATE UNIVERSITY Course Abroad Program administration, bilateral partnership WWW.CCSU.EDU/CIE  negotiations and renewals, CCSU employment-based immigra- Center for International Education tion, Special Initiatives, and CIE webmaster Henry Barnard Hall, Room 123 1615 Stanley Street Ms. Christie L. Ward, Associate Director, CIE and Coordinator, New Britain, CT 06050 USA IELP (832-2703 / [email protected])

Phone: 860-832-2040  Curriculum design, instructor hiring and supervision, student Fax: 860-832-2047 testing and placement, marketing and student recruitment for the Intensive English Language Program Visit us on the web! Ms. Toyin Ayeni, Coordinator, International Student and Scholar Services (832-2052 / [email protected]) www.ccsu.edu/cie  Immigration advising, programming, and orientation for F-1 and www.ccsu.edu/studyabroad J-1 international students www.ccsu.edu/coursesabroad Ms. Nancy Weissmann, International Education Coordinator (832-2217 / [email protected]) Access the full 2010 Course Abroad Catalog by clicking on the cover below or call us at (860) 832-2040 to request a copy by mail.  Marketing, recruitment, placement and administration of study abroad programs Where in the world will you go? Ms. Carol Lummis, Secretary II, CIE (832-2040 / [email protected]) 2010 COURSE ABROAD PROGRAMS Ms. Carmetta Williams, Secretary II, IELP (832-3376 / [email protected])

Comments or questions about the CIE Newsletter? Contact the co-editors: Lisa Marie Bigelow ([email protected]) Christie Ward ([email protected])

CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY Center for International Education

Center for International Education Central Connecticut State University Henry Barnard Hall, Room 123 1615 Stanley Street New Britain, CT 06050 USA