new international programs introduced

Mon., Nov 16

Southern students now have two additional options for international study, thanks to the efforts of a few faculty members who have initiated new study abroad programs in Greece and Vietnam. Selase Williams, provost and vice president for academic affairs, says that the new programs speak to the university's efforts to expand international opportunities for students and faculty. He credits the faculty members involved in the programs with making the opportunities a reality.

The new programs in Greece and Vietnam join the established study-abroad programs in France, Scotland, Germany, Spain, and Guatemala. For more information about study abroad at Southern, visit the International Programs Web site.

 

american college of thessaloniki ~ greece

Southern students can now spend a summer studying at the prestigious American College of Thessaloniki (ACT), located in Thessaloniki, Greece. The new study abroad program developed by the departments of history and philosophy offers students the chance to take two 3-credit courses at ACT; one class will be taught by a Southern faculty member and one will be taught by an ACT faculty member. The summer 2010 program is tentatively slated to run from June 20 to July 24, 2010. 

Armen Marsoobian (right), professor of philosophy and one of the organizers of the program, will be teaching one of the courses. He says that the program is open not only to Southern students but also to students at the other CSUS universities and other schools as well. He describes ACT as a "beautiful campus on a hilltop overlooking Thessaloniki. On a clear day, you can see Mount Olympus." Marsoobian's family has roots with ACT -- his grandfather and great-uncle were the official photographers for Anatolia College, ACT's incarnation in its earliest days -- but he had never visited the school until last spring, when he presented a talk and slideshow at ACT about his grandfather and great-uncle's photographs.

Thessaloniki is a center of commerce, art, music, restaurants, cinema, and high fashion, as well as a feast for the historian. Named in the 4th century BCE for the half-sister of Alexander the Great, Thessaloniki boasts both Byzantine and Roman reminders, as well as remnants of Ottoman influence, memories of St. Paul's first Christian mission, and a brilliant Jewish and Armenian heritage.

To participate in the summer program at ACT, a student must be a high school graduate 18 years of age or older. Courses offered by Southern professors will be ENG 217 Introduction to Literature and an option of an Honors College course, HON 210 Idea of the Self in the Ancient World. Both courses meet the General Education requirement. Courses available at ACT would include business, European studies, Greek, information technology, statistics, and an unusual course in open-sea sailing that Marsoobian says is serious and intensive. 

Interested students can visit the ACT Web site or contact Marsoobian at (203) 392-6788 or marsoobiana1@southernct.edu.

 

Dai Hoc Su Pham/University of Pedagogy in Ho Chi Minh City ~ Vietnam

Southern students soon will also have an opportunity to experience Vietnam, thanks to a $99,906 grant from the U.S. State Department to help launch a study abroad program in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon).

Ilene Crawford (right), associate professor of English, is heading up the program with History Professor C. Michele Thompson (below) and Marianne Kennedy, associate vice president for assessment, planning and academic programs.

The grant paves the way for a pilot program to begin next summer that would send faculty and two Southern students to Dai Hoc Su Pham/University of Pedagogy in Ho Chi Minh City, which specializes in teacher training.

Crawford and Thompson, both of whom have studied and traveled extensively in Vietnam, say there is growing student interest in Vietnam as the country strives to play a greater role in the global economy, following in the footsteps of nations such as China.

Vietnam is now considered the fastest-developing market of the United States in Southeast Asia, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. Imports from Vietnam to the United States rose 21 percent between 2007 and 2008, while exports during that same year rose 46 percent, U.S. Commerce Department statistics show.

This would be Southern's first direct exchange program in Asia, according to Thompson. It comes as part of the university's push not only to increase the number of students participating in international programs but also to promote Asian Studies.

The program is geared toward students with interests in Asian Studies, English composition or teaching English as a foreign language. Eventually, the coordinators hope to attract any student with an interest in Vietnam.

The university is still identifying potential candidates for the initial phase. The two students are expected to spend the summer studying Vietnamese, conducting research with faculty and working closely with Vietnamese students who are learning to teach English.

Plans call for two more students to travel with faculty members in spring 2011 and three more to go the following summer. Participating students will receive credit toward their degree programs.

In addition to Thompson and Crawford, other faculty members participating in the pilot include Thuan Vu, associate professor of art, and Elena Schmitt, associate professor of TESOL (Teaching English to Students of Other Languages) and chairwoman of the Department of World Languages and Literatures.

Both Thompson and Crawford have previously worked with Dai Hoc Su Pham, which is considered one of Vietnam's leading institutions of higher education. Crawford will spend the spring semester there as a Fulbright Award Grant recipient, helping the university's faculty revamp its English as a foreign language curriculum.

If the pilot is successful, coordinators hope to pursue future exchanges between the two universities, including bringing Vietnamese students and faculty to Southern. They expect future collaborations in the fields of anthropology, art, biology, business, geography, public health, sociology and theater.