ISU Officials Travel to Qatar

Three Indiana State University officials will be part of activities this week at the World Innovation Summit for Education in Qatar, reports Inside INdiana Business.

President Emeritus Lloyd Benjamin III, Associate Director for International Affair El-Houcin Chaqra and Professor Karen Liu will be among 1,000 education, corporate, political and social leaders participating in the three-day event.

The summit, sponsored by the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, brings together 1,000 prominent education, corporate, political and social leaders. The Qatar Foundation invited Benjamin, Chaqra and Liu to participate in the summit and is paying their travel expenses.

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Saudia Arabian Official Visits Valpo

The Saudi Arabian cultural attaché to the United States will visit Valparaiso University 20 and 21 March to discuss on the role of Saudi Arabia in the Middle East as well as participate in meetings with the University’s Saudi students and community leaders, reports the Valpo news bureau.

Dr. Mohammed Aleissa (pictured), an expert in educational technology who has served as Saudi Arabia’s cultural attaché since 2007, will speak with students in Valparaiso’s International Commerce and Policy program and School of Law on 20 March, followed by a dinner with University officials and attendance of a Saudi Student Fair in Harre Union.

Dr. Aleissa also will talk with Valparaiso community leaders during a 21 March lunch and meet with Saudi students attending Valpo during his two days on campus.

The Saudi Student Fair will take place from 4 to 8 p.m. 20 March, and is free and open to the public. Displays at the fair will include Saudi culture, its economy, educational system and business climate.

Dr. Aleissa earned his Ph.D. and master’s degree in educational technology from Indiana State University.

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"Great Decisions" Series Starts Next Month

The Great Decisions Lecture Series addresses eight current international issues important to the United States. The series includes a lecture followed by group discussion.

Participation in this Indy-based series, sponsored by the Indiana Council on World Affairs, is open to the public, with sessions scheduled for eight Tuesday evenings. They will be held in the Pharmacy Building, Butler University, Indianapolis. Registration begins at 7 p.m. with the program following at 7:30 p.m.

THE ARCTIC AGE - 3 February - Richard Fredland, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Political Science, Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis

AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN - 10 February - Milind Thakar, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of International Relations, University of Indianapolis

ENERGY & THE GLOBAL ECONOMY - 17 February - Jesse Kharbanda, Executive Director, Hoosier Environmental Council

THE U.S. AND RISING POWERS - 24 February - Pierre Atlas, Ph.D., Director of the Richard G. Lugar Franciscan Center for Global Studies, Marian College

EGYPT IN THE 21ST CENTURY - 3 March - Amira Mashhour, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, World Languages and Cultures, IUPUI

GLOBAL FOOD SUPPLY - 17 March - James Morris, Former Executive Director of the U.N. World Food Program

CUBA AFTER CASTRO - 24 March - Gaston Fernandez, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science, Indiana State University

UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS? - 31 March - Paul Hanson, Ph.D., Professor of History, Butler University

For further information on the local, contact Annette Johansson, 317:879-1338.

"Great Decisions" is a program of the Foreign Policy Association.

John Boyd Taught in Singapore and China

An Indiana State University music professor spent part of his summer spreading his love of music to students and music professionals in Singapore and China, reports the ISU News Bureau.

John Boyd, director of Bands, professor of music, and coordinator of ISU’s Wind/Percussion Division, conducted the Central Conservatory Wind Orchestra in two concerts in Beijing in addition to teaching a masterclass for the Conservatory’s conducting students and judging the China Trumpet Guild and All Asia Solo Competition in Guangzhou.

Bridging China and America, Part II

Economic relations between China and the United States as well as
regional development in Indiana and China's Liaoning province will be the subjects of a business conference in Shenyang, China, co-sponsored by Indiana State and Liaoning universities.

The "Bridging China and America" conference scheduled for Sept.
14, is a follow-up to a January 2007 conference in Indianapolis hosted by Indiana State.

U.S. presenters scheduled to speak at the conference include Mark
Miles, president and chief executive officer of the Central Indiana
Corporate Partnership; Nathan Feltman, Indiana secretary of commerce and CEO of the Indiana Economic Development Corp.; Steven Chapman, group vice president for emerging markets and businesses, Cummins Inc.; Richard Mattoon, senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago; King Lin of ICF International; and Christofer Matney, air service director at Indianapolis International Airport.

Business representatives interested in participating in the conference and/or the trip to China, or those interested in learning more about the events, should contact Michael Chambers, associate professor and chair of the ISU political science department, 812:237-2515.

ISU: Partner in New Moroccan University

Indiana State University has taken its eight-year-old partnership with higher education in Morocco to a new level by signing an agreement with a leading businessman and philanthropist who envisions a new International University in Morocco, reports the ISU news bureau.

The agreement calls for Indiana State and Group Chaabi YNNA Holding to conduct an in-depth feasibility study of a not-for-profit private university mid-way between Rabat and Casablanca.

Indiana State’s partnership with Morocco higher education began in 2000 and was formalized in 2002 when Benjamin signed agreements with Hassan II University-Mohammedia and Al Akhawayne University.

Since then, more than 300 students, faculty and administrators have participated in exchange programs and the partnership has grown to include several Moroccan universities, the Ministry of Higher Education, the Moroccan High Council of Education Development and such organizations as the U.S. Agency for International Development, the World Bank and Higher Education Development.

Existing partnerships include a higher education leadership program involving 14 Moroccan universities, a sport management program with universities and the Royal Soccer Federation and a program in which Indiana State assisted in developing the first social work program in Morocco at Hassan II University.

Current projects include a visit by 40 ISU faculty and students to Morocco to work with Moroccan students and faculty in the area of social work. Indiana State is also partnering with Morocco on the development of a national educational accreditation system - a project that has attracted the attention of the World Bank, which is interested in sharing ISU’s work with other North African and Middle East nations.

The agreement between Indiana State and the Chabbi Group calls for a study phase of approximately 180 days during which each entity will assign a working group to analyze and develop a proposal that will detail the nature of future collaboration, including a business plan and an agreement on the role each will play in developing the new campus. ISU will share its expertise in such critical areas as information technology, library and media services, student housing, and records systems. The Chabbi Group will provide financial support with ISU providing technical assistance and administrative leadership toward the proposed American-style campus.

The Chabbi Group, with annual revenues of $1.7 billion, is Morocco’s largest employer. It has previously financed the start-up of a technical school in Morocco and is building residence halls for several Moroccan universities.

ISU Inks Pact with South Korean University Today

Indiana State University is signing a memorandum of understanding today with Sungshin Women's University of Seoul, South Korea, according to Inside INdiana Business.

ISU President Lloyd W. Benjamin III (pictured) and Sungshin President Shim Hwa Jin will participate in the signing. The South Korean education official is leading a 35-member delegation to the Terre Haute campus. The memorandum is a one-year agreement to discuss ways the universities can cooperate.

Indiana State Takes Teachers to China

To build a foundation of understanding about the Chinese culture and education system, and create interest in teaching Mandarin in schools, Indiana State University led a delegation of 17 educators to China from 24 June through 2 July, according to the ISU news bureau.

The educational trip was sponsored by the Office of Chinese Language Council International (also known as Hanban), a non-profit organization affiliated with the Ministry of Education of China.

The idea of a trip to China for Indiana educators grew out of the relationship between ISU and Hanban. An official proposal to establish a Chinese language and culture center at Indiana State has been submitted to Hanban, which provides funding and assistance to establish such centers throughout the world.

To assist ISU in its efforts to provide resources on Chinese language and culture to Indiana’s school teachers, the Chicago Consulate of the People’s Republic of China invited ISU to bring a delegation of educators to China as part of the Hanban’s Chinese Bridge for American and Korean Schools program.

Rebecca Libler (associate dean of ISU’s College of Education) and Feng-Qi Lai (assistant professor in the curriculum, instruction and media technology department and a native of China) put together the Indiana delegation, which joined 500 other educators from across the United States, and 200 from South Korea, who were selected to visit China’s K-12 public schools, meet the country’s educational leaders in the government, and tour areas of cultural significance.

ISU band director works in Singapore

John P. Boyd (left), director of bands at Indiana State University and coordinator of ISU's Wind/Percussion Division, served as visiting professor and full-time conductor of the chamber winds ensemble at Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music in Singapore for the 2006-7 academic year.

Boyd was the first full-time conductor the chamber winds ensemble at the conservatory, and taught classes in conducting and wind literature.

The Conservatory was established in 2001 in collaboration with the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University and the National University of Singapore, a leading university in the Asia-Pacific region. The Conservatory offers undergraduate degrees in performance in orchestral instruments, piano, and composition, and has an enrollment of 180 students representing 12 countries, including the United States and New Zealand.

IFLTA World Language Teacher of the Year

Lisa Calvin, associate professor of Spanish at Indiana State University, has been recognized as the state’s finest college-level language teacher by the Indiana Foreign Language Teachers Association, according to a news release from ISU.

Calvin received the 2006 Collegiate-Level World Language Teacher of the Year Award from the IFLTA, which has a membership of 630 foreign language teachers, at its annual conference in Indianapolis, ISU reports.

Calvin became eligible for this award after the Indiana chapter of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese named her the 2006 Teacher of the Year-University Level this summer. As a recipient of that award, she was asked to submit a portfolio, including essays and letters from colleagues and former students, to be considered for the IFLTA’s coveted Teacher of the Year honor.

The Nationalities Council also sends its congratulations to Prof. Calvin!

Doing Business in China?

Indiana companies who do business in China -- or want to -- should consider signing up for a seminar later this month sponsored by Indiana State University.

"China--A Two-Way Street" will be held Jan. 24-25 in the Westin Hotel, downtown Indianapolis.

Indiana State University and China's Liaoning University, in conjunction with Networks Financial Institute (an outreach of ISU’s College of Business) will co-sponsor the conference. It will focus on two topics:

1) Why China? Exchange of ideas and information regarding the opportunities and benefits to Indiana from developing relationships and conducting business with the Chinese, especially related to capital investment and trade will be addressed.
2) How to work with China? Specific issues such as Chinese tax law and acquisition, labor law and more will also be addressed.

To register, go online or call 800:603-7113.

According to a press release issued by ISU in December, a major part of the conference will be the visit of a trade delegation led by Cui Desheng, director of the Liaoning provincial government’s Foreign Affairs Office and several representatives from the Liaoning business, government and academic sectors.

Over the past four years, the two universities have exchanged 16 faculty members in business and economics developed an economics and business research support linking their respective libraries via distance technology; and strengthened teaching and research in finance, banking, personnel and social responsibility issues at Liaoning. Indiana State also hosted a series of conferences focusing on China’s admission to the World Trade Organization. The activities were supported by a grant from the U.S. State Department’s Educational and Cultural Affairs Bureau, the university reported.

If you'd like to know more about ISU's collaborations with Liaoning University, contact Gaston Fernandez, executive director, International Affairs Center, ISU, 812:237-4391 or John Conant, professor and chair, department of economics, ISU, 812:237-2160.