International Education Week 2012 a Success!

IPC had another successful International Education Week (IEW) from November 12-16, 2012. IEW is a joint venture of the US Department of State and the US Department of Education that celebrates the benefits of international exchange and education worldwide. The annual initiative was first held in 2000 and today is celebrated in more than 100 countries. The goal of IEW is to promote study abroad and exchange programs that prepare students from the US to live and work in a global environment while attracting future leaders from abroad to study in the US. The event aids in developing mutual understanding and respect, building leadership abroad, and investing in future relations between the US and people from around the world.
 
This year’s IEW at UNCG featured a variety of events, seminars, and workshops, including an African Cultural Night, employment workshops for international students, study abroad info sessions, staff workshops, a Parent’s Night, Global Leadership Program (GLP) events, and a special Friday Fest.

Throughout the week, the International Student Association (ISA) also distributed country buttons in the Elliott University Center (EUC) Commons, which are given out each year to everyone as a way of visually recognizing UNCG’s international spirit. Students, faculty and staff passing through the EUC commons could also cast their votes in the Study Abroad Photo Contest, which highlighted photography taken by students traveling both abroad and in the US. The winners were announced during the special Friday Fest on November 16 (see article below).

ISA members man the country buttons booth in the EUC Commons

The Study Abroad Photo Contest Exhibit in the EUC Commons

IEW 2012 Highlights: African Night kicks off this year’s International Education Week

To kick off this year’s International Education Week, the UNCG African Student Union (ASU) presented African Night, a celebration of African culture. The event was held on Saturday in the Elliott University Center (EUC) Auditorium. An annual event, African Night is meant to both celebrate and educate others about African culture. This year’s theme was “Africa—Shining Its Light,” highlighting the strides Africa has made towards modernizing and integrating itself into the global community.

A model shows off traditional African clothing during the Africa Night fashion show	Students performing a skit to dispel the “African-as-scam-artist” stereotype	UNCG student Michael Johnson puts a traditional spin on Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” choreography

In line with this theme, the event featured many dance performances that incorporated both traditional African dance and the latest dance crazes in Africa. Performers included the Mwaski Kitoko female dance troupe, the L’hommes D’Afrique male dance group, and Michael Johnson, a UNCG student who put a traditional spin on Beyoncé’s megahit, “Single Ladies.” The night also featured a fashion show that showed off both the colorful nature of traditional African clothing as well as Africa’s current gravitation towards modern fashion designs.

In addition to the dance performances and fashion show, the ASU students also put together several skits and presentations meant to dispel common stereotypes and misconceptions about Africa and its people and to highlight the continent’s literary, scientific, artistic, and technological achievements. For example, one skit featured a tribute to 26-year-old Verone Mankou, who developed “Way-C,” the first African tablet to “rival” the iPad. Another skit worked to dispel the “African-as-scam-artist” stereotype, which is derived from the notorious Nigerian scams that started becoming prevalent in the 1980s. Several informational videos were also shown—for example, one video talked about a breakthrough treatment for malaria developed by scientists in South Africa while another video informed the audience about Africa’s economic gains (Africa is currently ranked sixth out of the ten fastest growing economies in the world today). Africa’s booming music industry was also highlighted, as several African artists, such as Nigerian singer-songwriter D’banj, are gaining global popularity. ASU and IPC would like to thank everyone who helped make African Night a success!

L’hommes D’Afrique male dance group	Mwasi Kitoko female dance troupe

IEW 2013 Highlights: UNCG Staff Involvement

IPC presentation to Staff Senate Meeting

On November 8, Nell Pynes (Associate Provost), Nor Othman (Program Coordinator), and Lamar Gibson (INTERLINK Program Assistant), were invited to the Staff Senate meeting to share IPC’s programs and events that UNCG staff can contribute to and participate in to help our international student and scholar community adjust better to the American way of life as well as gain a more memorable and meaningful educational aboard experience. This opportunity not only helped the IPC team inform the Staff Senate members about the IEW celebration that were taking place in the week after, it also helped IPC promote the ESP Workshop on “Intercultural Sensitivity” which took place on Monday, November 12, 2012.

Apart from sharing with Staff Senate members the kinds of programs and events that IPC hosts and organizes, Staff Senate members were also invited to select a Country Button to wear during the International Education Week to show their support. IPC team and Staff Senate members had a lot of fun selecting country buttons of their ancestral origins and identifying flags which were not familiar to them. In addition, IPC team distributed brochures on the programs and an article from NAFSA’s International Educator magazine entitled "Local Connections: Helping International Students Find a Welcoming Place within the Local Community" so that Staff Senate members understand how their involvement with UNCG international students and scholars make a lot of difference and positive impact to the students’ lives and their educational experience abroad.

Staff Senate listening to Nell Pynes (IPC) and Lamar Gibson’s (INTERLINK) presentations	Staff Senate members finding Country Buttons to wear in support of the International Education Week 2012

ESP Workshop on “Intercultural Sensitivity: Looking Through Other Eyes” - On the first day of International Education Week Nell Pynes (Associate Provost) and Denise Bellamy (Director of Study Abroad and Exchanges) conducted an intercultural workshop for faculty and staff. The three-hour workshop is designed to help participants increase awareness of their own cultural background and heighten their intercultural sensitivity (which is a lifelong learning experience). The workshop centers on Milton Bennett's Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS), a model of the development of one's worldview structure. According to Bennett, "The underlying assumption of the model is that as one's experience of cultural difference becomes more sophisticated, one's competence in intercultural relations potentially increases." This workshop fulfills the ESP elective credit and the Interpersonal Communications and Diversity credit. The next workshop will be held on April 25, 2013. Please register with the HR Office.

IEW 2012 Highlights: Global Leadership Program (GLP)

GLP Information Session

Interested students met with GLP steering committee members to learn more about the GLP

One of the photos colloquium participants were asked to interpret. Semana Santa celebrants in Sevilla, Spain. Photo by H. Houtz

IEW 2012 Highlights: Study Abroad

Bryan School of Business Study Abroad Fair

Senior Sarah Pickett talks to sophomore Marcus Girardeau about study abroad opportunities

As part of International Education Week (IEW), the Bryan School of Business and Economics held a Study Abroad Fair. The purpose of the event was to inform students within the Bryan School who are interested in studying abroad about the many options and opportunities available to them. Attendees were able to peruse a series of colorful displays that highlighted several of UNCG’s partner countries that have universities with business programs, including Germany, South Korea, France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Australia, Japan, China, Scandinavia, and the United Kingdom.

Senior Sarah Pickett, who works both as an intern for IPC Study Abroad and Exchange and a volunteer for the Bryan School International Student Services, helped oversee the event and was available to answer interested students’ questions. Senior Katie Delizza, an International Business (Marketing) major with a double minor in Sign Language and Spanish, was also available to talk to students during the event. In Spring semester 2012, Katie studied at the Universita Carlo Cattaneo (LIUC) in Castellanza, Italy. “I am Italian and have always wanted to go to Italy, so what better way to do so than to live there and study,” she said. She wanted to help with the Study Abroad Fair because she had a very positive study abroad experience, and she wanted to “pay it forward” by encouraging others to do the same. “I think it’s important to study abroad because it allows you to learn about other cultures and ways of life. I think if we could all have that experience, we would all get along better and be more understanding as a global community.”   

Marcus Girardeau, a UNCG sophomore working on a double major in Business Administration (Entrepreneurship) and Theater, was one of the students in attendance.  “I really want to go to South Korea,” he said. “I’ve always been fascinated by the culture.”  Marcus was able to discuss his options with Sarah, who showed him course descriptions within the Business Program at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea.

Seminar for Graduate Students on International Engagement Abroad

On Wednesday evening, UNCG graduate students interested in studying abroad were invited to attend a seminar to learn more about graduate and research opportunities abroad. The seminar was led by Dr. Penelope Pynes, Dr. Catherine Holderness, Tom Martinek, Jr., and Steve Flynn. The students in attendance hailed from different departments and programs, including Business, History, Public Health, Applied Geography, and Educational Leadership and Cultural Foundations. Topics discussed included the application process, transfer credits, international internship opportunities, financial aid, and scholarships. Many students were particularly interested in the Fulbright scholarship, which offers grants to post-graduate students around the world who are interested in studying, teaching, or conducting research abroad.

Julia Greer, a Masters student in the Applied Geography department, was one of the students in attendance. When asked where she would like to study, she said, “It’s a toss-up between a country that exhibits excellent natural resource conservation, like Sweden, or a country that is struggling with it, like Botswana.” The former would offer her an opportunity for research, she said, while the latter would offer an opportunity to educate. “I didn’t get to study abroad while I was in undergrad, and I have since realized how important it is to have an international perspective. Being able to understand the work you do within a global context is essential, no matter what career you’re pursuing,” she said.  By studying abroad herself, she also hopes to encourage other students within her department to do the same.

Steve Flynn, Dr. Penelope Pynes, Dr. Catherine Holderness, and Tom Martinek, Jr. talk to graduate students about study abroad opportunities

On Friday, degree-seeking international students were invited to attend a workshop entitled “Visas after Graduation” to learn more about employment and other options beyond Optical Practical Training (OPT). OPT is an F-1 international student benefit that gives eligible students one year or more of work authorization to gain valuable experience in their field of study.  Art Serratelli, immigration attorney from Vandeventer Black LLP in Virginia, and Chad Collins, Assistant Director for Student Employment at UNCG Career Services, were guest speakers at the workshop.  Chad provided students with helpful tips on how to be successful while searching for a job, using real-life examples and scenarios to illustrate his points. Topics discussed included resume writing and interview skills. Chad, who has presented at this workshop for several years, is available to help international students throughout the year.

Art, who offers the workshop and advice pro bono, discussed details about H-1B, L-1, O-1, and other non-immigrant employment immigration status options, as well as immigrant categories such as adjustment of status to permanent residency. On Saturday, Art met with interested students about personal immigration issues.

For more information about UNCG Career Services, please visit http://csc.dept.uncg.edu/.

For more information about Art Serratelli and Vandeventer Black LLP, visit http://www.vanblk.com/.

IEW 2012 Highlights: Special Friday Fest, Photo Contest Winners, and the IEW 2012 Reception

IEW 2012 concluded with a special Friday Fest featuring South Korea followed by the IEW 2012 Reception. The basement of the I-House was packed as UNCG and international students gathered for Friday Fest: South Korea. The presentation was given by seven South Korean students studying here at UNCG and covered many different facets of Korean life and culture, including the Korean alphabet (Hangul), cuisine (e.g., kimchi, or seasoned vegetables), traditional clothing (known as Hanbok), places to visit (e.g., Seoul, the capital; Jeju-do Island; and Busan, the second largest city), and entertainment (e.g., K-pop). The presenters made special mention of Psi, the K-pop star who has garnered international fame with his song “Gangnam Style,” and showed an excerpt from one of his interviews. After giving a basic overview of their country, they asked the audience a series of true-or-false questions. Those who answered the questions correctly were awarded prizes. Following the presentation, students were invited to sample some delicious traditional Korean food, including topokki, or rice cakes with a spicy red pepper sauce, and bulgogi, or marinated beef.

International students from South Korea presented their country at the special IEW Friday Fest. From left to right: Jaeyoung Lee, Mijin Byun (wearing Hanbok, traditional Korean dress), Sungwoo Lee, Hyein Choi, Sanguen Park, Jung Eun Han, Timothy Lee	Friday Fest attendees gather to enjoy traditional Korean cuisine

• Cityscapes and Architecture: Megan Stevens (studied at Yonsei University, Korea)
• Landscapes and Natural Beauty: Samantha Belletete (studied at ESDES, France)
• People and Culture: Savannah Page (studied in Stellenbosch, South Africa)
• Humorous and Outrageous: Dustin Craft (studied at Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong)
• The United States (as seen by students studying at UNCG): Rachel Ladics (from Australian Catholic University)
  
  

  Cityscapes and Architecture: Megan Stevens	People and Culture: Savannah Page

  
  

  Landscapes and Natural Beauty: Samantha Belletete	Humorous and Outrageous: Dustin Craft

  
  

  The United States: Rachel Ladics

The photos were on display in the I-House basement during Friday Fest and the IEW Reception! Congratulations to all! After Friday Fest, IPC staff and all other IEW participants were invited to attend the IEW 2012 Reception, which was also held in I-House. Those in attendance enjoyed light refreshments while reminiscing on the week’s events. IPC staff would like to thank everyone who helped make IEW 2012 a success!

Students help themselves to refreshments at the IEW 2012 Reception