Global Kentucky Spring 2016 - Volume 7 - Issue 2
An International Center newsletter that celebrates the University of Kentucky’s international leadership.
UK Receives Funding to Establish Model Confucius Institute
A&S Passport to the World: Year of Europe
By Whitney Hale
By Jennifer Allen
The continent of Europe has a fascinating past, but it is also a vital part of the contemporary world and will undoubtedly play a considerable role in shaping the future.
The University of Kentucky Board of Trustees accepted a contribution of $1.7 million from Confucius Institute Headquarters (Hanban) late December to establish a Model Confucius Institute. The funding, which will be matched by the university, will pay for the renovation of an area at Lucille C. Little Fine Arts Library and Learning Center dedicated to the institute. “We have been so proud to see UK recognized on the international stage, in China, and this latest investment in our partnership will cement the UK Confucius Institute’s standing as one of the world’s leading Confucius Institutes,” said Associate Provost for Internationalization Susan Carvalho. “It is a credit to the leadership and vision of Dr. Huajing Maske, the Confucius Institute director and the executive director of our Office of China Initiatives, as well as a testament to the expert guidance of the faculty- and community-led steering committee.” The Confucius Institute is a partnership between China’s Ministry of Education and some 500 global universities. There are currently 110 Confucius Institutes in the United States, including such universities as Colum-
bia and Stanford. At UK, it is run as a matching-funds grant to ensure transparency and accountability. Established in 2010, the UK Confucius Institute was the 68th in the U.S. The institute was brought to the university through the strategic planning and hard work of the Asia Center, a group of faculty that landed funding to also help establish UK’s Japanese and Chinese majors. In its first five years of operation, the institute has won one of the select few Global Confucius Institute of the Year Awards, in 2012 and 2014, and a Director’s Individual Performance Award from Hanban in 2013. The UK institute’s success made it well positioned to compete for increased funding, when Hanban decided to establish a small number of Model Confucius Institutes that would offer high-quality space for showcasing China-related programming. “There are currently 20 Model Confucius Institutes among the 500 Global Confucius Institutes. This award signifies Hanban’s recognition of our hard work and achievement,” Maske said. Continued on page 12
This year, the College of Arts and Sciences’ Passport to the World program has focused on the Year of Europe. The yearlong series of programs have been promoting understanding of the problems and prospects of the European continent and Europe’s relationship to the United States and other parts of the world. Throughout the year, arts, history, literature, political analysis, architecture, geography, and the social and environmental sciences have been integrated into many events enabling students, alumni and the Commonwealth to gain a better understanding of Europe today and its prospects for the future.
#seeblueabroad with EA’s Spring Expo 2016
To view the Education Abroad Spring Expo 2016 photo album visit http://bit.ly/EASpringExpo16 .
2 Global Kentucky - UK International Center
UK International Center Highlights WHAT’S TWEETING
FACEBOOK HIGHLIGHT
UPCOMING EVENTS APRIL
KY DERBY FEST: HORSIN’ AROUND
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Join International Student Council for a KY tradition @ 2 p.m. at Bradley Hall Courtyard! We’ll have a hat contest, stick-horse races, bobbing for apples & more!
APRIL
U.S & E.UTRADE RELATIONS: The French Example
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An A&S Year of Europe event, Eric Beaty, Economic and Commercial Attaché, U.S. Consulate for Western France, will present @ 4 p.m. at B-108C , W.T. Young Library.
MAY
INTL. STUDENT GRADUATION RECEPTION
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Join the UK International Center, Alumni Association & International Hospitality Program to honor our international student graduates @ 2 p.m. at King Alumni House.
JUNE
2016 LEX WORLD REFUGEE DAY SUMMIT
16 JUNE
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Hear from a Syrian therapist working in refugee camps in Jordan & learn how to make Lexington a more welcoming environment. More: http://bit.ly/lexrefugeesummit NAFSA KENTUCKY STATE CONFERENCE
The state’s annual gathering of international educators will be held at Transylvania University in Lexington. For details contact Jason Hope at jasonhope@uky.edu.
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
Alan DeYoung to Serve as Fulbright Specialist in Turkmenistan, Spring 2016 Alan J. DeYoung, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation at the University of Kentucky, has been selected by the International University for the Humanities and Development (IUHD) in Turkmenistan to serve as Fulbright Specialist in the spring semester of 2016. Read the full story at www.uky.edu/international/DeYoung_FulbrightSpecialist16
UK Global Health - Global Kentucky 3
Global Health Case Competition 2016 Tackles Child Obesity in Mexico By Megan Neltner
Eleven multi-disciplinary student teams gathered on Saturday, Feb. 27, to compete in the second annual Global Health Case Competition, where they sought to find solutions to tackle childhood obesity in Mexico. This competition was hosted by the Office of Global Health Initiatives, whose goal is to provide advanced research and educational programs for students to improve the health of people throughout the world. Each year, teams are challenged to create strategies that address a global health issue and then present their plans to a panel of judges. From those presenting, a winning team is selected to move to the International Global Health Case Competition, which takes place in April at Emory University in Atlanta. “Our job was to come up with solutions for the childhood obesity crisis that Mexico is facing right now,” said Karly Kindoll, UK student from the College of Health Sciences and a member of the winning team, Team 12. “They have unprecedented rates of childhood obesity nationwide, especially in school-aged children. So our task was to come up with a comprehensive approach involving the communities as well as a governmental approach,” Kindoll said. Team 12 won the competition with their three-level plan. At the national level, they would use the Acuerdo Nacional por la Salud Alimentaria (ANSA) taskforce, which would “act as a collaborator between all branches of the government,” said Olivia Pokoski, UK student from the College of Public Health. The second (local) level would implement a community health leader program. “The goal of this program is to motivate the individuals in the different communities to live a healthier lifestyle,” Pokoski said. Finally, the third solution the team proposed was to increase the national soda tax. After all presentations, four teams were selected to be finalists. These finalists were then given a “twist” to include in
The winning team of the 2016 Global Health Competition presented strategies to address child obesity in Mexico and will compete at the 2016 International Global Health Competition in April at Emory University in Atlanta.
their presentations. The twist was that the Secretary of Health was worried that the President of Mexico’s cabinet as well as other influential stakeholders would not fully support the solutions. Team 12 said that they were fortunate in that they already had a plan in place to get the government and other key players working together all on the same page. Anton Abdul Fatah, UK student, from the winning team and Martin School of Public Policy and Administration, mentioned that it was, however, difficult to change the language “from convincing just one person to convincing all persons.” Nadine-Stella Achenjang, from the College of Medicine, said she thought her team won the competition because her team had “a simpler approach than the other participants.” “It was very cost-effective and also it was something that involved a lot of people,” Achenjang said. “And it targeted a lot of different aspects of the issue: the food part, exercise part, and the cultural awareness part.”
First Place: Team 12 • Karly Kindoll, College of Health Sciences • Anton Abdul Fatah, Martin School of Public Policy and Administration • Olivia Pokoski, College of Public Health • Nadine-Stella Achenjang, College of Medicine
Second Place: Team 11 • Sean Butterbaugh, College of Medicine • Shreya Berlia, College of Public Health • Holly Pan, College of Pharmacy • Joy Coles, College of Nursing
Third Place: Team 9 • Devon Collins, College of Public Health • Samjhanaj Shakya, College of Public Health • Sarah Tabayehnejad, College of Pharmacy • Lucy Hollingsworth Williamson, College of Nursing
Fourth Place: Team 6 • Leila Mende, College of Medicine • Kai Zhang, College of Public Health • Jennifer Walch, College of Public Health • Jade Daugherty, College of Pharmacy • Christopher Kositzke, College of Arts and Sciences
4 Global Kentucky - UK Education Abroad
UK Student Teaches about Kentucky during Internship for Paraguay’s State Department By Austin Hughes
Mason King, a senior double major in Spanish and political science, spent fall 2015 in Asunción, Paraguay. This wasn’t a typical education abroad program. King interned at the Department of State’s Office of Public Diplomacy in the Paraguayan capital. King describes the Office of Public Diplomacy as the “public relations group for democracy and American ideals.” As an intern, he said he was very surprised with the range and amount of opportunities that were extended to him. “I really feared going into it…that I was going to be a ‘coffee and copies’ kind of intern,” King said. “The first week I was there they actually sent me as the American representative on a traveling excursion where I represented the embassy at various speaking engagements.” One of King’s favorite assignments during his internship was teaching classes at local universities about Kentucky. The discussions included the Commonwealth’s history, culture and industry. “The guidelines they gave me were to do a cultural seminar,” King said. “So I thought it would be really cool to introduce people to a state that they may know nothing about.” King explained that many people recognized the KFC brand and a few indicated
Mason King, UK senior majoring in Spanish and political science, and his team at Paraguay’s Department of State’s Office of Public Diplomacy.
some knowledge of bourbon, but they had little knowledge of the state beyond these. To his surprise, he said those attending the seminars were very interested and engaged. Apart from representing the office at events and hosting cultural seminars, King also honed his writing skills. The office had him author cables to Washington regarding important political events in Paraguay, and he even drafted speeches for the ambassador. King said his time in the Office of Public
Diplomacy was extremely valuable. He gained an appreciation for the “grunt work” that goes into ensuring that ideals and policies actually come to fruition. “It definitely gave me a greater appreciation for the work that they are doing and it kind of enticed me to consider a stint in the Foreign Service,” King added. Students are encouraged to consider internships abroad by visiting uky.edu/ educationabroad and using the program search tool.
UK Students Work with EA to Send Books to International, Developing Communities By Austin Hughes
University of Kentucky Education Abroad (UK EA) and International Studies Abroad (ISA) hosted the first “Night of Service” on Feb. 9 at the International Book Project. Students were offered the opportunity to participate in a local service project while learning about international service learning.
place at the International Book Project, a non-profit organization that promotes literacy, education and global friendships by sending over 200,000 books annually to developing nations and impoverished areas in the United States. Boxes from this particular day of service were sent to Papua New Guinea and Kosovo.
“UK Education Abroad is hosting Nights of Service in an effort to involve students in Lexington-based community projects,” said Susan Meredith, UK EA adviser. “We hope that by serving locally, students are inspired to serve internationally as well.”
“Working with an organization like the International Book Project inspired me to continue giving back to my community, both locally and internationally,” said freshman psychology and Spanish double major, Sarah Smoak. “It kindled the spark for service-learning in me, and has made me want to seek out
This semester’s Night of Service took
more opportunities to serve people.” UK Education Abroad offers international service-learning programs through ISA. Students can spend a summer in India, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic among other places participating in service projects with non-profit organizations, municipal offices, schools or clinics. There is also a semester-length option in Cuzco, Peru. For more information about international service learning, please view our digital catalog or contact Susan McVey Meredith, UK EA adviser, at susan.mcvey@uky.edu or call 859-313-2143.
International Students & Scholars Services - Global Kentucky 5
New International Leadership Team Facilitates Student Adaptation and Engagement By Megan Neltner
The University of Kentucky’s International Student and Scholar Services has created a new way for international students to connect with the university socially, academically and culturally. The new International Student Leadership Team, consisting of by eight UK students, will assist incoming and current students to find the resources they need to succeed in the UK campus and Lexington community. “This group is designed to help our international students connect with the university,” said Lauren Doss, ISSS’s international academic coordinator. Doss, who launched the ISLT team, said she believed an effective way for international students to relate to the UK campus was through the eyes and support of other fellow students. Doss said the team she aimed to build would have a strong academic record, would be connected on campus and show strong leadership qualities. After reviewing seventy
applications and conducting interviews, eight students were selected. “The team is made up of a group of dedicated, committed and experienced individuals that are all very passionate about our mission,” said Tiwa Adekundle, junior student from Ghana. “I think we hope to create a college environment at UK which international students feel fully integrated to the community and feel like UK is a second home for them.” Each team member is responsible for mentoring six freshmen international students to help them become better acclimated to UK’s campus as well as Lexington. In addition, Doss said the ISLT is expected to organize an academic, social and cultural event each month. According to Adekundle, the overall goal of these events is to “create a more inclusive college environment” where all UK students, not
The newly-created UK International Student Leadership Team (ISLT) will assist international students with adapting to the UK campus and U.S. culture.
just international students, can participate. “The events will be a great way to make new friends and to meet people that are different from you,” Adekundle said. The team is comprised of UK students Grace Kim (Canada), Ines Elena (Spain), Mfon Itama (Nigeria), Nicole Funk (United States), Shiv Desai (Zambia), Tiffany Molina (Honduras), Tiwa Adekundle (Ghana) and Wit Wang (China).
International Student Spearheads National Campus Kitchens Project at UK By Elena Griffo
For University of Kentucky junior Kendra Oo, an education in nutrition extends far beyond the classroom.
food that can be repurposed into nutritious meals for people struggling with food insecurity.
Oo, a dietetics student from Myanmar, was attracted to the coordinated dietetics program at UK that offered a challenging course schedule along with a hands-on internship experience.
As a founder of Campus Kitchens at the UK, Oo helped coordinate a program with UK Dining Services to use leftover food to create new recipes and deliver meals to the MLK Academy, Lexington House and other local homes in need.
She is also a part of the UK Student Dietetic Nutrition Association (SDNA), where she participates in meal packaging for God’s Pantry Food Bank. It was at an SDNA event where Oo first heard about the Campus Kitchens Project. “There are many operations that waste a lot of food and I never thought about what happened to that food until I was informed about a nationwide project called Campus Kitchens,” Oo said. Campus Kitchens is a university-based project that builds a sustainable approach to food on campus by teaming up with dining services to use leftover
“Along with meal delivery, we also provide an educational aspect by offering two cooking classes per semester along with building relationships with the people we are serving,” Oo said. Not only does Oo devote three days a week to her work at Campus Kitchens, but she also landed a position at Good Samaritan hospital in dietary aid with the help and support of the student adviser John Honeycutt, as well as the Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition Tammy Stephenson, to further her nutrition experience.
Kendra Oo, junior dietetics student from Myanmar leads nationwide sustainable food project, Campus Kitchens, at the University of Kentucky.
“After I finish my undergrad I would like to continue my education at graduate school and eventually work in community nutrition,” Oo said. “My goal is to inform communities about the healthy options available in fast food to combat obesity and promote overall wellness.”
6 Global Kentucky - UK Confucius Institute
East Meets West: Bringing Two Cultures Together for an Evening of Fashion and Art By Lauren Henrickson
To celebrate the Chinese New Year, the University of Kentucky Confucius Institute (UKCI) hosted “East Meets West,” a performance featuring fashion, dance and music. Held in the Haggin Auditorium at Transylvania University for its second production, “East Meets West” was a unique show that brought together the cultural differences of the east and the west, providing the audience with a captivating and engaging performance. “What’s really significant is that the theme
of East Meets West is reflecting what our institute is trying to do: bridge the two cultures of China and the United States,” said Huajing Maske, Ph.D., director of the UKCI and executive director of the Office of China Initiatives. The program showcased a variety of acts, merging the artistic styles of Eastern and Western cultures. There was a unique musical pairing of an American harp with the Chinese GuZheng, an enchanting jazz dance to Chinese music from the 1920s and a modern Chinese fashion show highlighting traditional costumes from different dynasties.
The creative visions of Fashion Designer and Producer Qi Zhou and Art Director Shuling Fister from Shuling Studio came to life through the beautiful dances, remarkable melodies and stunning fashions. Aside from UK students and faculty, many members of the community also attended the performance. “Programs like this really bring the campus together and diversify the kind of cultural enrichment we provide for the campus, students, community and faculty,” Maske said.
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8 Global Kentucky - UK Confucius Institute
Chinese Teachers Gather on UK Campus for Professional Development Conference By Lauren Henrickson
The University of Kentucky Confucius Institute’s mission is to act as the gateway between China and the Bluegrass, but its reach and influence far exceed the borders of Kentucky. The UKCI hosted its third Multi-State Chinese Teachers’ Professional Development Conference Nov. 14-16 on the University of Kentucky’s campus. The conference served as a gathering and training for 100 Confucius Institute (CI) teachers from 21 states who teach in U.S. classrooms. Charles Carlson, senior vice provost for Academic Excellence, spoke at the opening ceremony, discussing how important it is for people of different cultures to understand and learn from one another. “The success we had with this conference can be attributed to the support of the
university’s leadership,” said Huajing Maske, director of the UKCI and executive director of the Office of China Initiatives. While on campus, the CI teachers participated in breakout sessions, trainings and other hands-on learning activities, allowing them to be better prepared to teach within the American classrooms. “When we are able to do things like this, it’s beyond Kentucky,” Maske said. “It brings UK’s name onto the national stage and helps us to develop a reputation in Chinese language teaching.” The UKCI is continuing to expand its reach on UK’s campus and within the Commonwealth through a variety of initiatives, and this conference was another example of how the UKCI’s reach surpasses the Kentucky borders.
Top: Professor Charles Carlson, on behalf of the Office of the Provost, speaks during the opening ceremony at the Multi-State Chinese Teacher’s Professional Development Conference. Bottom: Chinese teachers stand at UKCI’s resource booth.
Confucius Institute’s Showcases Bring Chinese Culture to Eastern Kentucky Schools By Lauren Henrickson
Elementary school students showcase their artwork done with Chinese painting brush and ink.
The University of Kentucky Confucius Institute brings Chinese cultural showcases to the schools and communities of the Commonwealth, but the UKCI team did a special weeklong trip to eastern Kentucky in December 2015 as part of a proposal by the Kentucky Department of Education. During its visit, the UKCI team of six specialists worked with more than 900 K-12 students, teaching classes and presenting varied performances, including acts of martial arts, Chinese painting, folk music using the Chinese instruments of erhu and guzheng, paper cutting and calligraphy.
“From a young age, these students are given access to Chinese culture that they may have never had,” said Huajing Maske, director of the UKCI and executive director of the Office of China Initiatives. “Most importantly, these experiences will open up their minds.” Aside from performances, the UKCI also offers classes for the students to participate and learn the different aspects of Chinese culture. Some schools reported that their highest attendance rates were during the UKCI’s showcases and classes. “I didn’t realize that the students rarely have a chance to learn about differ-
ent cultures,” said Lina Yu, community outreach coordinator for the UKCI. “It seemed like anything we taught made the students more interested and excited.” Although these showcases are meant to expand and add to the cultural knowledge of the schools, the UKCI staff also gains beneficial experiences working with diverse students of all ages. Cultural events such as these help to strengthen UKCI’s mission to advance the understanding of China and UK’s strategic plan to increase community engagement in the Commonwealth.
UK Campus News - Global Kentucky 9
Planting Seeds of Hope: UK’s Grisham-Brown’s Life-Changing International Mission By Amanda Nelson
Of all the gifts she has received, the country of Guatemala gave Jennifer Grisham-Brown, Ph.D., her greatest one – the gift of her son. After his adoption, she yearned for a way to pour her heart into a place that had filled hers. That desire gave birth to a mission that is helping orphans and at-risk children in Guatemala, and also impacting students at the University of Kentucky College of Education. Grisham-Brown is a professor and program chair in the UK College of Education’s Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education program and faculty director of the Early Childhood Laboratory school. And, she is one of the founders of Hope for Tomorrow Children’s Home, an orphanage in Guatemala, which also serves as a preschool.
ing a school with access to resources from a research university. “The day we moved into the new Early Childhood Lab facility at UK, we opened our preschool in Guatemala in a new location,” Grisham-Brown said. “It was amazing to see that parallel, in a place where there’s such poverty and children with the most horrific stories. They’re benefitting from an education that’s near the quality that we’re providing at this university, and it’s just the most gratifying thing in the world.” Hope for Tomorrow Children’s Home is a ministry of the non-profit Adopt!Inc. To learn more, visit www.hope4tomorrow.net.
Carlos sitting with other students at La Patria School located in Guatemala City, Guatemala.
In 2009 Grisham-Brown applied for an international start-up grant from the College of Education and, with the help of a master’s degree student, developed an education abroad program. Soon, the first group of early childhood education undergraduate and graduate students made their way to the orphanage and preschool in Guatemala, and UK students have gone every year since. The pre-school has provided a natural way for UK to develop an international partnership, and the ideas for collaborations never end. Some UK students do student-teaching in Guatemala, and about 10 UK students earn credit through their work at the pre-school each summer. Three have done research there and another doctoral student will be in Guatemala doing research next summer. While working at the children’s home and pre-school, UK students do individual assessments and write goals, develop interventions, make improvements to the environment for children and staff at the children’s home, and do trainings with the staff. “It matures them and opens their minds to thinking differently about children in different cultures,” Grisham-Brown said. In a short span of time, UK’s interaction with the orphanage enabled the children to go from having no schooling at all to attend-
Top: Jennifer Grisham-Brown and IECE students at Hope for Children’s Home in Guatemala. Bottom: Jennifer Grisham-Brown and IECE students at Hope for Tomorrow Preschool in Guatemala.
10 Global Kentucky - UK Campus News
College of Communication and Information Delegation Visits China to Expand Relations By Al Cross
University of Kentucky representatives visited multiple state libraries, university libraries and presses in China during the summer.
Five professors from the College of Communication and Information found good prospects for collaboration as they visited two universities and a newspaper in China in late 2015. Professors from the College of Communication and Information visited the Communication University of China in Beijing, and gave talks at a health-communication symposium the college co-sponsored at Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou, China. Researchers from leading communication programs also presented at the symposium. The delegation was led by Zixue Tai, Ph.D., a China native of the college’s School of Journalism and Telecommunications department. He and Al Cross, director of the school’s Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, also visited the Bao’an Daily, a community newspaper in Shenzen, next to Hong Kong. Three professors in the Department of Communication discussed with their Chinese counterparts the department’s highly ranked health-communication program: Douglas Boyd, Ph.D., former dean of the college; Kevin Real, Ph.D., a researcher specializing in the field; and Shari Veil, Ph.D., who is also the college’s associate dean for undergraduate affairs.
The delegation was joined in Guangzhou by Lars Willnat, Ph.D., of Indiana University, who recently became UK’s School of Journalism and Media in early January, and his wife, Annette Willnat, who teaches public relations in the college’s Department of Integrated Strategic Communication. The professors discussed possible collaborations with top administrators and faculties at the two Chinese universities, led by Zhang Zhian, dean of the School of Communication and Design at Sun Yat-Sen, and Hu Zhengrong, vice president of the Communication University and director of its National Center for Radio and TV Studies. “Common areas of cooperation seem especially good with faculty at the Communication University of China, given graduate and undergraduate programs similar to those in our college, impressive on-campus production facilities, and faculty research interests that include health communication,”professor Boyd said. Collaborations could include student exchanges, joint conferences and joint research in health communication and other areas. “I had a productive conversation with Yang
Junli from the study abroad office about establishing a summer program in Beijing that could be co-taught by faculty from the University of Kentucky and the Communication University of China,”Dr. Veil said. Health communication is a relatively new academic discipline in China, where the government is increasingly interested in addressing health issues such as smoking. The Department of Communication has a Top 10 ranking among health-communication programs in the United States. Another form of collaboration could include another Sino-U.S. Conference on Community Media like the one co-hosted by the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at UK last January. The Bao’an Daily was represented at that conference, and Cross and Tai spent most of a day with the paper’s editor-inchief, Li Gaofeng. “While Chinese news media must operate under restrictions unlike those in the U.S., we have been able to find common ground with our colleagues to promote the concept of community journalism, which is the healthiest part of traditional journalism in the U.S. and a growing part of the Chinese journalism landscape,”Cross said.
UK Campus News - Global Kentucky 11
College of Education Graduate Certificate in Inclusive Education Goes Global By Amanda Nelson
UK students pursuing their graduate certificate in Inclusive Education available through the Department of Early Childhood, Special Education, and Rehabilitation Counseling.
The Graduate Certificate in Inclusive Education, established in 2014 through the Department of Early Childhood, Special Education, and Rehabilitation Counseling within the UK College of Education, has seen success on a global scale. Since October 2014, cohorts of educators from international schools located in Central and South America and the Middle East have participated in the five-course program focused on giving general education teachers adequate support in serving students with disabilities in their classrooms.
This program, being offered in a unique format that brings the courses directly to the participants through both online and inperson instruction, responds to the critical and growing need both within the United States, but especially in developing nations, for professional learning programs designed to support educators in the area of inclusive education. The first international school cohort completed its program in December 2015, with nine students earning graduate credit and an additional 36 professional-learning students
earning a digital badge for completion. Future plans for the certificate include a cohort in Honduras beginning in Fall of 2016 and online delivery of the certificate to broaden the reach of the program beginning in 2017. For more information on the Graduate Certificate in Inclusive Education, visit bit.ly/InclusiveEducation or contact the Director of International School Partnerships in the UK College of Education, Dr. Lee Ann Jung, at ljung@uky.edu.
Three UK Arts & Sciences Students Awarded Grants for International Travel By Elena Griffo
The University of Kentucky College of Arts & Sciences awarded three International Studies students travel grants for the Winter 2015 intersession to further their education abroad. Natalie Shofner, Bridget Nicholas and Trevor Burba were awarded up to $1700 to travel independently to London, Paris and Berlin visiting historical and cultural sites during their time there. Nicholas used her grant to go on a 12-day trip to London and Paris where she traveled to 18 different museums along with countless cathedrals, churches and monuments.
“I got to see a play in the West End, try Tibetan food and explore the Louvre at night,” Nicholas said. “It was a fantastic adventure, and I’m really grateful to have been afforded this opportunity!” The College of Arts & Sciences offers awards for international travel during both winter and summer intersessions to give undergraduate students the opportunity to expand their education outside of the classroom. These travel grants enable students to gain a unique experience abroad that enhances their educational and future career goals.
View of London from the Stone gallery of St. Paul’s Cathedral. Photo by Bridget Nicholas.
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+ Model Confucius Institute (continued from page 1) “We owe our success to the support of the faculty and students and to the support of the university leadership who understand the important role global education plays in students’ success.” Renovations at Little Library will be made on the ground floor of the facility. The plans call for offices, meeting space, several classrooms including specific ones dedicated to traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy as well as a high-tech classroom, and a gallery and other display space to showcase Chinese culture for UK and the surrounding community. Currently, UK’s Confucius Institute is located in offices within Bradley Hall, at the UK International Center. The expanded location will not only provide more space for the growing staff, but will also allow them to centralize its activities,
provide an attractive and convenient site for conversations with faculty and students, and provide a high-tech environment for working across so many time zones. “The new $1.7 million Confucius Institute Center represents UK’s commitment to global issues, especially in the study and understanding of the world’s largest country and second largest economy,” Maske added. As part of this growth, the Confucius Institute will align its next five years of work with UK’s new strategic plan, focusing on student success and faculty engagement with China. It is believed that this investment in the Confucius Institute will also benefit other international programming at UK. Provost Tim
Tracy visited China in December, where he met with Director-General Madame Xu Lin, of Hanban, the funding organization for Confucius Institutes. He reported that “when Mme. Xu Lin told me that she had researched our website and wanted to extend our next winwin collaborations in the areas of agriculture and food preservation, I knew we had established the right kind of partnership. Our collaboration has been remarkably successful in aligning Hanban’s priorities with our own strengths and ambitions.” “A rising tide lifts all boats. All of UK’s international opportunities are assisted by the success of the Confucius Institute, which brings not only funding but global visibility, networking and mutual cultural understanding,” Carvalho said.
David Nemer Researches Cubans’ Use of Technology during Winter Break By Elena Griffo
The College of Information Studies Assistant Professor of Information Communication Technology David Nemer spent a month in Havana, Cuba from December to January researching telecenters and community technology centers to determine how and why Cubans use the Internet. As a part of his ongoing research on technology use in marginalized communities, Nemer chose Cuba as his next area of study because of the potential changes that could arise once the embargo between the United States and Cuba is lifted, he said. Through his research in Havana, Cuba, Nemer found that, contrary to the wideranging Internet used in the United States, Cubans mainly use the Internet as an alternative form of communication and rely on three different methods of information communication technology: wireless hotspots, digital and information packages referred to as “paquetes semanales” and a local social intranet referred to as the s-net.
“Because cell phone minutes are still very expensive in Cuba, many people rely on the wireless hotspots to communicate with their families abroad, ” Nemer said. While the wireless hotspot use can be purchased at a lower rate than cell phone minutes, with an average monthly salary of $25-$30, it is difficult for Cubans to use the Internet for anything other than communicating with their families abroad when they are required to pay $3 per hour for a scratch card, he said. To combat these costs, digital informationsharing in Cuba typically comes in paquetes semanales, or weekly packages of a oneterabyte collection of digital content that Cubans cannot access locally. These collections typically include content such as television series, soap operas, music and video clips that are inaccessible through the local Internet. Finally, to connect socially, Nemer found that
Havana locals using wireless hotspot in Cuba. Photo by David Nemer.
the people of Havana use a local intranet referred to as the s-web. The s-web connects to a local server allowing the people of Havana to connect through social media networks similar to Facebook as well as online dating websites and even live gaming. “These three methods combined make up the same Internet we use in the United States, Nemer said. “Due to the limitations from the government and the embargo, Cubans have developed creative ways to stay engaged.”
Global Kentucky is a quarterly publication highlighting the University of Kentucky’s international initiatives. Associate Provost for Internationalization: Susan Carvalho Editor: Andrea Gils, Marketing & Communications Manager
Contributing Writers: Elena Griffo Lauren Henrickson Whitney Hale Megan Neltner Al Cross Amanda Nelson Jennifer Allen Austin Hughes
Have a story idea? Contact Andrea Gils at andrea.gils@uky.edu www.uky.edu/international Facebook: /UKYInternational Twitter: /UKIntCenter