OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO UBUB INTERNAINTERNATIONALTIONAL UB INTERNATIONAL UBUB INTERNAINTERNAFALLTIONALTIONAL 2009 VOL. XVIII, NO. 2 CONTENTS MEETING THE NEEDS OF AN EXPANDING INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY Confucius Institute.........3 he university community is proud international students themselves. The new- King Saud University.......4 of the fact that UB attracts a comers quickly saw the value of the com- growing number of excellent stu- prehensive program available to them, dents from around the world. which is one of the most thorough and well President in Turkey..........5 TWith 4,539 students from 113 countries, respected in the country. UB has a highly internationalized student But handling larger numbers of students Atlantis Grants................6 body, and one of the highest interna- is only part of the challenge. In keeping with tional enrollments as a proportion of total the university's strategic plan to achieve South Asian Studies.......7 enrollment among U.S. public research Faculty Fund......................8 universities. However, Social Work in India........9 with this impres- sive growth have Pakistan Project............10 come a number of challenges. In fact, in the past Colombia Volcano.........11 decade, the in- ternational stu- Kofi Annan.......................13 dent population at UB has in- creased by 73 York Agreement............14 percent. How has the Univer- Architecture Alumni.....15 sity at Buffalo, and in particular Dressed in green, ISSS staff and orientation volunteers check in new international students Venice Biennale.............16 the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) office, comprehensive internationalization, UB is changed to meet the needs of this grow- increasing its efforts to integrate interna- Summer Program in Beijing, China...............17 ing population? tional students into the larger campus com- As UB’s international student popula- munity so that they have a more successful tion has grown, so have the services pro- and rewarding experience at UB, and to International Activities vided by ISSS. Ten years ago, 650 newly help prepare UB staff to address the distinc- of Faculty & Staff..........19 arrived international students partici- tive needs of this population. pated in UB’s one-week International Stu- For example, in addition to the regular Directory........................27 dent Orientation program at the start of sessions on immigration, academic proce- the fall semester. In Fall 2009, 1,145 new dures and living arrangements, the orien- students joined this program. The in- tation program incorporates new efforts to UB INTERNATIONAL creased number of students present head off problems experienced by other Visit the Office of International many logistical challenges, which are ad- students by raising new students’ awareness Education website at: dressed by ISSS staff and a small army of of common pitfalls and risks to their safety http://www.buffalo.edu/intled orientation volunteers, most of whom are and well-being, and by encouraging new- continued on page 2 OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO 2 INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY stand and more effectively respond to strategies em- continued from page 1 ployed by international students as they seek to accom- plish tasks in UB offices. comers to take advantage of the many support services “Communicating with International Students”, which on campus. is co-presented by ISSS and international students, focuses In a new initiative this year, ISSS and UB’s Counseling on tips for communicating with non-native English speak- Services have collaborated on an International Student ers and aspects of intercultural communication. ISSS’s Mentoring Program for newly arrived international stu- “Understanding International Classroom Cultures” series dents in order to reduce their isolation and ease their focuses each year on a different country or region of the adjustment to life and study in the United States. Both world with China, India, Korea and the Middle East hav- offices have encountered international students who ex- ing been featured so far. Graduate students discuss their hibited signs of loneliness and even depression and who prior educational experiences, differences in academic would benefit from emotional support and social pro- culture between the U.S. and their home country, and grams designed to encourage and assist them in getting tips for U.S. faculty. out and meeting people. Throughout the year, ISSS offers an extensive series of workshops addressing specific needs of international stu- dents, including “Crossing the Border: Rights & Responsi- bilities”, “Winter Driving”, “Living on a Shoestring: How to Live Cheaply as a Student”, “Travel USA”, “Income Tax Workshops’ and “Car Insurance 101: How to Choose It & What to Do If You Have an Accident,” and “Immigration: A Guide to Work after Graduation.” ISSS is also partnering with Alumni Relations to orga- 2 nize programming that brings together international stu- INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY INTERNATIONAL dents and alumni who are UB employees. Since 2008, Alumni Relations has hosted an annual Thanksgiving lun- cheon for international students and alumni. Alumni also meet with incoming international students during the ori- entation program to introduce them to alumni services and alert them to the importance of staying affiliated with UB after graduation. International students are made to feel more at home International students participate in an ISSS ski trip in Western New York through the many trips and activi- ties that ISSS organizes for them throughout the The International Student Mentoring Program year. Students can participate in 10-12 activities each fall matches UB professional staff and study abroad returnee and spring semester, as well as during summer break. mentors with newly arrived international students. Both Students have the opportunity to visit local sights and cul- groups undergo separate training programs designed to tural attractions. Popular activities include hikes in state raise their cultural awareness, inform them about pro- parks, guided historical walking tours of Buffalo, and win- gram guidelines and provide communication tips. ter sports such as snow tubing and cross-country "The new mentoring program is only one of the ways skiing. Through these excursions, international students that ISSS is stepping up efforts to help integrate interna- take a break from studying to make new friends from all tional students into the university community and to take over the world and enjoy new experiences together. advantage of the unique experiences and perspectives One way that international students are successfully they can share. I commend Ellen Dussourd, ISSS Director, integrated into the university is by sharing their languages, and her outstanding staff for all their efforts on behalf of cultures and experiences through campus programming. our students," said Stephen C. Dunnett, Vice Provost for Since 2001, ISSS has organized UB’s International Edu- International Education. cation Week (IEW), a joint initiative of the U.S. Depart- In another successful initiative, ISSS conducts cross-cul- ments of State and Education, at UB. IEW provides an op- tural workshops for UB staff in order to help make the portunity for international students through their clubs campus environment more welcoming for international and organizations to share their cultures with the broader students and improve the interactions between UB em- community. IEW is one vehicle for bringing international ployees and international students. For example, “Re- and domestic students together and to foster interest sponding to the Needs of International Students: Tips for among American students in other countries and cultures. Staff Members” helps frontline UB staff identify, under- One aim of IEW is to provide cultural context and in- continued on page 8 OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO UB TO LAUNCH CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE 3 By Bruce Acker darin Chinese or learn more about China. Plans include: ♦ Providing expert teachers from Capital Normal Uni- uilding on three decades of pioneering collabora- versity to local school districts to help them establish or tion with educational institutions in China, the Uni- expand Chinese language programs; Bversity at Buffalo was recently given the go-ahead to ♦ Offering Chinese language classes to the entire com- establish a Confucius Institute at UB. munity, including business Chinese and cultural orienta- Part of a network of more than tion for travelers, trade delegations, 250 Confucius Institutes worldwide, and other groups; the Confucius Institute at UB is be- ♦ Organizing study tours and stu- ing created to promote the study of dent exchange with China; Chinese language and culture ♦ Presenting Chinese language and throughout Western New York. culture camps at UB and at local A formal ceremony to launch the schools and nonprofit organizations; Institute will take place on April 9, ♦ Building up UB library holdings on 2010 on the North Campus. Digni- China, including valuable research taries from China, the university materials and curriculum resources; and the local community will par- ♦ Promoting collaborative confer- ticipate. ences and projects with partners The Confucius Institute will be a from Capital Normal University and collaborative initiative involving UB’s other Chinese institutions; and Asian Studies Program in the Col- ♦ Maintaining an online resource