IPFW Names International Student Services Director

Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne has hired a new director of International Student Services, reports Inside INdiana Business. Brian Mylrea comes from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, where he served as ISS assistant director for the past five years. The ISS office serves as the initial contact for all students from abroad and remains a point of reference during their time on campus.

.

Growing Number of International Students at Valpo

This fall, the number of international students on the northern Indiana campus of Valparaiso University rose to 345 (304 on non-immigrant visas), an 18 percent increase from last year's record setting population of 292 students (245 on non-immigrant visas).

Valpo's international student population has more than tripled since fall 2003, when it hosted 109 students (90 on non-immigrant visas).

There's more information about the university's global learning programs online.

.

International Students and Scholars

Purdue University's Office of International Students and Scholars is profiled in the spring 2009 issue of "Perspectives".

According to the article by Valerie O'Brien, Purdue has the second-highest number of foreign students among public universities in the United States -- abut 5,500. In addition, Purdue has about 700 faculty and staff from around the world.

The ISS office has an initiative called GO Purdue! -- with the GO standing for Global Outreach. It offers cultural, educational, service and social opportunities to Purdue's international students.

A new program to begin in Fall 2009 called Business Mentors will match students nearing graduation with local business leaders.

Purdue's International Friendship Program pairs students with community volunteers. According to Michael Brzezinski, ISS director and associate dean of international programs, Purdue has arranged the largest number of college friendship relationships in the U.S.

.

Students Participate in US-Polish Exchange

The first 15 high school students from Poland arrived in the United States last weekend under the U.S.-Poland Parliamentary Youth Exchange Program established by U.S. Sen. Richard G. Lugar (R.-IN).

The program sets up academic exchanges for American and Polish secondary students under 19 years old who have been accepted for up to one academic year of study abroad in a credit-approved program.

Unfortunately for Indiana, they're not coming to the Hoosier state.

The first three weeks the Polish students are in the U.S., they will live with American families in either Des Moines, Ia., or Chicago, Ill. They will attend a local high school for two weeks, followed by a one-week internship with a civic organization or in the office of a local government leader. The fourth week will be spent in Washington, D.C. at a week-long Civic Education Workshop.

After the Polish students have completed their program, 15 American students and two educators from the same U.S. schools will fly to Poland to participate in a similar four-week program. The exchange culminates in a week-long summer camp that will bring the American and Polish students and educators together.

According to Lugar's office, the senator has consistently advocated for student exchange programs. He authored the legislation that established the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange, which provides 250 full scholarships annually for American high school students to live with a host family and attend school in Germany for a year.

Additionally, Lugar and Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) laid the groundwork for the Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program administered by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the State Department, which hosts more than 300 international students from countries including Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and Turkey.

For more information, contact Mark Hayes, 202:224-8370.

.

Valpo Celebrates International Connections

Valparaiso University, which set a record for international student enrollment during the fall semester, will celebrate the culture and traditional foods of its diverse student body during the 29th annual World Banquet on 7 February.

The banquet (formerly known as the International Dinner) begins at 5 p.m. in Harre Union. Tickets are $20 and must be purchased in advance from the University’s Office of International Programs. For details, go online or call 219:464-5333.

This year’s buffet-style dinner includes hummus; Baba Ghannouji; tabouleh; Greek Orzo salad; Thai iced coffee; Maraq Al-Bamiya; Chinese “Beggar’s Chicken”; baklava; “Noah’s Pudding,” and chocolate-dipped apricots. Recipes were submitted and selected by international students and will be prepared by Valparaiso’s Dining Services staff.

Following dinner, there's a talent show featuring some of the 245 international students from 55 countries attending Valparaiso, along with students from Valparaiso’s language clubs. Entertainment will include a fashion show displaying the ethnic dress of students’ homelands, musical performances, skits and dances.

The World Banquet is sponsored by the Office of International Programs and the Valparaiso International Student Association.

In 2008, Valparaiso was one of five institutions in the United States to win the Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization and be cited as a model for other institutions of higher education is preparing students for a global economy and an interconnected world.

International students now make up more than seven percent of Valparaiso’s student body, and the University maintains Study Centers in China, England, Germany and Mexico and participates in 10 other study abroad programs which host approximately 200 students annually.

.

President Without Borders

Indy resident Ruth Van Reken (pictured), an expert on "Third Culture Kids", notes that President-Elect Barack Obama spent some of his childhood living abroad, as have many of his appointments so far.

In "President Without Borders" on the blog Daily Beast she talks about the broadened perspective of Americans raised in foreign cultures.

"This is more than a trivial coincidence," she writes. "So-called 'Third Culture Kids' -- and the adults they become – share certain emotional and psychological traits that may exert great influence in the new administration. According to a body of sociological literature devoted to children who spend a portion of their developmental years outside their 'passport country', the classic profile of a 'TCK' is someone with a global perspective who is socially adaptable and intellectually flexible. He or she is quick to think outside the box and can appreciate and reconcile different points of view. Beyond whatever diversity in background or appearance a TCK may bring to the party, there is a diversity of thought as well."

Van Reken is co-founder of Families in Global Transition. In addition to other writing, Ruth is co-editor of Third Culture Kids: The Experience of Growing Up Among Worlds.

Iraqi College Students Will Come to Indiana

Indiana's Manchester College will host one of several Iraqi students being brought to the United States next school year by a group of educators and activists in the U.S. and the Mideast, reports the Associated Press.

The Iraqi Student Project, founded last year, will bring about 20 Iraqi students to 15 American universities to continue their educations.

Three other Indiana institutions -- Holy Cross College and St. Mary's College in South Bend and the University of Evansville -- also are participating.

About 7 percent of Manchester's 1,070 students are from abroad.

Close to 10,000 Foreign Students Choose Purdue or IU

According to a report in the 21-27 April 2008 issue of The Indianapolis Business Journal, Purdue University is third in foreign student enrollment among all United States public and private colleges with 4,994 enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs.

Indiana University is 15th, with 4,027 foreign students in undergraduate and graduate programs.

Both schools have seen increases of more than 10% in foreign student enrollment since 2005. Neither total includes students outside either the Bloomington (for IU) or West Lafayette (for Purdue) main campuses, so the actual numbers for the state-wide systems are higher.

Jischke to discuss Purdue's international programs

Purdue University President Martin C. Jischke (pictured) will discuss the university's various programs that bring thousands of international students to the campus and send Purdue students abroad from 2-3 p.m. on Wednesday (14 March) during WBAA radio's live call-in show "AM 920 Magazine."
According to the Purdue News Bureau, Jischke will field questions from host David Bunte and the listening audience.

This year nearly 5,000 international students from 130 countries attend Purdue, the second highest international enrollment among all U.S. public colleges and universities. The Study Abroad Office offers 200 programs to give Purdue students learning opportunities in 45 countries.

To ask questions during the program, local listeners can call (765) 496-1999. Listeners outside the local calling area can call toll-free at (866) 922-2101. WBAA's AM signal reaches approximately two-thirds of Indiana and can be heard globally via the station's website.

Butler's 17th Annual International Dinner

The 17th annual International Dinner sponsored by the International Club and International Student Services of Butler University begins at 6 p.m. Saturday (24 March) in the Reilly Room, Atherton Union, Butler.

Tickets are $25. For information and reservations, contact Melissa Trahyn, 317:940-9888.

Almost 5,000 Foreign Students Attend Purdue

Purdue ranks second among all public institutions in international enrollment, and is third in the nation among all institutions, according to the Institute of International Education.

Of the 4,831 international students enrolled at Purdue in the current academic year, there are 1,021 students from India, followed by China (782), South Korea (680), Taiwan (222) and Indonesia (221).

(information from Purdue University)