Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany: 15 year celebration visit
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| 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!
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| Dr. Hans-Georg Wolf (L) recognizes Dr. Charles Lyons (R) for his leadership in establishing UNCEP. |
Other visitors
University of Oulu, Finland
On May 23-26, IPC was happy to welcome Kimmo Kuortti and Anja Mäläskä Director and Deputy Director of International Relations at the University of Oulu in Oulu, Finland. Kuortti's and Mäläskä's first meeting was with Penelope Pynes and Tommy Lambeth, Associate Professor and Undergraduate Coordinator for the UNCG Department of Interior Architecture.
The next day, Kuortti and Mäläskä joined Dr. Sam Miller, Associate Dean of the UNCG School of Education, for breakfast before meeting with Dr. Linda Hestenes, Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies. After lunching with Dr. Lois Petrovich-Mwaniki, Director of International Programs and Services at Western Carolina University, and other WCU staff, Kuortti and Mäläskä took a tour of the UNCG campus with Tom Martinek, Jr., Assistant Director of Study Abroad and Exchange Programs, Logan Stanfield, Study Abroad and Faculty-Led Program Coordinator, and Neema Cucinotta, International & Partnerships Coordinator and Faculty of Business and Law at Deakin University, Australia. Kuortti and Mäläskä concluded the day by meeting with Dr. C.K. Kwai, Director of the University of North Carolina Exchange Program before attending a picnic and reception in honor of the Oulu guests and the North Carolina Baden-Württemberg 15th Anniversary Celebration.
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.
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| 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.
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| Angelica Kapely, Kirk Doyle, Amy Ryan & Tom Martinek, Jr. |
On June 4, IPC hosted Amy Ryan, Manager of the Exchange and Study Abroad Program at Australian Catholic University in North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and Kirk Doyle, Associate Director, International Relations and Partnerships. In the morning, Ryan and Doyle met with Drs. Tom Martinek (Sr.), Professor in the Department of Kinesiology, and Sam Miller, Associate Dean, School of Education. After meeting with Tom Martinek, Jr. and Paulina Flasch, IPC Graduate Assistant and Curriculum Integration Coordinator, Doyle and Ryan took a campus tour with Logan Stanfield.
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| Tom Martinek, Jr., Matthias Klaes & Penelope Pynes |
In June 2012, IPC welcomed Professor Matthias Klaes, Head of the Centre for Economics and Management and Professor of Commerce at Keele University in Staffordshire, England. After arriving at UNCG, Dr. Klaes met with Dr. Stuart Allen, Professor and Department Head of Economics at the Bryan School of Business and Economics, Dr. Jeff Sarbaum, Lecturer in the Department of Economics, and Amanda Pelon, Coordinator for International Student Services and Lecturer at the Bryan School of Business. Then, Dr. Klaes took a campus tour with Tom Martinek, Jr. before joining Denise Bellamy and Penelope Pynes for dinner.
University of Extremadura, Spain
On July 25-31, IPC was pleased to host Leandro Lorrio Castro, Director of the Conservatory of Music at the University of Extremadura in Cáceres, Spain. After arriving in Greensboro, Castro joined Penelope Pynes for dinner. The following morning Castro met with Kaitlin Ritchie and Pamela Harrod, before breaking to have lunch with Dr. Alejandro Rutty, Associate Professor in the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance. Castro then took a campus tour with Kaitlin Ritchie and Angelica Kapely.
On July 27, Castro met with Norma Velazquez and Wendy Jones-Worden, Lecturer of Spanish and Study Abroad Advisor. Castro met with Dr. Susan Stinson, Interim Dean of the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance. Castro concluded his visit by attending a workshop at Musikgarten in Greensboro from July 29 to August 3.
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| L to R: Kaitlin Ritchie, Denise Bellamy, Dr. Gunhild Sagmeister, Angelica Kapely & Logan Stanfield |
On August 19-20, IPC hosted Dr. Gunhild Sagmeister of the Institute of Sociology at Klagenfurt University in Klagenfurt, Austria. While here Dr. Sagmeister met with Penelope Pynes, Denise Bellamy, Tom Martinek, Jr., and Kaitlin Ritchie before taking a campus tour with Logan Stanfield and Angelica Kapely. Dr. Sagmeister was then escorted by Dr. Suzanne Rinner, Assistant Professor of German Studies and Director of Undergraduate Studies in German, to Tate Street for a lunch meeting with Dr. Kwasi Amoako-Gyampah, Department Head for Information Systems and Supply Chain Management Department at the Bryan School of Business. Following lunch, Dr. Sagmeister met with Amanda Pelon to tour the Bryan Building. Dr. Sagmeister then visited a MGT 301 class with Dr. Vasyl Taras, Professor of Business Administration at the Bryan School of Business.
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| L to R: Logan Stanfield, Tom Martinek, Jr., Alexandra Holmdahl, Denise Bellamy & Kaitlin Ritchie |
Linnaeus University, Sweden
On September 18-19, IPC welcomed Alexandra Holmdahl, International Coordinator for Linnaeus University in Småland, Sweden. Holmdahl arrived in Greensboro on September 18 and met with Kaitlin Ritchie and Denise Bellamy before meeting with UNCG students going on exchange to Linnaeus in Spring 2013 during their interview appointments with Tom Martinek, Jr. Holmdahl then met with Drs. Jody Natalle and Etsuko Kinefuchi, Professor and Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies, and Tom Matyók, Assistant Professor and Director of Graduate Studies for the Conflict and Peace Studies Program. After meeting with Amanda Pelon, Holmdahl ate lunch with Logan Stanfield and Kaitlin Ritchie before taking a campus tour with Angelica Kapley. Holmdahl concluded her visit by meeting with Julie Blomberg Gudmundsson, Jens Borgqvist, Johan Hansson, and Hille Hjalmarsson, all exchange students from Linnaeus University.
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.
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