School of International Studies Headlines

OSU Welcomes Visitors from Puebla, Mexico’s UPAEP University

As OSU and the Universidad Popular Autónoma del Estado de Puebla (UPAEP) continue discovering partnership opportunities for teaching, research, outreach and development programs, several representatives from UPAEP visited the OSU campus September 6-26. It is a common goal that the strong ties between the universities will lead to additional educational collaborations between the schools, as well as their home states of Oklahoma and Puebla.

The visit was organized by the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, School of International Studies and OSU’s UPAEP Liaison Office. UPAEP and OSU have enjoyed a partnership since 1991 that has lead to student and faculty exchanges, a Dual Degree Master’s Program and reciprocal liaison offices in Stillwater and Puebla. For more information about opportunities with UPAEP, visit the OSU-UPAEP webpage or email Lupita Fabregas

Pictured: OSU President Burns Hargis (3^rd from left) and UPAEP Liaison Office Manager Lupita Fabregas (far right) give a warm welcome to UPAEP visitors (l-r) Hugo Avendaño, Director of UPAEP Campus Tehuacan; Ricardo Lopez Fabre, Vice President for Academic Affairs; Miguel Angel Garijo, Vice President for Students Affairs; and, Luis Montiel, Director of UPAEP High School.

Spears School of Business and SIS Host an MOU Signing Ceremony with UKRIDA University of Indonesia

The OSU Spears School of Business with the School of International Studies hosted representatives of UKRIDA University of India for a Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony and luncheon on October 20^th. UKRIDA representatives Pendeta Dr. Aristarchus Sukarto and Henry L. Njoo visited OSU to explore the establishment of a cooperative relationship for instruction, research, extension and exchanges with OSU. This will create new opportunities and allow students and faculty to expand their knowledge and interests.

Ceremony attendees came to the Wes Watkins Center’s historic Point IV Room to sign the Memorandum of Understanding between the two universities. OSU’s international involvement began almost sixty years ago when US President Harry S. Truman appointed OSU President Henry G. Bennett to lead the US’s newly formed Point IV Program (now USAID). One of the first projects of the Program was to establish an exchange relationship between OSU and Ethiopia, establishing Ethiopia’s Alemaya University (now Haramaya University).

Pictured are (seated l-r) UKRIDA’s Henry L. Njoo and Pendeta Dr. Aristarchus Sukarto, OSU Provost Dr. Marlene Strathe, Spears School of Business Dean Sara Freedman and International Education & Outreach Director Dr. James Hromas; and, (standing, l-r) José Sagarnaga, Tim Huff, Dr. Robert Dooley, Dr. Mark Weiser, Dr. Julie Weathers, Dr. Steve Miller and Tommy Hong. Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie’s portrait (top right) hangs in the Watkins Center’s Point IV Room to commemorate OSU’s first international exchange relationship – OSU and Ethiopia’s Alemaya University.

OSU Signs Memorandum of Understanding with the new University of Ségou in Mali, Africa

On October 15^th, the School of International Studies with OSU’s Division of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources (DASNR) facilitated the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the University of Ségou of the Republic of Mali, Africa. The MOU indicates an openness to explore future opportunities for academic collaboration. There were several OSU faculty members and staff who witnessed the emotional ceremony that started a new relationship between the two institutions. After the MOU signing, Minister Ginette Bellegarde Siby, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of the Republic of Mali, stated, “The University of Ségou was officially born today.” Those historic words will be remembered by the guests as the birth of a new university in the Republic of Mali.

DASNR hosted the Malian delegation October 14 - 16. The delegation included Minister Siby; Pr. Amadou Diallo, Rector, University of Bamako; Pr. Abdoulaye Salim Cissé, Chairman of the Steering Committee, University of Ségou; and, Pr. Bakary Cissé, Head of the Research Division, University of Bamako. Dr. David Henneberry, DASNR’s Director of International Programs, was thoroughly pleased to host the delegation and start a new cooperation. “It is a new relationship that will continue for a long time and benefit both institutions,” said Henneberry.

The School of International Studies coordinates the signing of Memorandums of Understanding between OSU and institutions and governments across the US and the world. Currently, OSU has more than 180 active international agreements with over 150 entities encompassing almost 60 countries throughout the globe. OSU faculty and administrators are actively engaged in increasing and emphasizing these agreements and exchanges to advance OSU’s ambitious efforts to internationalize students’ educational experience and research endeavors.

Malian and OSU officials look on during the emotional & historic ceremony as Dr. David Henneberry (seated, left), OSU’s Division of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources’ Director of International Programs, and Minister Ginette Bellegarde Siby (seated, right), Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of the Republic of Mali sign the MOU establishing a relationship between OSU and Mali’s University of Ségou.

SIS Grad Program Students Start Fall Classes

The Graduate Program of the School of International Studies welcomed 35 new students to campus in August. This makes the total enrolled for Fall ’09 now stand at 90 students. The class is a pretty diverse one. It is comprised of approximately 50% male and female students and about 60% domestic and 40% international students. Fourteen states are represented among the domestic students and 23 countries are represented among the international students. SIS is pleased to welcome such a diverse group of students to campus. This is an exciting way to begin the 11^th year of Program!

The students in the SIS Graduate Program gathered for a picture after the semester’s first Contemporary Issues class outside of the Wes Watkins Center, home of SIS. Thirty four of the Program’s 90 current students are pictured with Graduate Advisor Donna Birchler, Congressman Wes Watkins and Graduate Program Assistant Cindi Stephens.

SIS Welcomes Two Esteemed Muskie Fellows into Graduate Program

The Graduate Program of the School of International Studies (SIS) welcomes two students who were awarded the highly regarded Muskie Program Fellowship. Rafael Zhansultanov from Kazakhstan and Jahan Saparmamedova from Turkmenistan will be among the 30 new students entering the Graduate Program for the Fall 2009 semester. SIS is honored to continue its tradition of having Muskie Fellows in its Graduate Program. Currently, two other students – Firyuza Babayeva of Turkmenistan and Eraj Kaniev of Tajikistan – are among SIS’s 90 students who are working toward their Master’s degrees. In its ten year history, SIS has had about 50 Muskie Fellows go through the Graduate Program. For more information about the Muskie Graduate Fellowship Program, click here…

SIS’s Rafael Zhansultanov (seated at left, in suit) from Kazakhstan paused for a photo with the other Kazahk students who will enter US institutions this Fall as part of the Muskie Graduate Fellowship Program.