What’s Up with Culture?

Readers may find the website What’s Up with Culture? which is an online cultural training resource for study abroad to be quite interesting and helpful in your research and work. My friend and colleague, Bruce LaBrack, Emeritus Professor of Anthropology and International Studies at University of the Pacific is author and editor of the materials.



You can access What’s Up with Culture? Here: http://www.pacific.edu/sis/culture/

Students Experience the US Election Abroad

The Boston Globe is publishing several stories for their World Class series from students from the New England area to discuss what it’s like studying outside of the United States during the election.

You can access the articles here: http://www.boston.com/travel/columns/wheretheywent/gallery/world_class_election/

NCDE Survey on Equal Opportunities for Students with Disabilities

The following message was posted by a colleague from Mobility International USA (MIUSA) to SECUSS-L and I’ve copied and pasted it here:

Survey on Equal Opportunities for Students with Disabilities asks Foreign Language Faculty and Exchange Staff Worldwide to respond.

Do you teach foreign languages or send and receive students on foreignlanguage exchanges? Are you interested in contributing to a survey about students with disabilities? You do not need to have had a student with a disability in your class or program to respond. The National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange seeks your input and experience.

Take a 10-minute Foreign Language survey online at:http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/57685/disabilityinclusion

As the need to learn a foreign language grows, so does the interest andimportance for students with disabilities to take courses and immersethemselves in the study of other languages. The purpose of the survey is to learn more about foreign language faculty and exchange professionals’ preparedness, experiences and inclusive practices in regards to students with disabilities in their classrooms or study abroad programs.

Deadline to submit: December 15, 2008

The National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange provides freeinformation and referral services related to the participation of people with disabilities in international exchange programs. The Clearinghouse is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, and is managed by Mobility International USA.

The Immigration and Public Diplomacy Appointments Project

I just became aware of this new and interesting public diplomacy project spearheaded by NAFSA: Association of International Educators. The purpose of the Immigration and Public Diplomacy Appointments Project is to assist the next President in identifying strong candidates for key administrative positions that impact public diplomacy and immigration issues.

You can access the website for the project here: http://www.ipdaproject.org/

Arrest of U.S. Graduate Student in Iran

On Oct. 15th, Esha Momeni, a California State University at Northridge Master’s student, was arrested and is being detained in Section 209 of Tehran’s Evin Prison. Momeni was in Iran researching the women’s movement in Iran and was conducting video interviews with people involved in the “One Million Signatures” campaign which aims to end discrimination against women in Iran.

You can read more here: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/10/24/iran

Top Producers of Fulbright Awards, 2008-2009

Today, the Chronicle of Higher Education has an article on the Fulbright U.S. Student Program and provides a list of the top producers of Fulbright Awards by type of institution for the 2008-2009 competition. The University of Chicago ranks 6th for research institutions with 23 awards for 2008-2009. In 2007-2008 The University of Chicago ranked 8th with 20 awards and in 2006-2007 The University of Chicago ranked 7th with 18 awards.

You can access the Chronicle article here: http://tinyurl.com/67pk8b

IELTS now accepted by more than 2,000 U.S. Institutions

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) has been gaining consistent ground on TOEFL for many years and is now accepted by more than 2,000 institutions in the United States.

You can read more from a recent press release here: http://tinyurl.com/6hlla2