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Fall 2023 Issue

Welcome from Read Center Director Dr. Amanda Johnson

Welcome back to the Read Center! We had an incredibly busy summer. I traveled to Kigali, Rwanda, to co-host the “Peace Education in an Era of Crisis” conference with my colleagues Neil Cooper of the ����ɫ��ҹ School of Peace and Conflict Studies and Aggée Mugabe of the Centre for Conflict Management at the University of Rwanda. We welcomed more than 100 participants from all over the world. It was hugely successful. Once I returned from Kigali, we immediately welcomed 38 international Fulbright graduate students for the ����ɫ��ҹ Fulbright Pre-Academic Program, a recent program my colleague Debbie Rozner and I won. We had an intensive four-week program with academic communication coursework, a seminar on leadership, and lots of cultural and civic engagement activities. We were incredibly fortunate to have such an engaged community of Friendship Families who welcomed our newest Fulbright scholars. Currently, the center is hosting the Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement grant welcoming 22 participants from more than 10 countries. They will learn about K-12 education in the United States and have a robust field experience in our local school systems. It is through all these programs and activities that the center remains a catalyst for internationalization here at ����ɫ��ҹ!

(Picture description) Amanda Johnson, from the Read Center, and Colins Imoh, University of Bradford, UK, at the peace education conference networking event at Sainte Famille Hotel, Kigali, Rwanda.

Advancing Global Perspectives: A Reflection on Pre-academic Program at ����ɫ��ҹ University

By Frans Judea Samosir, Indonesia, @fransjudeasamosir

Diversity. Empowerment. Courage. Those words represent my observation and experience undertaking the Fulbright Pre-Academic Program at ����ɫ��ҹ University from July 22 through Aug. 19. As a prospective Ph.D. student in social and behavioral sciences at The University of Memphis, it was a very productive month. Surprisingly, I met 38 other exceptional Fulbright scholars from 24 countries. They are pursuing master's and doctoral degrees, and research studies in universities all over the U.S. Moreover, this experience has enhanced and prepared me in academic, cultural and social nuances for the years to come, and I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity and would like to share some insights.

Fulbright has opened the gates of being international. I didn’t have to visit many countries to have friends from all over the world. Here at ����ɫ��ҹ, I have met representatives from many countries I never thought I would interact with. Each participant brought a unique cultural background and distinct academic viewpoint. This diversity initially made me feel uneasy at first with communication and cultural adjustment. However, I always tell myself to open my mind and try to understand how others see the world. I always tried my best to promote my country, Indonesia, and the issues I am interested in through personal or group conversations. I was glad that we exchanged lots of interest with one another. Even we have this little group called “Latinasia,” consisting of scholars from Latin and Asian countries such as Mexico, Chile, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia. In the end, interacting with people from these countries has given me a lot of intellectual and cultural growth.  

Personal development was an unavoidable result of this intense training. My resilience was tested by the obstacles I experienced, which ranged from adjusting to a new cultural context to maintaining a hard academic adjustment. While challenging at times, these experiences helped me gaim greater flexibility, cross-cultural communication skills and greater respect for global citizens' connections.

In conclusion, my pre-academic program at ����ɫ��ҹ University was an enriching experience that has laid a solid foundation for my doctoral journey in public health. The multinational cohort, comprehensive curriculum, site visits and personal growth opportunities have left an unforgettable mark on my academic and personal life. As I move forward in my academic pursuits, I’ll carry with me my amazing friends and the invaluable lessons and global perspectives gained during this transformative training program.

The Read Center to Work with a Former Ukrainian Fulbright TEA Scholar to Support Educators in Ukraine

Former ����ɫ��ҹ Fulbright TEA in Media Literacy Scholar Olena Kolvaska recently won a grant from the U.S. Embassy entitled “Regeneration of the Education System in Melitopol, Ukraine, in the Context of the War and World Integration Prospects.” With this grant, Olena and colleagues will aim to raise the qualification level of Melitopol teachers and help them obtain the necessary knowledge and skills to work in educational institutions under martial law and after the city’s de-occupation. The Read Center will support this project by providing online sessions on media literacy and educational leadership. The project will support teaching and learning for 250 teachers and impact more than 12,000 students in 21 schools in Melitopol.

Highlights of the Global Peace Education Conference in Rwanda July 11-13

In July, faculty and students from the School of Peace and Conflict Studies as well local educators and other members of the ����ɫ��ҹ community traveled to Kigali, Rwanda, to participate in the Peace Education in an Era of Crisis conference. The event, which ran from July 11 through July 13, was attended by delegates from 14 countries and nine U.S. states.

This global conference, focused on promoting peace through education, was organized and sponsored by ����ɫ��ҹ University’s School of Peace and Conflict Studies and the Gerald H. Read Center for International and Intercultural Education, the University of Rwanda’s Centre for Conflict Management, and Aegis Trust.

To see all highlights, pictures, a radio program featuring Amanda Johnson and Neil Cooper of ����ɫ��ҹ, and video of the conference, please visit our website.

Read Center Professional Advisory Board Meeting to Be Held in Washington, D.C.

On Nov. 6, members of the Professional Advisory Board of the Gerald H. Read Center will travel to Washington, D.C., to hold its bi-yearly meeting. ����ɫ��ҹ administrators George Kamberelis, director of the School of Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum, Mandy Cenker, director of the Office of Professional Development and Outreach in EHHS, and Monica Miller-Marsh, executive director of the KSU Child Development Center, will join members at meetings with officials from International Baccalaureate and the Embassy of Ecuador.

Welcome to our Newest Fulbright TEA Scholars!

On Sept. 13, The Read Center welcomed 22 secondary educators from all over the globe to ����ɫ��ҹ University!