IU Kokomo to Offer New International Options
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIndiana University Kokomo will offer faculty and students new opportunities to study abroad. The school is adding China and Ireland to its global offerings beginning with the spring semester. November 4, 2014
News Release
KOKOMO, Ind. — Learn about Chinese culture or Irish history and literature, both on campus and in person, with two new travel opportunities at Indiana University Kokomo.
IU Kokomo expands its international travel programs during the spring 2015 semester, adding China and Ireland to its global offerings. Students may also choose classes that include travel to South Korea, Great Britain, Guatemala, and Turkey.
“These classes offer students the chance to not just be tourists, but to immerse themselves in the culture, language, and history of another country, for a sustained period of time,” said Donna McLean, overseas study advisor. “They come back with a wider perception of the world, and a greater understanding of how we are connected.”
McLean will lead the two-week trip to China in March, part of an intercultural communications class she will teach. While most trips to China focuses on the eastern cities of Beijing and China, she also plans to take students all over the country, from the site of the terra cotta warriors in Xi’an, to the foothills of the Himalayas.
“We will see the more traditional Chinese culture in these areas, and also the big cities, which have a more international flavor,” McLean said.
Eva White, associate professor of English, and Sarah Heath, associate professor of history, will co-teach class that combines Irish history and literature, culminating in a nine-day trip to Ireland in May.
Heath said the class is a hybrid, meaning it includes one class on campus each week, and additional instruction online. The two professors developed this class based on a mutual interest in Irish migration and culture.
“We both believe literature is a product of the historical context in which it is written, and we hope to share our love of Irish culture, history, and literature with our students,” she said. “All people should experience international travel at some point in their lives, because it can help them experience and appreciate cultural differences up close, and to appreciate diverse perspectives on culture, history, literature, ethnicity, politics, and religion.”
There will be a call out meeting for students interested in the class and trip at 3 p.m. Thursday, October 23, in the Main Building, Room 108.
Additional travel opportunities include:
• Guatemala, May 14 to 22, with the Hispanic culture and health care class;
• South Korea, May 12 to 24, with the topical seminar in nursing;
• Turkey, June 12 to 24, with the issues in international business management and foreign study in business class, for business majors only;
• Great Britain, summer 2014, with the Innovation Symposium. Participants must be nominated and complete an application process.
McLean said there are several scholarships available to defray the costs of overseas travel programs. Travel costs for the South Korean program are partially funded by a grant from Dr. Se-Ung Lee, a South Korean businessman and philanthropist.
For more information about international opportunities at IU Kokomo, to get an application, or to find out about scholarships, go to iuk.edu/academics/international_opportunities.
Source: Indiana University Kokomo