Penelope Pynes, Associate Provost, International Programs

Welcome to the 2012-13 academic year! Although by now-- to many of you-- the semester no longer seems so new as our students have settled in and the year is fully in swing. Nonetheless, this portends to be an exciting year as it marks the twentieth year anniversary of the International Programs Center.

It's hard to believe that it has been twenty years since we sent our first two students on exchange to Mannheim, Germany.  Since then our programs have grown by leaps and bounds.  This summer and last academic year, UNCG sent 459 students abroad to 35 countries throughout the world (245 of those students attended partner universities for a semester or year; 310 of those students have just returned home this semester). 

As for our international population, we have approximately 300 new international students joining us from 59 countries this semester; half of them are exchange students from our partner institutions.  

Throughout the year we will publish stories from our current and former participants of our programs. I invite any of you out there who have stories to share with us about your connection to International Programs and/or internationalization to send them to us (along with a picture or short videoclip if possible). We would like to connect with as many of our UNCG alums, partners, former and current faculty and staff who have shared in our journey.  Stories may be emailed to ipg_news@uncg.edu

And remember: if you are interested in “all things international” visit the IPC (207 Foust Building) where we will support you in your plans to “do something bigger altogether."

Chancellor Brady welcomes returning study abroad and international students

On August 21, 2012, Chancellor Linda Brady personally welcomed the international students in her semi-annual International Welcome Reception in Cone Ballroom of the Elliott University Center. International students, returning study abroad exchange students, faculty, staff and community members enjoyed this occasion. After mingling with the guests, Chancellor Brady took a moment to address all in attendance. Among her remarks she underscored how much her own international experiences have impacted both her professional and personal life before emphasizing the importance of having international students on UNCG’s campus as well as continuing efforts to internationalize our university.

Chancellor Brady gave a special welcome to the twenty-four visiting Fulbright students from Germany, who spent the month of August at UNCG. She highlighted the various experiences they had, including participating in an entrepreneurship course, visiting local businesses, and taking a behind-the-scenes look at Disney World. She also gave special recognition to the ten new international degree-seeking student athletes, as well as one exchange student athlete. These athletes are from England, Canada, Australia, Iceland, Norway, France, Finland, Germany, and Kenya and play a variety of sports including tennis, baseball, soccer, track, and golf.  As a highlight of the reception, Chancellor Brady introduced Board of Trustee member and President of the Weaver Foundation, Skip Moore, who was there to meet and greet returning study abroad students, many of whom receive Weaver Travel grants. To date, more than 1850 UNCG students have received Weaver awards to study for a semester or year abroad in 33 countries.

The International Programs Center would like to thank all who attended the Chancellor’s International Welcome Reception. We had a great turn out and wish you all a safe and successful semester and year!

Chancellor Brady (third from right) poses with the twenty-four visiting Fulbright students from Germany and staff who supported the program.

Welcome, New IPC Staff

The beginning of the academic year is always an exciting time in the International Programs Center with all the positive energy of newly arrived students and returning study abroad participants. In addition we welcome our new staff (including undergraduate and graduate students and volunteers) without whom we couldn’t live. Welcome on board!

Jennifer Kelley

Jennifer James

IPC would like to Congratulate…

Angelica Kapely

Catherine Holderness

Left to Right: Junyi Hu (aka Justin), Hongjoo Woo, Katie Pegram & Pinyapat Chuchuen


IPC would also like to welcome the following Federal Work Study students who found employment at IPC and UNC Exchange Program this academic year:

Welcome, New Interns and Volunteers!

Danny Gobel, a Communication Studies major who will be graduating in December is working as an intern for Study Abroad and Exchange for the 2012 fall semester. Danny will be working with the international exchange students and UNCG study abroad students. One of his major projects will be planning social/cultural events for the PAL program, a program designed to match US students with incoming international students to aid in cultural transition. Danny will also assist with the study abroad orientation and recruitment as well as re-entry workshops. Sarah Pickett, a business administration major at UNCG will be graduating in December. She is an intern for Study Abroad and Exchange, primarily working with the international exchange students. Sarah will help with processing new exchange student applications, orientation preparation, and community programming for the international students. Gloria Mª Hernández Galán will be volunteering with IPC for the entire academic year. Gloria worked as a nurse in Ciudad Real, Spain from 2007 through summer 2012. She arrived in Greensboro with her husband, Juan Munoz Gonzalez de la Aleja, an international exchange student studying business administration. Gloria will be assisting with all units of IPC, particularly helping with projects for the international exchange students.

Left to Right: Danny Gobel, Sarah Pickett & Gloria Mª Hernández Galán

IPC Farewells

IPC bids a fond farewell to Sara Poole, the Program Coordinator for UNC Exchange Programs (UNCEP). An alumna of UNCG, Sara started working at UNCEP as a Program Assistant in April 2010.  She later assumed the responsibilities of Program Coordinator. In addition to being very efficient in managing UNCEP’s programs, Sara also presented at a number of conferences and assisted many universities’ Study Abroad Fairs in the UNC system during her time at UNCEP. She left the service of UNCEP at the end of August 2012 to pursue a graduate program at North Carolina State University. We wish Sara the best of luck!

We must also say goodbye to Dr. C. K. Kwai, who began his career at UNCEP as the third UNCEP Director in August of 2010. While at UNCEP, C. K. was involved in numerous UNC system international initiatives and represented the system on a number of committees and sub-committees. C. K. is now moving on to the University of Maine, and will be the next Senior International Officer.  Best wishes, C. K.!

IPC sends a fond farewell to Dr. Sha Li Zhang of the Jackson Library who is heading off to University of Montana-Missoula to become the Dean of the Library. We thank her for leadership and assistance with many of our international initiatives and wish her well.

Interested in volunteering or working at IPC? Email us at ipc@uncg.edu or call (336) 334-5404. IPC strives to give student workers and volunteers a truly intercultural work experience that complements curricular experiences at UNCG while enhancing any resume.

New International Student Orientations

During the week of August 13, 2012, the International Programs Center welcomed 108 new degree-seeking international students to UNCG and 151 international exchange students. The International Programs Center (in conjunction with many UNCG departments and student services on campus) welcome and orient our new international students each semester. This year our international students represent sixty-seven countries, including Romania, which will be represented at UNCG for the first time this year. Our new students help make up a grand total of 380 degree-seeking international students studying at UNCG.

Orientation is supported by a cast of individuals whose participation is critical.  Among those are our PAL’s, International Fellows, and olunteers.   Denise Bellamy, Director of Study Abroad and Exchanges, and Michael Elliott, Director of International Student and Scholar Services, would like to thank:  Housing and Residence Life, Registrar’s Office, Cashier’s Office, Student Affairs, Student Employment, UNCG Rec Center, Jackson Library, OLSL, Office of Multicultural Affairs, Spartan Card Center, University Police, International Student Association, and Student Health and Counseling Center.

New to this year’s weeklong exchange orientation, the international exchange students participated in a scavenger hunt across campus to identify several office locations for several departments ranging from the Student Success Center to the Campus Activities & Programs. The students were split into teams of fifteen (ten teams in total) and were led by a UNCG student volunteer in their search to identify all twelve predetermined office locations. Several staff members from the identified departments presented on the services offered by their department to the students during orientation week. The goal of the scavenger hunt was for students not only to become familiar with many resources on-campus but also to  learn how and where they could access the services and resources. After students completed the scavenger hunt, they met in Foust Park for a popsicle social.

UNCG and IPC host Fulbright students from Germany

In partnership with the German-American Fulbright Commission, UNCG hosted its second one-month Summer Institute for twenty-four Fulbright students from various German universities of applied sciences. This year’s theme was “Entrepreneurship” and the program ran from July 26 to August 28, 2012.

Through interactive workshops and experiential activities in a variety of settings, UNCG’s Fulbright Summer Institute offered these twenty-four students the opportunity to acquire the principles of entrepreneurship, enhance their knowledge of the United States and the American system of higher education, engage in community service activities, refine their English language skills, visit local businesses, and interact with Americans through various cultural programming events. They even made a trip to Orlando to get a backscene view of the operations at Disney World.

In the second half of the program, the Fulbrighters joined in the orientation activities for newly arrived international and exchange students to expose them to campus life and see what the university community has to offer.  During the first week of the fall semester, students attended selected classes based on their majors before heading to Washington, DC for a visit of our nation’s capital. Upon conclusion of the program, students received a Certificate of Completion.

The program’s success is a testament to the hard work of several individuals: Lydia Arledge (Director of the program); Cinnamon Hunter (ESL instructor); and Joe Erba of the Bryan School (Entrepreneurship instructor); Sadie Kneidel (resident counselor) Diana Phelps and Bam McCathern (student mentors). Others who contributed to the program were Mark Schumacher, Library; Dr. Patrick Madsen, Career Services; Drs. Tom Matyok and Cathryne Schmitz, Conflict and Peace Studies; Steve Flynn and Dean Jerry Pubantz, LIHC; Dr. Penelope Pynes, Denise Bellamy, Tom Martinek, Jr., Mike Elliott, and Dr. Catherine Holderness, IPC. Special thanks goes to IPC’s Nor Othman for managing the program details.

To read more about the Fulbrighters’ experience at UNCG, check out these articles:

Campus Weekly: “2012 Fulbright Summer Institute at UNCG”
http://ure.uncg.edu/prod/cweekly/2012/08/14/fulbrightsummerinstitute/

Friends of the UNCG Libraries: “UNCG Business Librarian Works with German Fulbright Students”
http://uncgfol.blogspot.com/2012/08/uncg-business-librarian-works-with.html/

Best of luck to the Fulbrighters! We hope you return to us soon.

The Group attended the appearance of First Lady Michelle Obama on UNCG's campus
TeamQuest puts the new students through their paces in the North Carolina wilderness
Professor Joe Erba presents "Awards" to the group at their final Entrepreneurship class

MRC Art Exhibit features Study Abroad Photography
(August  17 – October 19)

Senior Aisha Crawford spoke at the reception on September 5 about her study abroad experience in Lima, Peru

The MRC held an art reception for the exhibit on September 5. Senior Aisha Crawford spoke at the reception, providing a lively commentary on her photos and study abroad experience. A Political Science major, Aisha spent the 2012 spring semester studying at the Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola in Lima, Peru. “It was the best time of my entire life,” she said. “It made me appreciate people so much and helped me to figure out who I am.” Prior to studying abroad, Aisha was considering law school, but after her time in Peru, she is now applying for a Fulbright grant, hoping to teach English in Malaysia. “Hopefully I’ll be backpacking in Asia this time next year,” she said.

Aisha was featured on the UNCG website: "Breaking Down Boxes"
http://ure.uncg.edu/prod/inspirechange/2012/09/21/breaking-down-boxes/

Following Aisha’s presentation, Tom Martinek, Jr., Assistant Director of Study Abroad and Exchange Programs, also spoke and answered questions about the study abroad and exchange program at UNCG. 

For more information about the study abroad program, visit http://www.uncg.edu/ipg/sae/study_abroad_exchanges.html or email us at ipc@uncg.edu.

Kelley Carter on being an IPC Volunteer

UNCG alumna Kelley Carter worked as a volunteer at IPC

With the increasing rate of globalization, opportunities to stay connected to the international community have become crucial building blocks for almost any career sector.  While participating in  the Global Leadership Program (GLP), each student is given the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) which measures your sensitivity and understanding of cultural differences. After taking the IDI, I was given a personalized evaluation that confirmed my fears: I have a large personal space bubble. Having taken the cultural sensitivity tool and workshop, I was much more prepared to interact with people in France. Overall, I can’t talk highly enough about how well UNCG and IPC have prepared me to enter the job market as an educated global citizen. Now I’ve been accepted as an Americorps ACCESS member and will begin teaching English as a foreign language at the Glenwood Library. As far as long-term future plans go, I eventually hope to teach English in Morocco.

Interested in volunteering at IPC? Contact us at ipc@uncg.edu or call (336) 334-5404.

Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany:  15 year celebration visit

Delegation celebrates with a North Carolina barbeque held in Taylor Garden

This year the UNC system celebrated the fifteen year partnership of its first state-to-state partner, Baden-Wuerttemberg.  To commemorate the establishment of the partnership in 1996 selected UNC representatives attended a special Baden-Wuerttemberg seminar held in Konstanz in fall 2011. Click here for more information on the seminar.

In May 2012 a return delegation from Baden-Wuerttemberg (BW) visited several of the UNC campuses and General Administration accompanied by CK Kwai and Sara Poole of UNCEP.  Provost Dave Perrin welcomed the delegation to UNCG upon their arrival to North Carolina and discussed trends and changes in U.S. higher education over the past fifteen years.  He acknowledged the foundational work of Wolfgang Mekle and Penelope Pynes who served as the first coordinators of the program. At the end of the week the group returned to UNCG to celebrate with a North Carolina barbeque held in Taylor Garden.

The delegation members were Dr. Hans-Georg Wolf from the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts, Head of the Department for International and EU Affairs (delegation leader),  Dr. Andreas Weber from the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts,  Director of the BW foundation; Cornelia Stoll, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Study Abroad Advisor; Anja Hausmann, University of Freiburg, Program Manager USA; Dr. Regina Sonntag, University of Konstanz, Director of the International Office; Birgit Heilig, University of Mannheim, Director of the International Office and current NC/BW coordinator;  Sibylle Langer, University of Stuttgart, Program Manager North America;  Wolfgang Mekle, University of Tuebingen, Director International Office; Dr. Reinhold Luecker, University of Ulm, Director of International Office; and Dr. Ulrich Stadtmueller, University of Ulm, Vice-President.

Among attendees at the celebration were GA representative Bonnie Derr; Steve Flynn (former director of the UNCEP); Dr. C.K. Kwai (current UNCEP director); Dr. Charles Lyons, who spearheaded the original BW delegation and was invited to be recognized for his leadership in the establishment of the UNCEP; Minnie Battle Mays from NC A&T; Dr. Joti Sekhon from WSSU; Dr. Kimmo Kuortti and Anja Malaska from the University of Oulu along with IPC staff (including Dr. Catherine Holderness, Interim Director of UNCEP as of October 1, 2012); Dr. Cathryne Schmitz, Professor in Conflict and Peace, and Dr. Susanne Rinner, Associate Professor in German. Delegation guests were presented paperweights with the UNC seal as reminders of their visit.

It is only fitting that the delegation visit began and ended in Greensboro as UNCG is the host campus for UNCEP, where are state-to-state agreements are managed. This is truly a landmark occasion for the UNC system as this partnership served as the pilot for other state-to-state agreements and subsequently led to the establishment of UNCEP, the system exchange program consisting of nine state-to-state agreements. We look forward to the next fifteen years!

Dr. Hans-Georg Wolf (L) recognizes Dr. Charles Lyons (R) for his leadership in establishing UNCEP.

Kuortti and Mäläskä also attended meetings with Dr. David Remington, Associate Professor of Biology, Denise Bellamy, Kaitlin Ritchie, Tom Martinek, Jr., and faculty and staff from the UNCG Bryan School of Business and Economics.

Logan Stanfield (L) and Tom Martinek, Jr. (R) show Neema Cucinotta (L) and Anja Mäläskä (R) UNCG's Rec Center on their campus tour

Deakin University, Australia

On May 23-26, IPC welcomed Neema Cucinotta, International & Partnerships Coordinator and Faculty of Business and Law at Deakin University in Australia. Cucinotta arrived in Greensboro on May 23 and met with Denise Bellamy, Dr. Dianne H.B. Welsh, Hayes Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship and Director of the Entrepreneurship Cross-Disciplinary Program, and Dr. Kevin Lowe, Department Head and Professor of Business Administration. After lunch on Tate Street with Tom Martinek, Jr., Kaitlin Ritchie, and Angelica Kapely,Cucinotta took a campus tour led by Tom and Logan Stanfield with fellow visitors Kimmo Kuortti and Anja Mäläskä of the University of Oulu in Finland. Following the tour, Cucinotta met with Bryan Toney, Director of the North Carolina Entrepreneurship Center, and C.K. Kwai before attending a picnic and reception in honor of Oulu guests and the North Carolina Baden-Württemberg 15th Anniversary Celebration at Taylor Garden at the Elliott University Center.

Angelica Kapely, Kirk Doyle, Amy Ryan & Tom Martinek, Jr.

Tom Martinek, Jr., Matthias Klaes & Penelope Pynes

L to R: Kaitlin Ritchie, Denise Bellamy, Dr. Gunhild Sagmeister, Angelica Kapely & Logan Stanfield

L to R: Logan Stanfield, Tom Martinek, Jr., Alexandra Holmdahl, Denise Bellamy & Kaitlin Ritchie

Last academic year, on behalf of UNCG, IPC staff (along with others around campus) arranged the visits for and hosted 125 visitors from 19 countries. If you would like to be involved in these visits or have someone coming to campus, please contact IPC at (336) 334-5404.

Dean Sue Stinson attends 2012 Global Dance Summit

With Colleague Dr. Karen Bond (left), waiting for the Processional to the opening ceremony to begin.  Sue is holding a dragon lantern; these were provided to all delegates to light during the ceremony.

Dancing at the closing ceremony included a traditional Taiwanese harvest dance.  Young people attending the conference had learned the dance in a workshop earlier in the week and led their elders.

For more information about the conference, visit http://www.daciwdaintaiwan.org. For more information about daCi and future events, visit http://www.daciusa.com/.

Faculty funding for international activities

The International Travel Fund (ITF), created by the Provost’s Office, supports ca. 50 UNCG faculty members per year to present their work at international conferences outside North America.  Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and processed typically within two weeks of receipt.  Owing to the popularity of this fund, faculty are highly encouraged to apply as soon as they receive notification that their presentations have been accepted. Faculty may apply once per year every two out of three years.  To see who received funding for international conferences for the 2011-12 fiscal year, click here and for those who have been awarded this year to date, here. Details about applying can be found at the following website: http://www.uncg.edu/ipg/travelfunds.html.

A portion of the Kohler Fund, established in 1991 with a bequest from the estate of Phyllis Penn Kohler, class of 1930, is dedicated to supporting faculty internationalization efforts in six areas (research, teaching, internationalizing the curriculum, student programs, special projects and institutional linkages).  Faculty are encouraged to submit proposals by the deadline that falls ca. 6 weeks before the proposed event or travel. To facilitate faculty submissions the Committee now has four deadlines per year for all six areas. This year’s deadlines are September 21, October 26, January 18 and March 22. Details about the procedure for applying and the forms need can be found the IPC website at http://www.uncg.edu/ipg/fundingopportunities.html.

To see others who received a Kohler in the 2011-12 fiscal year, click here. We look forward to receiving and reviewing this year’s proposals.

INTERLINK Students

This August, INTERLINK welcomed a record number of new international students from all corners of the globe. This nine-week term, INTERLINK’s total student population is 105.  Eighteen of these students entered with conditional admission to UNCG. Countries represented among the new students are Benin, Brazil, China, Colombia, France, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mexico, Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Taiwan, Togo, and the United States.  We are excited to have the opportunity to work with such a large and diverse group of second-language learners at our center.

New INTERLINK students at the Chancellor’s International Student Welcome Reception (in no particular order): Ahmad Shesha (Saudi Arabia), Berenice Toyomi Pérez Estrada (Mexico), Heng-Ching Lin (Taiwan), Shih-Han Hsieh (Taiwan), Shu-Han Chang (Taiwan), Boram Hwang (South Korea), Rana Al-Harithy (Saudi Arabia), Sungwoo Han (Korea), and Yaqing Bu (China)

New INTERLINK staff members (from left to right): Liza Fate, Sarah Love, Andrew Carlisle, and Lamar Gibson

Conversation-Partners Program participants Meliza Abdullah (France) and Britney Sneller (UNCG)

INTERLINK student Berenice Toyomi Pérez Estrada (Mexico)

INTERLINK Diversity Scholarships

We are pleased to announce the continuation of our diversity scholarships, which are awarded to students from under-represented countries at INTERLINK to encourage greater program diversity. Students from qualifying countries are eligible to receive a scholarship of up to $1000 per nine-week term, depending on prior GPA. The amount awarded is automatically deducted from the tuition payment and is renewable term-by-term as long as the student is enrolled full-time and makes satisfactory progress. One of our recent scholarship recipients was Berenice Toyomi Pérez Estrada from Mexico, who commented that the extra financial support had motivated her to study in our program. For more information about the INTERLINK diversity scholarships and/or to find out which countries are included, contact Dr. Brad Teague at bteague@interlink.edu.

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