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The P’yongyang Project - Academic Cooperation and Cultural Exchange between North Koreans and Americans

During my recent research efforts I came across a very interesting program called The P'yongyang Project.  The P'yongyang Project is an academic cooperation and cultural exchange program for Americans in North Korea.  Their mission follows:


Our mission is to forge a new level of academic cooperation and cultural exchange between North Koreans and Americans. We believe that through personal experience, interaction and continued dialogue, we can lay the foundation for peace and prosperity between our nations.


Currently, four different programs make up The P'yongyang Project.  I have copied and pasted descriptions of these four programs below:  


Delegation Trips allow participants to interact with and explore the DPRK in an intimate and academic way. These programs combine group discussions, travel, meetings, and group bonding activities, to take students and professors well beyond the surface of the DPRK. This kind of in-depth access provides participants with a comprehensive introduction to the core issues facing the nation and region.


The North South Dialogue Project (NSDP) was started as an offshoot of P’yongyang Project delegation trips and incorporates many of the academic components of a delegation trip. The key difference is that NSDP delegates work toward creating a consensus document that offers policy suggestions for maintaining stability on the Korean peninsula. In order to draft this document, participants will spend a significant amount of time in South Korea participating in workshops and discussions.


THiNK (Transcending History in North Korea) is an intensive Korean Language Summer Study Program in P’yongyang—the first study abroad program for Westerners in the DPRK. We have worked hard to negotiate a joint deal between The P'yongyang Project, KIYCTC, the Ministry of Education of the DPRK and Kim Il Sung University to make this program a reality.


Independent Programsare tailor-made for schools looking to establish their own program in the DPRK. We are currently working with several North American universities and colleges to create programs that match their goals and curriculum. Individuals or small groups may also contact us if they are interested in traveling to North Korea independently.


You can learn more about all of these programs at http://www.pyongyangproject.org/programs.html as well as in articles from the Harvard Crimson and the Brown Daily Herald.


You can read related posts on academic and cultural exchanges with North Korea at:


U.S.-DPRK Science Engagement Consortium
Another Call for Exchanges with North Korea


Photo credit:  John Pavelka

Google Alert - "international education"

I access and subscribe to many resources to keep up to date on the field of international education.  One of my favorites is "Google Alerts"!  The video I embedded in Monday's IHEC Blog post of Representative Dan Boren speaking on the House floor about the new NSEP African Languages Initiative was discovered via a Google Alert for the search term "National Security Education Program."


As a way of showing the value of Google Alerts I thought I would copy and paste one recent alert that contained a wealth of information.  Start receiving Google Alerts today at http://www.google.com/alerts.

Google Alert - "international education"

The State of Global Higher Ed Inside Higher Ed Citing data from the American Council on Education, the Modern Language Association and the Institute for International Education, the report concludes that ... See all stories on this topic »

Time for third-level to tune into growth potential in international students Irish Times ... world economies (based on the work of our religious orders and development agencies) we are ideally placed to become a hub for international education. ... See all stories on this topic »

Staying in touch The Age ... market will be under the microscope next week when more than 1000 experts meet in Sydney for the annual Australian International Education conference. ... See all stories on this topic »

A crash course in Football 101 Green Bay Press Gazette Listened to a lecture from Dr. Joe Tullbane, director of St. Norbert's Center for International Education, on "What is Football? — The Offense and Defense ... See all stories on this topic »

Faculty meeting focuses on curriculum growth The DePauw ... to appoint a group to examine globalization and internationalization issues at DePauw as suggested by the IEC (International Education Committee), ... See all stories on this topic »

Travelers aware, not worried by alert Fox11online.com The new alert may not be stopping people from packing their bags, but has made for a busy morning for Brent Blahnik, Director of International Education at ... See all stories on this topic »

International education funding for school counselors | #1 Student ... By admin There are many organizations that provide educational support for international students. NAFSA is one of the organization. It serves the field of. #1 Student Loan Center - http://studentloancenter.bestconsolidatingstudentloans.com/

Inside DFEEST: International education initiatives report released By DFEEST In producing their report, the Ministerial Taskforce brought together contributions from leaders within the international education sector, and also consulted widely in order to develop ideas to improve the experience of the ... Inside DFEEST - http://dfeest.blogspot.com/

AIEC QUEST Australian International Education By aiecquest Tourism Australia official website with information and pictures about travel in Australia, Queensland, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Rockhampton, Townsville, Cairns and Great Barrier Reef. AIEC QUEST Australian International Education Centre ... AIEC QUEST Australian International... - http://aiecquest.wordpress.com/

General Information Session at International Education Week ... By webmaster@peacecorps.gov General Information Session at International Education Week. St. Marys College. 10/4/2010. Monday, October 4, Time: 11:00 am - 2:00 pm. Location: Conference Room in Campus Center RM. 228. If you are looking to truly become a global ... Peace Corps Events: Washington DC Region - http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=meet.regrec.washdc.revents

Three Radiologists Travel To Brazil Through International ... By admin Three Radiologists Travel To Brazil Through International Education Program. October 4, 2010 | Author: admin | Posted in Women's Health / Gynecology. Radiologists Donna G. Blankenbaker, M.D., from University of Wisconsin School of ... Drugrehab.in - http://drugrehab.in/

International Education Conference | The University of Chicago ... The 3rd annual International Education Conference is intended to provide K-12 teachers and administrators with information and concrete tools for ... event.uchicago.edu/maincampus/detail.php?guid=CAL...

Overview of Ohio's International Education Resources and ... international education summits. The first summit was held in 2007. ... the status ofinternational education efforts in Ohio and provide critical input to ... www.education.ohio.gov/GD/.../DocumentDownload.aspx?... Photo credit:  cambodia4kidsorg

Exchange Students and Bicycle safety in the Wisconsin Dells

Recently I was going through all of the Google Alerts I receive and came across a very interesting, scary and sad story from the Wisconsin Dells that I thought I would share here on IHEC Blog. 

The headline from September 11^th on WisconsinWatch.org reads “Russian student’s death highlights lack of public transit in the Dells”.  I occasionally see such headlines in my Google Alerts and don’t investigate further but I know the Wisconsin Dells (my family and I vacationed there for a few days in summer 2009) so I decided to open the link and read the article.

 

The story is sad.  On July 9th an 18 year old exchange student from Russia named Maria Kolesova was struck and killed by a garbage truck while legally riding her bicycle on a sidewalk.

 

What I further learned from reading the article and find shocking is that “of the 21 bicycle-vehicle crashes reported in Wisconsin Dells and Lake Delton since 2008, police reports indicate 19 involved international student riders.”  This statistic is staggering to me!  According to the article, approximately 2,000 international students come to the Wisconsin Dells to work during the busy summer season.  I noticed this during our family vacation and wanted to post to IHEC Blog about this but time got the best of me and I never got around to it.

 

I won’t summarize the article further but I think it’s a good and informative read about a serious problem.  I did some additional research on this and didn’t come up with more information on bicycle safety and international students in the Wisconsin Dells but did come across an article entitled “Some foreign workers find frustration in Wisconsin Dells” also from the September 11^th WisconsinWatch.org which is also an interesting read.

Photo credit:  http://davidcomp.wordpress.com/

Rep. Dan Boren [D. OK] on the House Floor Speaking on the New NSEP African Language Initiative

While I was doing some research for my dissertation last night I came across a video on C-Span of Representative Dan Boren [D. OK] speaking on the House floor in support of H.S. 2701 Intelligence Authorization Act of 2010.  The primary focus of Mr. Boren's time on the floor focused on the new NSEP African Languages Intitiative which was very recently announced to the international education community here in the U.S. and to prospective Boren Fellowship applicants (Boren Scholarship applicants are not eligible for this new program).  I have embedded the video below:

In case you have difficulty viewing the video you can view it here.  Additionally, you can read about this new development from Representative Boren's press release last Friday, October 1, 2010.  You can read more about the new NSEP African Language Initiative here.  In case you have difficulty accessing the video I have copied and pasted the transcript of Mr. Boren below:

"Mr. BOREN. Mr. Chairman, I thank you for all the hard work you and the entire staff have done on this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2701, the Intelligence Authorization Act of 2010. This bill is an excellent product and addresses many critical areas, including those that have previously received little attention. One of the most important provisions in the bill is the commitment to developing foreign language capability, specifically in African languages that have historically been underrepresented in the intelligence community.

The bill creates a pilot program under the National Security Education Program, or the NSEP. It expands the David L. Boren Scholars by requiring the Director of National Intelligence to identify five high-priority African languages for which language education programs do not currently exist. The NSEP would then develop intensive training programs for implementation in both the United States and in countries where the languages are spoken.

Let's not forget that 10 years ago, we didn't anticipate conflicts along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and the need for Dari, Pashto, and Urdu speakers. When the need arose, we didn't have the capabilities to meet immediate demands, and to this day, we are still playing catch-up. Similarly, we cannot predict from where the next crisis will emerge. But by recognizing the current instability in the Horn of Africa, Sudan, and Congo, we can anticipate crises that may impact U.S. national security interests in the near future. We should be training the linguists and translators in the relevant languages now so that, once again, we are not reactive in our efforts but proactive in our actions. I urge my colleagues to support this bill."


December 7, 2010 Update:  Information about the new pilot African Language Initiative Program now available at http://apps.americancouncils.org/africanlanguages/. Funding is provided by the National Security Education Program (NSEP) and is administered by American Councils for International Education in partnership with participating U.S. domestic and overseas institutions.

"We are All Islanders to Begin With": The University of Chicago and the World in the Late Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries

Since 1996, John W. Boyer, Dean of the College and the Martin A. Ryerson distinguished service professor of History at The University of Chicago, has written an Occasional Papers on Higher Education series focusing on The University of Chicago.  Of particular interest to me and hopefully many IHEC Blog readers is Volume XVII "We are All Islanders to Begin With": The University of Chicago and the World in the Late Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries. 

To be sure, "We are All Islanders to Begin With": The University of Chicago and the World in the Late Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries is a history of the University of Chicago but this publication provides an excellent overview of campus international efforts, collaboration and thinking during the early twentieth century through present day.

You can access all of the volumes in Boyer’s Occasional Papers on Higher Education here.  I just received a hard copy of this publication for my Bury Book International Education Library & Archive.

A Language for Everyone to Study

With the start of the academic year comes the annual ritual of promoting the study or languages and recruiting students.  The College at the University of Chicago requires students to demonstrate competency in a second language.  This is not an uncommon graduation requirement for most institutions of higher education in the U.S.  What is unique about the University of Chicago is the number of languages one can study to meet this requirement.  The following is a list of languages one can study at the University of Chicago to meet the second language competency requirement:

Akkadian

Albanian

American Sign Language

Arabic

Arabic, Colloquial Egyptian

Arabic, Modern Standard

Aramaic/Elementary Syriac

Armenian

Assyrian

Aymara

Old Babylonian

Ne-Babylonian

Balochi

Bangla/Bengali

Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian

Bulgarian

Catalan

Chinese

Coptic

Czech

Demotic Egyptian (Hieroglyphs)

Middle/Late Egyptian

Elamite

English, Old

Frence

Ge`ez

Georgian

German

Greek, Attic

Greek, Modern

Gujarati

Hebrew, Classical

Hebrew, Modern

Hieratic

Hieroglyphic Luwian

Hindi

Hittite

Italian

Japanese

Kazak

Korean

Latin

Lycian

Lydian

Macedonian

Malayalam

Marathi

Maya, K`iche’

Maya, Yucatec

Nahuatl

Norwegian

Old Norse

Pali

Persian (Farsi)

Phoenician

Polish

Portuguese

Russian

Sanskrit

Slavonic, Old Church

Slovakian

Spanish

Sumerian

Swahili

Tamil

Targum

Telegu

Tibetan

Old Turkic

Turkish

Turkish, Ottoman

Ubaritic

Ukranian

Urdu

Uzbek

Yiddish