Padnos International Center

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Global Connections
Padnos International Center 2012

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In This Issue

	From the Chief International Officer
	GVSU Delegation to South Korea
	Opportunities in Pondicherry
	GVSU and Kingston 25th Anniversary

Support GVSU Students!

GVSU students cite financial concerns as the number one reason they withdraw from study abroad programs. The Mark and Elizabeth Murray Scholarship was created to help support students with financial need achieve their academic, personal and professional goals. We all know how transformative and profound international experience can be. Please consider contributing to the Murray Scholarship today.

Student Spotlight: Dylan Moore Germany/Italy 2011

In the 19th Century it was standard for young aristocrats to carry out what was called a “grand tour”. Winding through the Alps on country roads, paying cicerones to show you a chapel or landmark, and visiting the Renaissance cities of Northern Italy were all part of the journey. No grand tour was complete without a visit to the city: Rome.
    For the better part of European history an understanding of the ancient Greco-Roman world has been the cornerstone of knowledge, culture, and power. It was expected that young aristocrats be trained in Greek and Latin, as well as history, philosophy, art, and architecture. A visit to Rome was a key part of a classical education, giving a physical context to the study of history. Because higher education and travel were expensive, this intellectual and cultural advantage was held almost exclusively by aristocrats.
    The world has gone through substantial change since the European grand tours of the 19th Century, but an understanding of the Greco-Roman world continues to be invaluable in understanding Western thought and politics. Because of my interest in language, culture, and history and how these relate to political power, I became a Classics major. In Allendale I was able to read Plato in Greek, but there was a key component of my classical education missing; I needed a grand tour.
    Rather than an aristocratic European, I am the son of a high school teacher and a musician who grew up outside of Flint, MI. I didn’t have the family resources to pay for a trip to Rome (let alone for all those cicerones!) and was to be the victim of the same socio-economic disadvantage that made sure only aristocrats knew what the Sistine Chapel smelled like. These experiences at first glance may seem trivial, but it is their rarity and their universality which make them so wonderful and so powerful. An experience of Rome is something which unites you with the people who have been there before, it gives the ghosts of history a physical context. To see the spot where Julius Caesar died, to know that it was at the statue of Pompey, who was his greatest enemy and dear friend, was a profound moment for me.
    The shared experience of Rome brings you into a community which extends all the way back to ancient Rome. The people who lived and wrote in Rome, and those who have been influenced by them have been many of the most important figures of all human history. It was in order to partake in this community that I went to Rome last fall and partook in the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome, one of the most prestigious study abroad programs for classical studies in the world. Had it not been for the generous funding of the Mark and Elizabeth Murray Scholarship from the Padnos International Center, the Benedetta and Giancarlo Galassi-Beria Scholarship Fund from the ICCS, and the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship from the U.S. State Department, I would have never been able to study abroad. The fact that I was able to learn Latin and Greek, and what’s more go to Rome, is a testament to American democracy and the outstanding intellectual possibilities offered by Grand Valley State University. Not only did Grand Valley prepare me academically for this incredibly challenging program, it also helped me get the funding to participate through the Padnos International Center and the Office of Fellowships.
    While studying in Rome I learned more than I imagined possible. I read Thucydides’ Histories and when I read the invasion of Sicily I knew exactly what the topography was like, I had stood on the ruins of the fortifications, seen the quarry where they kept Athenian prisoners of war, and smelled the ocean spray of the great harbor where the Athenian expedition, and with it the Athenian empire met its tragic end. All these experiences have had a profound impact on who I am and how I see myself as a world citizen. These opportunities were once reserved for European aristocrats, but thanks to the academic quality of Grand Valley, and generous funding from various donors, a public servant’s son from Michigan was able to study the classical languages in Rome. It is a testament to Grand Valley that I was able to have my own grand tour.

Dylan recently graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Classics, German, and Philosophy. He plans on attending law school this fall in Washington, D.C. and pursuing a career in international law.

Contact Us

Email: pic@gvsu.edu

From the Chief International Officer

The most significant and visionary supporter of the Padnos International Center, Stuart Padnos, died in early April. Beyond his immediate family and friends, his personality, leadership, and philanthropy touched—and continues to touch—the lives of many, including GVSU students. Most notably, the Padnos Study Abroad Scholarship provides significant financial support for 4-7 students each year to spend full academic years studying in other countries. This year, we are excited to announce the 2012 Padnos Scholars, who are preparing for their year-abroad experiences in Russia (Matt Brainovich), Romania (Shawn Wooster), Costa Rica (Stephanie Nelson), Germany (Erin Lutenski), and Spain (Samantha Cuncannon). They are among GVSU’s best and brightest now, as demonstrated by their success in the competitive selection process. Just wait until you see them again on campus, after their year away….wow, will they be inspiring to talk to! Stuart Padnos would be proud.

Mark Schaub
April 2012

GVSU Delegation to South Korea

In March 2012 faculty and staff traveled to Seoul, South Korea as members of a GVSU delegation. The delegation grant, sponsored by the Padnos International Center, works to promote partnerships and increase opportunities for exchange while fostering interdisciplinary connections. A few of the delegates were asked to describe their experiences:

Connie Dang
Director, Office of Multicultural Affairs
This past March, I had the honor of participating in the 2012 GVSU Partnership Delegation to SeoulTech – Seoul National University of Science and Technology. The delegation was led by Rebecca Hambleton, director of Study Abroad and Partnership Development, and professor Hoon Lee, Art and Design, and the participants consisted of Marshall Battani, Lisa Surman Haight, Ingrid Johnson, Henry Matthews, Sue Korzinek, Gerry Simons and myself.

Located in the metropolitan area, SeoulTech is a state-funded university where about 13,000 students hone their academic skills in 6 colleges. President Keun Namkoong of SeoulTech greeted our delegation with a warm welcome. We exchanged conversations while sipping warm, aromatic Korean tea. Representatives from both institutions shared ideas to enhance and strengthen our newly established partnership. After the meeting, we toured the state-of-the-art campus facilities and listened to presentations on a variety of programs.

Upon returning to Grand Valley, I have met with a number of students to share my cultural experience traveling to South Korea. Our conversations have prompted three students to submit applications for the summer program at SeoulTech. I continue to talk with friends and colleagues about my meaningful experience and encourage them to consider participating in various PIC grant opportunities.

Lisa Surman Haight
Executive Secretary for the Office of the Provost

The trip to Seoul was truly a great adventure. I have never traveled abroad and the prospect of being able to experience first-hand the true meaning of being a global citizen while immersed in a culture and philosophical structure different than my own really appealed to me. I consider myself fortunate to have gained a perspective into another culture through authentic language, food, music and art.

In all I took over 3,000 photos, chronicling the Hwagyesa Temple, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul Tower and more. The GVSU delegation met with SeoulTech President Namkoong and had meetings with other individuals based on our areas of interest. Provost Cheong and his staff were very gracious and provided insights into the educational structure and answered numerous questions about faculty, curriculum development, and governance. Small group meetings with SeoulTech students allowed the delegates to answer questions and share what GVSU has to offer prospective international students.

It is in remembering these more personal one-on-one interactions that has re-vitalized my volunteer work with the Literacy Center of West Michigan as an adult literacy tutor, and enhanced my work teaching English as a Second Language. I am so appreciative for this opportunity and am especially grateful to have had such extraordinary travelling companions, all of whom I look forward to collaborating with in the future.

Gerald P. W. Simons, Ph.D.
Professor of Economics

For me, the biggest draw about this delegation was to learn firsthand about a great study abroad opportunity for our students. Most of my international economics students study abroad in Europe. But I challenge GVSU students to take a bigger leap to countries that may not seem as familiar. South Korea is often overlooked when we talk about globalization. In the 1980s, we all talked about Japan; more recently our focus has shifted to China and India. But South Korea continues to grow in importance – the average income has doubled in the last 10 years and by some measures has surpassed that of the European Union. On top of that, a new free trade agreement between the US and South Korea went into effect this March. South Korea is a dynamic, vibrant country with a strong, technologically advanced economy. I try to impress upon my students that study abroad programs like the one at SeoulTech will be a valuable experience for them.

Opportunities in Pondicherry

A delegation from Pondicherry University in India visited Grand Valley March 20-23 to formalize a new faculty exchange program.

“This agreement is aimed at providing opportunities for faculty members to guest lecture there, and for Pondicherry faculty to come here,” said Mark Schaub, chief international officer.

Jalees A.K. Tareen, vice chancellor, signed the agreement with President Thomas J. Haas March 22 during a luncheon at the DeVos Center. While at Grand Valley, Tareen met with faculty members from the Padnos College of Engineering and Computing, Graduate Studies, Professional Science Masters Programs and College of Community and Public Service, in addition to other departments.

Faculty members interested in the new exchange can click here.

GVSU and Kingston 25th Anniversary

On Friday April 27th President Haas and Mark Schaub honored Vice Chancellor Julius Weinberg from Kingston University and Brian Curry, former GVSU faculty member and one of the founders of the GVSU/Kingston partnership. Over seventy-five faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members who have been involved in the Kingston/GVSU exchange program gathered to witness the renewal of the partnership. Kingston and GVSU are celebrating twenty-five years of successful exchange, the most successful in GVSU's history. For more information, see the Kingston 25 website.

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Padnos International Center
130 Lake Ontario Hall
Allendale, MI 49401
Phone: 616-331-3898 | Fax: 616-331-3899