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U ASIA CAMPUS PROVIDES AVENUE FOR GLOBAL EXPERIENCE—EVEN DURING A PANDEMIC

Through the U Asia Campus in Incheon, South Korea, the University of Utah has maintained opportunities for students seeking an international learning experience, even as the coronavirus pandemic paused most in-person learning abroad programs.

“We’re very lucky to still be able to offer students the experience of studying in South Korea—and for our Asia Campus students to study here in Salt Lake,” said Randy McCrillis, executive director, Office for Global Engagement. “It’s an opportunity that many may not have realized is available to U students, so it’s been great to really showcase everything the U Asia Campus offers.”

Enrollment at the U Asia Campus has increased steadily since its founding in 2014. Initially launched with just 13 students, the U Asia Campus has grown quickly and admitted 211 students in the last academic year alone. At the beginning of spring 2021, a total of 439 students were enrolled at the Incheon campus.

APPLICATIONS ARE DUE APRIL 15, APPLY HERE

The latest increase is due, in part, to a new Global LEAP program created by the Office for Global Engagement and Undergraduate Studies, which gives freshmen an opportunity to spend their second semester at the U Asia Campus. While most students plan learning abroad experiences into their last two years of study, Global LEAP is designed to give students an early academic introduction to international education.

Global LEAP student Lisa Mendez at the U Asia Campus.

“This is an opportunity for students to have a very early experience that could really define their undergraduate education and set them on a globally-minded path,” said Sabine Klahr, associate chief global officer and executive director, Learning Abroad.

The 2020 cohort of 17 Global LEAP students spent fall semester studying in Salt Lake. Eight of those students then chose to travel to South Korea in January, completed the country’s requisite quarantine and will finish their freshman year in Incheon.

“The reason I chose to study at U Asia Campus was the opportunity to be able to make new friends and get that ‘college-in-person’ experience,” said Lisa Mendez, Global LEAP student. “It means a lot to me mentally and emotionally, since I can engage and focus more on classes during the pandemic.”

McCrillis, who spent the last four years in Incheon as dean of students, feels fortunate to have been able to offer this opportunity to students throughout the pandemic. “The relative safety of South Korea and the seriousness with which the country follows health protocols has made the U Asia Campus a wonderful option for students seeking to continue their major while experiencing life abroad,” said McCrillis. “As everywhere, there have been inevitable disruptions but we are so thankful to our students for their resilience and flexibility during this challenging time. Their partnership in upholding safety measures has been extraordinary.”

The U is a founding member of the Incheon Global Campus and offers undergraduate programs in Communication, Psychology, Urban Ecology, Film & Media Arts, Civil & Environmental Engineering and Computer & Electrical Engineering. Graduate programs in Public Health and Biomedical Informatics are offered as well. All courses are taught in English by U faculty and students live in residence on campus. Just like the U Salt Lake campus, U Asia Campus welcomes students from around the world with a focus on developing global leaders.

“We have always known that having locations around the globe is beneficial for the U in many ways and these uncertain times have underscored that knowledge,” said Chris Ireland, chief global officer, Office for Global Engagement. “Having a campus in South Korea gave the University of Utah campus in Utah a preview of the pandemic and insight into how to prepare in Salt Lake. Our U Asia Campus fostered wonderful collaborations for our health professionals here in Utah. It’s made it possible for us to still send students out into the world during this challenging time for travel”.

While faculty-led and affiliate learning abroad programs remain paused through summer due to public health concerns, student travel to the U Asia Campus remains open and falls outside the scope of current university travel restrictions. The U Asia Campus is the only international program location where U students have direct access to an established network of university-managed health and safety support services. Strong communication links between the two campuses, alongside shared student resources and assistance tools, allow for the University to continue to support student mobility to the U Asia Campus.

Students are invited to take advantage of Utah Asia Campus programming this summer—taking one to two courses over six weeks from late June to early August. Applications are due April 15.

HUMANS OF THE U: MATTHEW STEVENS

This is me, my flute teacher Miwako Mori, and Takahito Nishno (drum), performing a concert together at the Salt Lake City Library on the night of my graduation from the U.

My Learning Abroad year at Kansai Gaidai in Osaka, Japan was fun, magical, and filled with personal and academic growth. It also launched me into incredible junior and senior years at the U, and a wonderful international career.

But my relationship with Japan didn’t start there—it has spanned most of my life.

I first encountered Japan as a child when my mother told me about the performance art of Yoko Ono. I became transfixed and would beg for “Yoko Ono bedtime stories.” I was delighted by the innocence, absurdity and unbridled expression of her work. As I engaged with her art more deeply, I uncovered themes of love, healing, and imagination. Her compassion and avant-garde spirit are part of the Japan that I have come to know.

My family hosted many homestay students from Japan and formed dear, long-lasting friendships. This led me to study Japanese language in high school, where the dedication and humanity of my teacher continued to steer my life.

After becoming a student at the U, I enjoyed the language programs, and also started an exploration of Japanese performance arts and movement with Dr. Jerry Gardner--an expert in avant-garde Japanese performance in the Theatre department. This relationship would eventually culminate in my graduation thesis for Asian Studies.

I studied in Japan for my sophomore year. It was so rewarding to use my Japanese language skills to support new endeavors, and I soon found myself involved with local performing artists and absorbed in training and performing together.

Learning abroad allowed me to engage with another culture and new people on my own terms. It’s rare to be so fully immersed in the purpose and responsibility of learning, interacting and simply experiencing.

When I graduated and decided to pursue a career in Japan, I had an entire community waiting for me. That support was crucial to my professional success. (My bamboo flute teacher in Kyoto even traveled to Utah and we played a concert together on my graduation night.)

This is me and Ranjo-san—a famous and beloved Shinobue (Japanese transverse bamboo flute) craftsperson. He is playing an instrument made out of smoked bamboo that is over a century old. He later gifted me the priceless instrument.

I enjoyed a very satisfying career in Japan for nearly a decade. I worked for the Wakayama City Hall International Affairs Division, managed and taught educational programs, provided support to the international community, and coordinated sister city exchange programs. Later, at the Kyoto Convention and Visitors Bureau, I acted as Kyoto’s spokesperson to the international meetings industry, working in close collaboration with government, local and global business partners, and Japan’s leading universities to bring large academic conferences to Kyoto.

I am excited to come full circle and bring what I’ve learned back to the U’s Office for Global Engagement. I can offer understanding and empathy around what it’s like to be an international student, and aim to help the U be a safe place for our diverse community to learn together.

I hope that all students will reach out to the world, form meaningful connections, and nourish those influences for their entire lifetime. Engaging with the world makes us better students, better professionals, and better people.

____

Matthew Stevens is Project Coordinator for the Office for Global Engagement. He recently moved back to Utah (a harrowing journey, given the pandemic) after working in Japan for eight years post-graduation.

Learn more about Learning Abroad programs in Japan.

TONY ANGHIE AND DR. KELLY BRICKER WIN EXCELLENCE IN GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT AWARDS

Dr. Tony Anghie

The Office for Global Engagement is pleased to announce professors Tony Anghie and Kelly Bricker as the winners of the 2021 Excellence in Global Engagement Awards.

Dr. Tony Anghie

Anghie joined the faculty at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law faculty in 1995. He served on the University President’s Task Force on Internationalization and on various other committees examining issues of internationalization at the university level. Anghie’s research interests include public and private international law; human rights; globalization, development issues, and international law; terrorism and the use of force; international business transactions and international economic law; colonialism and the history of public international law; and third world approaches to international law.

Anghie’s nominators—Dean Elizabeth Kronk Warner, as well as Dr. Erika George and Dr. Jacqueline Esty Morrison of the College of Law–detailed his broad and deep impact on students pursuing global education opportunities, on internationalizing the curriculum, in his scholarly work, and in developing programs such as the Master of Science in International Affairs and Global Enterprise.

Dr. Kelly Bricker

Bricker is Chair of the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism (PRT) in the College of Health and joined the U in 2007. Her research and teaching interests lie in nature-based tourism, sense of place, gateway communities, natural resource management, health benefits of nature-based experiences, and the impacts of tourism.

Dr. Kelly Bricker

Bricker has played a key role in defining curriculum for the Office for Global Engagement’s China National Parks Program. She serves on the boards of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, the Tourism and Protected Area Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and the Central Wasatch Stakeholders Council. With her husband, partners in OARS, and 12 communities in the rural highlands of Fiji, Bricker established a lease for conservation on the Upper Navua River, through an ecotourism project they created called Rivers Fiji.

Bricker is co-author or editor of seven books on sustainable tourism, ecotourism, and the restorative qualities of nature. She has contributed numerous chapters to books on tourism’s environmental and social impacts and authored more than 60 journal articles.

Nominators College of Health Dean David Perrin, Dr. Daniel Dustin of PRT, and Deborah Kerstetter (Professor Emerita at Pennsylvania State University), spoke to Bricker’s numerous and long-term contributions to the U’s global dimension, across teaching, scholarly achievements, and outreach. The selection committee was impressed by Bricker’s connections and work spanning Europe, Fiji, and East Asia as well as the sheer variety of engagement from providing students with global education opportunities, internationalizing the curriculum, development of professional training programs for administrators in China and Mongolia, and scholarly work/consulting regarding best practices in multiple areas: ecotourism, national parks management, environmental studies. Her nominators also mentioned the great enthusiasm with which Bricker approaches teaching, projects, scholarship, and outreach.

Anghie’s and Bricker’s contributions toward advancing internationalization at the U are truly exemplary and worthy of this distinguished recognition. The award comes with a $1,000 prize and awardees will be celebrated at an event later this year.

HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AT THE U?

Global U Quiz

Every fall, the International Student Council hosts International Night--a festive celebration of the global diversity at the U and the keystone event for International Education Week. In 2020 the event pivoted to a virtual format and featured a Zoom trivia night that tested guests’ knowledge of our international student population. It made us curious—how much do our readers really know about international students at the U? We created the quiz below as a fun way to learn more about this important part of our U community.

The University of Utah class of 2024’s international students are from ___ countries.

  1. 37
  2. 51
  3. 42
  4. 48

1. The class of 2024 represents 37 countries! In the past year, the U has welcomed students and scholars from 94 countries in total:
Afghanistan, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Croatia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Finland, France, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Macau, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, PSE, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe.

On average, how many new international students arrive at the U each semester?

  1. Fall: 500, Spring: 500, Summer: 250
  2. Fall: 600, Spring: 200, Summer: 50
  3. Fall: 1200, Spring: 600, Summer: 150

2. On average, the U welcomes about 600 international students each Fall, another 200 each Spring, and around 50 each Summer.

What are the two types of authorizations held by international students and scholars?

  1. F-1 visa
  2. S. Passport
  3. J-1 visa
  4. Visa bank card

1 & 3. F-1 visas are held by degree-seeking students (undergraduate and graduate). J-1 visas are required for visitors working on post docs, fellows, interns, and professors. International students must complete more paperwork than their peers. Obtaining a visa requires an 1-20 form, fees, and regular reporting to maintain an active visa status. Visa requirements are subject to change, which can cause a great deal of uncertainty for our international students. This has been especially true during the pandemic.

From what three countries do the majority of the U’s international students come?

  1. India, China, Russia
  2. China, India, South Korea
  3. South Korea, Brazil, China
  4. India, Pakistan, China

2. China (30%), India (16%), and South Korea (12%) are home countries to the majority of the U’s international students.

What is one of the most commonly cited challenges for international students?

  1. Learning Salt Lake’s grid system
  2. Adjusting to Utah’s climate
  3. Finding parking on campus
  4. Overcoming language barriers

4. While all students face many of these challenges, one of the most common challenges that international students mention is a language barrier. It can take longer to process information received in your non-native language, and many students carry cognitive fatigue while acclimating to life in another country. Even students who are very competent English speakers might feel afraid to speak up in class or initiate conversation with a domestic student because they’ve faced judgment about having an accent. Fostering a welcoming, inclusive campus culture at all levels is critical to helping our international students overcome this challenge. Whenever possible, take the first step, introduce yourself, and make an international student feel at home.

Can international students apply for scholarships?

  1. yes
  2. no

1. Yes! In fact, ISSS hosts a special scholarship just for international students. Check it out here.

What two things do international students often say they miss most about their home countries?

  1. Food
  2. Their pets
  3. Family
  4. Weather

1 & 3. Food and family! Reach out to another student and ask about what they miss. Share recipes or participate in a cooking class together. (Many clubs on campus have launched virtual cooking events during Covid!) Sharing food culture is a great way to grow friendships, which can go a long way toward easing the homesickness of missing family.

What do all domestic and international students and scholars have in common?

  1. A love for the color crimson
  2. Excitement when it snows
  3. Membership in the OneU family
  4. A secret desire to wear the Swoop costume

3! No matter where you come from and where you call “home,” all our students are part of the OneU family. ISSS is honored to support you. Learn more about the resources we offer here.

NEW WOMEN LEADERS IN GLOBAL HEALTH GROUP WORKS TOWARD GENDER EQUITY IN HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE

by Heather Sebero, U Global Health Programs Manager

Women Leaders in Global Health is a working group created by the University of Utah global health community in 2019 to engage our campus community toward gender equity in global health leadership. Women Leaders in Global Health hosts events that introduce paths toward gender equity and advocates for gender-transformative policy and action.

Global health is most often delivered by women and led by men. Today women account for 70 percent of the health and social care workforce and deliver care to around 5 billion people. However, only 25 percent of senior roles are held by women. Women remain largely segregated into lower-status and lower-paid jobs in health and are subject to discrimination. A more equitable global health workforce will result in improved health systems, quality of care, and ultimately, health and wellbeing for people worldwide.

During Women Leaders in Global Health events, participants hear from distinguished global health leaders from around the globe. Through stimulating presentations and active engagement, Women Leaders in Global Health encourages participants to pursue leadership roles in global health.

Women Leaders in Global Health is made up of faculty and staff from across the University of Utah. Our past presenters have included the executive director and co-founder of Women in Global Health and a global health leader who has spent over 20 years working in conflict environments. For Women’s History Month, we screened the film Laila at the Bridge and hosted a discussion with local addiction specialists. We’re currently planning our next round of events. Follow @globaluofu on Instagram so you don’t miss upcoming programming.

If you’d like to play a part in this important work, please email heather.sebero@utah.edu.

To learn more about gender equity in global health visit Women in Global Health and Global Health 50/50.

5 WAYS TO SUPPORT INTERNATIONAL STUDENT WRITING

Dr. Jay Jordan

Creating an inclusive environment that encourages growth in academic writing is one way faculty can be an ally to all U students, particularly if English is not their first language. To learn more about how to foster a supportive writing environment for international students, we talked to Dr. Jay Jordan, Associate Professor of Writing & Rhetoric Studies.

Jordan specializes in second language writing and works with students at the U’s Salt Lake City and Asia Campuses. He is also Faculty Academic Liaison for Utah Global, an international student recruitment and support program on campus.

Here are five things Jordan recommends faculty should consider:

  1. Recognize that first-year writing can’t teach everything.
    English is a notoriously difficult language to learn and, just as in any discipline, there is a limit to how much a student can absorb (and an instructor can teach) in a given semester. In addition, “good” writing can vary a lot by discipline. Don’t expect all of a student’s writing knowledge to come from their writing class. Build in as much low-stakes and ungraded writing as possible into your course so students can practice. Help them write to learn as well as learn to write.
  2. Investigate your own bias and perspective.
    Understanding cultural differences in communication preferences can support the way you present assignments and set expectations. For example, many cultures have some preference for implicitness. If you’re asking a student to deliver argumentative writing, it’s possible that’s a new space for the student and they may not feel immediately comfortable. The American preference for highly explicit communication can even be seen as intellectually insulting in some parts of the world by inferring that the reader can’t come to a conclusion for themselves.
  3. Model good academic writing.
    Showing students what it really looks like to write is very powerful. Don’t just showcase the polished final product. Share your process, show them drafts, talk about writer’s block. Help students understand what it really takes to create a good piece of writing in all its (sometimes messy and frustrating) glory. Pulling back the curtain can make the process less intimidating, normalize healthy struggle, and encourage academic resilience.
  4. Stress the availability of centers and resources.
    We are fortunate to have wonderful writing support available to all students on campus. Sometimes our international students aren’t aware of the full scope of what is available (and that there’s no additional cost for these services). Please make sure they know about The Writing Center, and other student support systems unique to your discipline.
  5. Seek progress, not perfection. Plus, a note on plagiarism.
    Learning to write well in a second language takes courage and vulnerability. Honor the student’s effort by picking your battles and protecting their progress. Don’t overwhelm them (and yourself) by feeling like you have to comment on every error. It’s not uncommon for even advanced English learners to make grammatical mistakes simply because there is no parallel in their home language. Instead, ask and wonder about choices and seek to consistently correct the errors that are most critical to their study at that moment in time.

Finally, a note on plagiarism. The academic code is clear about what constitutes plagiarism—intentionally using another’s work and passing it off as your own. Sometimes, what appears to be plagiarism is an attempt to model academic language that is still out of reach. This is an excellent opportunity to discuss inappropriate borrowing and guide the student to language that doesn’t infringe upon intellectual property rights. Be careful you don’t miss the teaching moment.

U EXPANDS PARTNERSHIPS IN PAKISTAN

Sending students on learning abroad experiences, hosting international students and fostering trans-national research partnerships are among the most familiar ways that the U plays an active part on the global stage. What many may not realize is that some of our faculty also play a key role in the development of academic institutions themselves. Indeed, U faculty expertise in the nuts and bolts of academia—from curriculum development and tenure and promotion to research practices and grant proposals—helps to bolster education systems far beyond Utah.

Recently, the University of Utah Office for Global Engagement signed a new memorandum of understanding to help guide the development of nine new degree programs at Swat University of Engineering and Technology (Swat UET) in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Within three years, this new partnership aims to graduate 15 scholars in a new Swat UET doctoral program.

“Our involvement in Pakistan is not new, it’s expanding,” said Aslam Chaudhry, professor of economics. “The partnership is an extension of work in the region that began six years ago with the U.S.-Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Water (USPCASW).”

In 2014, the U was awarded a $10 million grant, part of a $127 million USAID program, that was instrumental in the development of the USPCASW at Mehran University for Engineering and Technology in Sindh, Pakistan. The success of USPCASW, including the U faculty’s approach to capacity building, has made the U a sought-after partner by the Higher Education Institutions of Pakistan.

Through the new agreement the U will also provide technical support in the organization of curriculum, development of applied research centers, stakeholder events and outreach, capacity building workshops, online seminars and diploma courses at the Swat UET campus. A U team will advise on governance and monitoring protocols to ensure lasting success.

“We are grateful for the trust and confidence Pakistani higher education administrators, faculty and students had shown in our approach to satisfy their capacity development needs,” said Dan Reed, senior vice president, Academic Affairs. “We, at the University of Utah, have been very pleased to be part of Swat UET’s journey to professional growth and academic excellence.”

U faculty will also help strengthen Swat UET’s new “International Linkages Office,” which aims to connect other universities of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to U.S. universities and international partners. Doing so will create study and research opportunities for Pakistani students and faculty and will increase prospects for the region’s institutions to compete on the global research stage.

To advance the implementation of these targets, several U faculty members will visit Pakistan twice a year once public health guidance permits.

“Each year that we worked on USPCASW, mutual trust was expanded into long-lasting and sustainable partnerships,” said Steve Burian, professor, Civil Engineering at the U and project lead. “These institutions know that we have a team that is invested and willing to travel–to really be ‘on the ground’ in order to create lasting collaborations.”

This reputation has paved the way for institutional partnerships with Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission, the National University of Technology in Islamabad, Habib University in Karachi. In fact, the Higher Education Commission in Pakistan is currently chaired by former U Economics Professor Tariq Banuri. Faculty research partnerships have also been established with public services and private industries in the Sindh, Punjab, Gilgit and Balochistan regions. The new agreement with Swat UET will further these efforts.

EIGHT U STUDENTS NOMINATED AS SEMI-FINALISTS FOR FULBRIGHT AWARDS FOR 2021-22

The University of Utah is proud to announce that eight students have been nominated as Fulbright semi-finalists this year. This year’s list has six undergraduate students and two Ph.D. students, including four English Teaching Assistant semifinalists and four Research Grant semi-finalists. Countries include Vietnam, Cameroon, Germany, Turkey, Colombia, Taiwan, Mexico, and Hungary.

Making it to the semi-finalist round is a significant accomplishment in the Fulbright competition, and means that the applications have been forwarded by the Fulbright National Screening Committee to the Fulbright Commission or U.S. Embassy in the host country for final review. Finalists will be notified later this spring, with the timing of notifications varying by country.

University of Utah’s 2021-22 Fulbright semi-finalists are:

Devon Cantwell, Ph.D., Political Science / Fulbright Research Award to Vietnam
Devon will examine environmental justice in climate adaptation and mitigation planning in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) in relationship to other cities in Southeast Asia and the national climate strategy in Vietnam.

Alessandra Cipriani-Detres, BA, International Studies and Minor in Spanish and Italian, Learning Abroad Peer Advisor / Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Colombia.

Ian Farkas, BA, Political Science, International Studies, and Middle East Studies with Turkish Language / Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Turkey.

Peter Johnston, BA, Political Science and minor in Spanish / English Teaching Assistantship Mexico.

Elissa Krebs, Ph.D., Violin Performance, Minor in Viola Pedagogy / Fulbright Research Grant to Germany.
Elissa’s project is to work with the distinguished scholars at the Max Reger Institute, and research and write her dissertation on the little-known solo violin music of Max Reger.

Caitlin Silianoff, BA, English and Political Science / Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Taiwan.

Elliott Sipple, BS, International Studies / Fulbright Research Grant to Hungary.
Elliott will explore the perceptions of the Hungarian people and their opinions on how U.S. foreign policy has impacted the respect for democratic institutions and the civil society in Hungary.

Celine Slam, BS, Chemistry / Fulbright Research Grant to Cameroon.
Celine will study what malaria parasite genetic factors contribute to asymptomatic malaria.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is the largest U.S. exchange program offering opportunities for students and young professionals to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and primary and secondary school teaching worldwide. The program currently awards approximately 1,900 grants annually in all fields of study, and operates in more than 140 countries worldwide.

The Fulbright Program at the U is sponsored by the Office for Global Engagement and the Graduate School. For more information, students can contact Prof. Howard Lehman, Director of the Fulbright Program lehman@poli-sci.utah.edu.

KAREN MARSH SCHAEFFER SELECTED BY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE SPECIALIST PROJECT

The U.S. Department of State announced the selection of Karen Marsh Schaeffer of the U’s Department of Linguistics for a 6-week virtual English Language Specialist project focusing on engaging K-12 language learners with online learning in Istanbul, Turkey. Marsh Schaeffer is part of a select group, as her project is one of 150 that the English Language Specialist Program supports each year.

Marsh Schaeffer maintains roles as Director of English for Academic Success in the department of Linguistics, and as Interim Director of Utah Global Faculty in Undergraduate Studies.

Marsh Schaeffer’s dedication to global learning has been ongoing. She has worked with refugees, local organizations, and teachers to build language abilities for many students over the years. In 2018, Marsh Shaeffer received the Office for Global Engagement’s Excellence in Global Engagement Award. She was a member of a Linguistics team who were awarded a Global Learning Across Disciplines grant in 2019. She’s been deeply involved in the Faculty Learning Community on Global Learning and attended the Global Learning Retreat.

Marsh Schaeffer has previously worked in Narva, Estonia and Indonesia as a specialist and has helped with orientation for Fulbright English Language Teaching Assistants, as well. Her favorite thing about working with students is learning about their backgrounds, cultures and native languages.

The English Language Specialist Program is the premier opportunity for leaders in the field of teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) to enact meaningful and sustainable changes in the way that English is taught abroad. Through projects developed by U.S. Embassies in more than 80 countries, English Language Specialists work directly with local teacher trainers, educational leaders, and ministry of education officials to exchange knowledge, build capacity, and establish partnerships benefiting participants, institutions, and communities in the United States and overseas.

Since 1991, the English Language Specialist Program has supported in-country, virtual, and mixed projects in which hundreds of TESOL scholars and educators promote English language learning, enhance English teaching capacity, and foster mutual understanding between the U.S. and other countries through cultural exchange. During their projects, English Language Specialists may conduct intensive teacher training, advise ministries of education or participate in high-level educational consultations, and offer plenary presentations at regional, national or international TESOL conferences. These projects are challenging and those selected represent the best of the U.S. TESOL community. In return, the program provides professional development opportunities to help participants experience different cultures and build skills that can greatly enhance their TESOL careers at home.

English Language Specialists are counted among the more than 50,000 individuals participating in U.S. Department of State exchange programs each year. The Specialist Program is administered by the Center for Intercultural Education and Development at Georgetown University.

Learn more at elprograms.org/specialist.

PROFESSOR DEEN CHATTERJEE CELEBRATES IRELAND’S PEACE-BASED BID TO THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL

A wish for world peace is often uttered as a naive hope for the impossible, but Professor Deen Chatterjee, Faculty Affiliate at the Oxford Consortium for Human Rights at the U, would argue that world peace is attainable when we shift our mindset to accomplishing it.

Chatterjee offers Ireland’s recent successful bid for a rotating seat on the UN Security Council as evidence of a global appetite for alternate approaches to peace that are enduring and active—more than just the end of conflict. Chatterjee’s research played a supporting role in Ireland’s victory and, though Covid restrictions prevented him from attending the formal celebration in Dublin, he is gratified to see the approach so publicly endorsed on the world stage.

“We cannot think of peace as a resting state or absence of war,” says Chatterjee. Ireland ran their campaign for the UN seat on the idea of global security by way of sustainable development goals (SDGs), leaning heavily on SDG16—peace, justice, and strong institutions. These global goals promoting just, peaceful, and inclusive societies were set in 2015 by the UN General Assembly as a way to achieve a more equitable and sustainable future for all.

The active pursuit of the SDGs toward global peace offers a marked difference from a traditional view of “war readiness” as a plan to reinforce peace.

“We have to rethink this strategy of global security. We cannot simply think of peace in terms of war. This war-ready mindset makes us live in perpetual fear. We end up being a security nation, which is not conducive to peace or national health. We need a shift in our thinking that would prioritize proactive policies of peace over a reactive path to war,” said Chatterjee. He proposes an approach called “Just Peace as Preventive Non-intervention” and has championed the concept through lectures, books, and articles all over the world.

Over the past two decades, Chatterjee has delivered ideas on this theme as an NEH fellow at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, through his role as a Faculty Affiliate at the Oxford Consortium for Human Rights at Oxford University, as a Trustee of Pax Natura Foundation in Costa Rica and Cuba, and in Japan as a Carnegie Council Fellow, among other appointments.

Chatterjee spoke on the topic in Dublin in 2017 on behalf of Ireland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Trinity International Development Initiative (TIDI) at Trinity College in a lecture series aimed at showcasing the Irish strategy toward the UN Security Council seat. He believes that it’s “high time that we shift our discourse from finding security in resorting to a just war to building security via a just peace.” It’s a nuanced perspective shift, but he explains it as, “a prospect that is far more achievable and less costly in lives and resources than the current practice of perpetual war for perpetual peace, which has taken us nowhere near peace.”

The study of peace and, more broadly, human rights and global justice, has been the focus of Chatterjee’s life’s work. As a former philosophy professor at the U and then a senior fellow at the S.J. Quinney College of Law, Chatterjee sees his work as a continuation of the formative years of his student days. Chatterjee came of age on the West Coast as an activist during the tumultuous days of the late sixties, protesting the Vietnam war and participating in peace efforts.

When asked why he has spent so much of his life focused on researching peace, Chatterjee replies, “We have to be proactive, engaged, and relevant in this world. What can be more fulfilling than finding ways to make this planet a better place for all its inhabitants? We all need to find our own ways to go about it.”

Learn more.