Office of International Programs

Office of International Programs

International Campus Update

September 9, 2002

Headlines

SEPTEMBER 11TH MEMORIAL EVENTS:

OIP UNITS TO MERGE: The International Service and Travel Center (ISTC) and the Global Campus • Study Abroad office have begun plans to merge into one unit, with a target completion date of July 1, 2003. The merger will give the opportunity for more cohesive advising and expertise, particularly as the definition of education abroad is expanding to include internships, work, service, volunteer programs, and career advising while maintaining its roots in study programs. This change is not expected in any way to change or diminish the current strengths and services of both offices, but rather to strengthen both through the sharing of resources and expertise.

NEW POLICY FOR EXCHANGE AGREEMENTS: As part of a new university-wide policy and procedure, international exchange agreements are required to be submitted to the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost for review once the agreement has been finalized. Academic exchange is defined as "formal two-way relationships involving students, faculty, or both, between another institution and the University of Minnesota." Go to Approval.

FULBRIGHT WORKSHOP FOR FACULTY: fulbright Workshop for Faculty at the University and surrounding Twin Cities institutions will be Tuesday, October 15, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in Rooms 120B & C in the Elmer L. Andersen Library on the West Bank–Twin Cities campus. This workshop will feature a representative of CIES, which administers the Fulbright program, as well as former Fulbright recipients who will offer tips for writing a successful application. Please RSVP to 612-624-5580 or international@umn.edu.

STUDY ABROAD DAY: Study Abroad Day will be held Wednesday, September 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This year's event will be held outside between the west end of the Washington Avenue Bridge and Willey Hall on the West Bank. Sponsored by Global Campus • Study Abroad, this event provides students the chance to learn about study abroad and other international opportunities.

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION WEEK 2002: International Education Week 2002 is November 18 to 22. University departments and units are encouraged to sponsor events and programs that highlight the University's support of international education. Major events scheduled already include the Great Conversations discussion with author Eva Hoffman on Nov. 19, a concert by the Bergen Woodwind Quintet from Norway on Nov. 21, and the Judd Symposium/International Scholar Reception on Nov. 21. The Office of International Programs coordinates system-wide publicity for International Education Week, so please forward information about your event to OIP at 612-624-5580 or international@umn.edu. To review last year’s events, go to IE Week 2001.

UPCOMING CARLA EVENTS: Learn more about the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA) at:

CURRICULUM INTEGRATION UPDATE: Global Campus • Study Abroad's Curriculum Integration (CI) project is entering the second year of system-wide activities. During the first year more than 230 faculty and advisers from all four campuses participated in workshops or retreats. Working with the CI team, academic units have developed innovative new advising materials and communications tools to encourage their students to select academically appropriate study abroad programs. Starting this fall an additional 75 majors are slated to begin the curriculum integration process. The Global Campus would like to thank you all for your support of this ambitious initiative. Our shared efforts are increasing the number of students studying abroad and garnering national attention for the University. For more information, please see Curriculum Integration.

INTERNATIONAL CITIZEN AWARDS: International Citizen Awards ceremony will be October 24, 2002, at the Radisson Riverfront Hotel in St. Paul. The goal of the awards is to increase awareness of the many worthy international activists and their organizations in the Twin Cities. For more information, go to Awards.

VENTURA TRADE MISSION TO CHINA: The China Center assisted with preparations for Governor Jesse Ventura’s trade mission to China in June, including cultural and basic language training. China Center Director Hong Yang accompanied Gov. Ventura as one of his VIP delegates. "I was happy to witness Governor Ventura speak about the University of Minnesota during each of his visits," said Yang. "I think the governor’s China Trade Mission was a great success."

UPCOMING CHINA VISITS:

EXECUTIVE TRAINING: The first group of Chinese executives graduated from the China Center’s Mingda Institute for Leadership Training on July 29. Seventeen municipal government officials from Beijing attended a four-month leadership training program, completing courses and workshops in business and public administration, law, human resources, English, and American culture at the University.

International Education After September 11

OIP continues to monitor news, legislation, and issues related to international education and the events of September 11. Updated information and resources are posted on the OIP September 11 Web site.

CENSUS: According to a survey by the Institute of International Education, two-thirds of the 530 international educators who responded reported that applications for study abroad have remained the same or continued to increase. They also reported that applications from international students remained stable. After the first week of classes, it appears that the number of international students on the Twin Cities campus will be down slightly; however, because students are still arriving, it is too early to determine final numbers. The Global Campus reports that the number of students inquiring about study abroad remains high at the University. To read more, go to IIE Survey.

SEVIS TRACKING SYSTEM: Staff in International Student and Scholar Services continue to work with University administration to develop systems and choose software to ensure compliance with the federal government’s international student tracking system, SEVIS, by the January 30, 2003, deadline. ISSS is planning meetings and communication with key University staff, such as advisers and DGS, about SEVIS and its impact on international students and the University. Look for announcements of meetings and other communication.

Campus and College News

AGRICULTURAL, FOOD & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES: Plant Pathology Professor Robert Blanchette has developed a technique to cultivate Aquilaria trees, an extremely rare wood that produces the world’s most expensive incense, agarwood. Blanchette’s group and local residents planted 17,000 Aquilaria trees in Vietnam this summer and plan to harvest the wood in three to four years. By using Blanchette’s technique countries will soon be able to grow Aquilaria trees as a sustainable agricultural commmodity and reduce the number of trees taken from the wild. Blanchette’s research is funded by the Rainforest Project Foundation.

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES: Professor Craig Packer received a $1.48 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study movements of three viruses between domestic dogs and the lions and other large mammals of Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park. The study will lay groundwork for mass vaccination programs in developing countries to prevent epidemics in both wild and domestic animals.

CENTER FOR SPIRITUALITY & HEALING: University physician Greg Plotnikoff, M.T.S. M.D., received a Bush Foundation Leadership Fellowship in July to study traditional Japanese medicine at Keio University Medical School and the University of Tokyo Medical School.

HUMPHREY INSTITUTE: Al Khalif Galaydh, former prime minister for Somalia, has joined the Humphrey Institute as a visiting professor for the next three years. He will teach courses this fall on the politics of public affairs, strategies for economic development, and the role of nongovernmental organizations in governance.

J. Brian Atwood will be the new dean of the Humphrey Institute, effective Oct. 1. A widely recognized leader in international development, Atwood is currently president of Citizen's International, an enterprise that forms public-private partnerships to meet the social and economic needs of developing nations. From 1993 to 1999, Atwood led the U.S. Agency for International Development.

MINNESOTA INTERNATIONAL CENTER: For more information on the following events, check out MIC's calendar.

SPAN: Student Project for Amity among Nations (SPAN), Minnesota's oldest study abroad program, has announced that its summer 2003 proposed destinations will be Brazil, Germany, Greece, and Mexico. The SPAN program allows students to select a topic to thoroughly study, research, and write about in-depth. SPAN participants can earn eight undergraduate or graduate credits. Applications are currently available through the SPAN office: span@tc.umn.edu or 612-626-1083. For more information, go to SPAN Destinations.

Funding Opportunities and Announcements

GRADUATE SCHOOL: Applications are available upon request in the Fellowship Office (321 Johnston Hall or 612-625-7579).

University of Minnesota
International Campus Update
Vol. 3, No. 5

Office of International Programs
Assoc. Vice President: C. Eugene Allen
Editor: Jennifer Schulz

Interested persons may request to receive this newsletter as an e-mail update by contacting the editor at schul160@umn.edu or calling 612-624-0557.

The next issue will be sent in October. International Campus Update welcomes submissions. Please send items to be included to schul160@umn.edu or call 612-624-0557.