Office of International Programs

Office of International Programs

International Campus Update

January 24, 2003

Headlines

EMERGENCY MEDICAL ASSISTANCE BENEFIT: All UPlan medical insurance plans now include a new emergency medical assistance benefit, which will assist faculty and staff and their covered dependents when traveling out of the country or in the U.S. when they are at least 150 miles from home. While out-of-network emergency medical care was previously covered in all plans, this new service will work directly with the health plans to ensure that patients receive quality care in a timely manner. Some services provided include locating a doctor, coordinating multi-lingual communication, providing up-front payment, and organizing medical evacuation. Faculty and staff should have received information in the mail. For more information, contact Employee Benefits at 612-624-9090.

THE 2003 INTERNATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FAIR: The 2003 International Opportunities Fair will be held Wednesday, Feb. 19, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the upper concourse of Willey Hall. Check out international volunteer, work, travel, intern, and study programs from organizations offering opportunities all over the world. If you have questions, contact ISTC at 612-626-4782.

INAUGURATION: The Office of International Programs has sent invitations for President Bruininks’ inauguration to the University’s contacts at partner institutions abroad, as well as to the local consular corps. For more information, call OIP at 612-624-5580.

INTERCULTURAL OPPORTUNITIES:

INTERNATIONAL CITIZEN AWARDS: Mark your calendars – The Twin Cities International Citizen Awards will be presented April 24 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Minneapolis Club. The annual awards are now sponsored by the International Leadership Institute in conjunction with Twin Cities Business Monthly. Award winners and more information about the event will be announced in future issues of this newsletter.

International Education After September 11

NEW REGULATIONS FOR INT’L STUDENTS/SCHOLARS: The federal government’s initiatives in the area of homeland security have resulted in many changes for international students and scholars and the University – the most visible being the SEVIS reporting system, which goes into effect Jan. 30, 2003. In addition, new visa regulations went into effect January 1, 2003.

Not following these new regulations and procedures can result in serious consequences not only for the students and scholars, but also for the University if not followed properly. These regulations are often complex and can change at any time. International students and scholars (and faculty and staff who work with them) are advised to contact International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) for assistance with visa-related issues [612-626-7100 or 190 Humphrey]. For the most up-to-date information about SEVIS and visa issues, go to: http://www.isss.umn.edu/SEVIS/SEVIS.html.

SPECIAL REGISTRATION FOR NON-IMMIGRANT VISA HOLDERS: The Immigration and Naturalization Service is requiring certain male visa holders from specific countries to report to its offices to participate in a special registration. These countries now include Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Eritrea, Lebanon, Morocco, North Korea, Oman, Qatar, Somalia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, and Kuwait. More countries could be added at any time. For more information about special registration, go to http://www.isss.umn.edu/INSGen/INSspecreg.html.

REPORT ON INT’L STUDENT ACCESS: In its report, “In America’s Interest: Welcoming International Students,” NAFSA: Association of International Educators, identifies the major barriers to the ability of prospective international students to study in the U.S. and sets forth a strategic plan to address them. To read the report, go to http://www.nafsa.org/inamericasinterest.

Campus and College News

CARLSON SCHOOL: The Carlson School of Management's executive MBA program in Warsaw was named that country's best by BusinessWeek Polska, the Polish counterpart to the American magazine. The program is a collaboration between Poland's premier business school, the Warsaw School of Economics, and the Carlson School to provide Polish business students with a joint MBA from the two schools. To learn more about the program, go to http://www.csom.umn.edu/DegreesPrograms/InternationalPrograms/
GlobalExecutiveMBA/GlobalExecutiveMBA.cfm.

CONTINUING EDUCATION: The next Great Conversations event will be held February 25 at Northrop Auditorium and will include a discussion of human rights with Vice President and Executive Vice Provost Robert Jones and Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa. These men worked together for ten years providing black South African students with opportunities to attend U.S. colleges and universities including the U of M. Archbishop Tutu won the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize for his nonviolent campaign against apartheid. For more information, go to http://www.cce.umn.edu/conversations/. For tickets, call 612-624-2345.

EDUCATION & HUMAN DEVELOPMENT: The College of Education and Human Development is organizing and hosting the 27th Annual Conference of the Pacific Circle Consortium (PCC) April 16-18, 2003. The PCC is an international educational organization dedicated to the improvement of teaching and researching about peoples, nations, and issues of the Asia-Pacific region. The theme for the conference is "Schooling for the Future: Educating Citizens of the Asia-Pacific Region in an Era of Globalization." Earlybird registration and the paper proposal deadline is Feb. 15. For more information, go to http://cehd.umn.edu/EdPA/PCC2003/welcome.htm.

MINNESOTA INTERNATIONAL CENTER: For more information on the following events, go to http://www.micglobe.org/cal/cal.cfm or call 612-625-4421. Reservations are generally required for MIC events.

SCHOOL OF MUSIC: The Ragamala Music and Dance Theater will perform Friday, Feb. 7, at 7:30 p.m. at the Ted Mann Concert Hall. The performance includes the world premiere of Aavya (“Meeting”), which pairs Bharatanatyam, the classical dance style of Southern India, with an original score by international music ensemble Speaking in Tongues. The program also includes The Transposed Heads, a dance/theater piece directed by Zarawaar Mistry. Renowned South Indian vocalist Nirmala Rajasekar and acclaimed Chinese pipa artist Gao Hong provide the original score. For tickets, call 612-624-2345.

WEISMAN ART MUSEUM: In November, the Weisman Art Museum arranged a research trip to Havana, Cuba, for members of its advisory board and several museum staff to gather information for an exhibition of Cuban contemporary art that the Weisman is organizing. During the five-day trip, the group made visits to numerous museums and galleries and met with many artists in their homes and studios. A highlight of the trip was the tour of the ISE, the main art school in Havana. The group also met with a representative from the U.S. Special Interest Section to discuss the logistics of bringing Cuban artists and art into the U.S. for exhibition. The Weisman will bring nine Cuban artists to the Twin Cities in October 2004 to create works for a major exhibition.

Funding Opportunities and Announcements

JUDD FELLOWSHIPS: Deadline Feb. 10, 2003.
Fellowships for students enrolled in University master's and professional degree programs to study, undertake internships, and conduct research abroad. For more information, go to http://www.international.umn.edu/funding/student_funding/judd/juddfellowship.html. Applications available in OIP, 645 Heller Hall, or the Graduate School Fellowship Office, 321 Johnston Hall.

STUDY ABROAD SCHOLARSHIPS: The application deadline for University of Minnesota study abroad scholarships for travel during May Session is Feb. 14, 2003. For a listing of scholarships and an application, go to http://www.umabroad.umn.edu/uofmscholarships.html.

HUMAN ECOLOGY: Scholarships to support CHE student experiences overseas. Application deadline (for May and summer session) is Feb. 14, 2003. For more information, go to http://www.che.umn.edu/ss/cs/international/.

UNDERGRAD TRAVEL GRANT: Center for Austrian Studies offers two travel grants of $1,000 to enable study of language or other subjects at an educational institution in Austria. Students need to be studying German. Contact Harold Stelzer at 612-624-4825 or stelz005@umn.edu. Deadline: March 14, 2003.

GRADUATE TRAVEL GRANT: Center for Austrian Studies offers two travel grants of $1,000 to enable research in Austria or neighboring countries formerly part of the Hapsburg monarchy. Applicants must be pursuing an advanced degree in humanities, social sciences, or business administration and proposing research that requires time abroad. Contact Harold Stelzer at 612-624-4825 or stelz005@umn.edu. Deadline: March 14, 2003.

University of Minnesota
International Campus Update
Vol. 4, No. 1

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 February. International Campus Update welcomes submissions. Please send items to be included to schul160@umn.edu or call 612-624-0557.