International outreach
Nicole Kerr shows off a display of her native country at the International Fair.When the spring semester began, there
In the past five years, the university has put many structures in place to accommodate international students in an effort to increase its international student numbers. were 64 international students from 22 countries enrolled.
Amy Kotwani was hired as the international student coordinator last August, and has been overseeing recruiting trips to the Washington, D.C. embassies of Oman and Kuwait, and the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission; South Korea and India, along with a trip to eight countries in Asia.Missouri Western has exchange agreements with nine universities across the globe, and, in the past few years, scholarship funds have been established for students from India, Honduras and Afghanistan. Intensive English courses have also been created.
Visiting foreign language professors
Missouri Western hosted two international professors this past academic year. Juan Wang from Xidian University in China taught Chinese, and Fulbright scholar Dominic Heres, from Giessen, Germany, taught German.
Juan, an associate professor who teaches English courses at Xidian, taught as part of a five-year exchange agreement between Xidian and Missouri Western that was signed last May.
Every day unfolds something unexpected,” Juan said. “It is quite amazing.”
The campus celebrates the Chinese New Year.She said her students in China were always asking her what life is like in English-speaking countries, and she had no firsthand experience. “Now I can bridge the gap of understanding between American and China.”
Dominic has enjoyed his immersion into United States culture. “Most Germans would like to see the United States,” he said. “We get it on TV every single day. If you want to watch a cool TV show, you watch American. You just want to come here and see it.”
He started learning English as a fifth-grader, but he applied for the Fulbright award so he could be totally immersed in the English language and become more fluent. When he returns to Germany, he will be teaching English classes, along with history classes in English, to middle and high school students. “This is preparing me well for what I want to do.”
Dominic said unlike the United States, most students in Germany begin learning a second language at a young age, so it has been interesting for him to teach students who do not have as strong of a background in foreign languages.
But his students at Missouri Western probably don’t complain when he recommends a method to help them learn the language – play German video games. “They are enjoying themselves and ‘accidently’ learning a new language,” he said with a laugh. “I did that with video games in English and I enjoyed it a lot.”
A big difference between students that Juan noted was that most of her students in China do not work while they are attending college, so she appreciates the work ethic of the Missouri Western students.
She has her students watching YouTube videos in Chinese to help learn the language.
Both Dominic and Juan took advantage of time off over breaks to travel. Dominic said he was amazed to see the changes in landscape and geography and still be in the same country. Juan, whose husband and son are in St. Joseph with her, toured the east coast.
Juan said she would have loved to stay longer in the United States and would like to help facilitate a study abroad trip to China for Missouri Western students.
“It’s been a great opportunity,” Dominic said of his experiences at Missouri Western. “There have been challenges and you have to adapt. But that is what makes it great and something I didn’t want to miss.”
International students performed a dance at the annual Lights and Tights Renaissance Feast last fall. Pictured left to right are Jamil Velasquez, Sharon Rodriguez Benarroch, Mira Lee, Ahmad Shah Salimee, and Maricarmen Teran Vela.
Fulbright scholar in India
Dave Tushaus spent last fall in India and didn’t want to come home. The professor of legal studies earned a Fulbright Scholar award and served as a consultant for Banaras Hindu University’s legal aid clinic in Varanasi, India.
“Not a day goes by that I don’t think of India,” Dave said in his blog after he returned. “We had an opportunity to meet some wonderful people, make friends, experience new cultures and enjoy sights, sounds and tastes that were exciting and delicious.”
Dave worked with law students at the university’s legal aid clinic, helping them expand their services. He wished he could’ve stayed longer to accomplish more.
He also gave lectures across India and in Bangladesh and conducted a workshop for professors from about 40 universities on how to expand their legal aid programs. “It was very rewarding. Being a visiting professor at BHU and lecturing around Asia was one of the greatest experiences of my professional life,” Dave said.
He and his wife were encouraged to hire a cook during their stay, and they were glad they took that advice. “We ate better there than we eat here. We never chose to eat out because the food was so good at home.”
Dave, who returned home in January, said he is continuing a study he began with 10 students and an Indian professor, where they are surveying law schools in India regarding their legal aid clinics. He is also working with a group in Bangladesh who wants to establish legal aid clinics in its law schools.
“The entire experience was extremely interesting. I would highly recommend to anyone interested in something very different to go. It’s a challenge but well worth it.”