Global Programs’ Newsletter: Spreading the news from our Global Support, Study Abroad, CELOP, and ISSO teams

January 2016

The 2016 Global Programs Photo Contest will run from March 14 through March 25, 2016. This year’s theme is Changing Perspectives. We are looking for images that evoke how your global experience changed your perspective. Details to follow soon.

In this issue:

• Global Connections: Three Advanced Standing Dental Students
• Study Abroad New Ghana Program
• BU Ranks in the Open Doors Top 25 Again
• CELOP Turns 40
• Washington DC Study Abroad Turns 40
• Get to Know Assistant Director for International Student Initiatives

Global Connections: Three Advanced Standing Dental Students

During International Education Week we met a number of the Advanced Standing Dental Program students from the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM). The Advanced Standing program is designed for internationally trained dentists who wish to practice in the U.S. All students were already practicing dentists in another country. It is an extremely competitive program with upwards of 1500 applications for 75 spots annually. In addition to being highly competitive the program is a great example of global connections with over 20 countries represented among the students. We recently sat down with three students from the program for a chat.

Dr. Ana Keohane, originally from Colombia, has been in the US for 14 years. Prior to joining the program, she was a clinical instructor in the Department of Global & Population Health at GSDM and coordinator for the School-Based Oral Health Program in Lawrence. Ana’s husband is from Massachusetts and she has two young daughters which make for a very busy life on top of her studies. She says she loves the tightness and family atmosphere of the class and the school. There is a “big brother big sister” program that matches first year with second year students for support and “we use Facebook and WhatsApp to keep each other informed of social activities and news like when grades are posted” she said with a smile.

Dr. Ramy Allam, originally from Egypt and his wife, an American born Egyptian, are both in the program (they are one of four married couples in the program). “My wife and I have enjoyed going through the program together because it gives us someone to reflect with on the experience.” Ramy and his wife were active participants in the Egyptian Revolution in 2011 and he was part of 3 award winning documentaries. As events became more unstable in Egypt he and his wife moved to NY in 2013. One of the things Ramy loves about being in the US and the program is the diversity. He said in Egypt you are “surrounded by mostly Egyptians” but in the program “there is a great deal of socializing between students of different nationalities, especially in the sharing of foods, film, etc.” The exposure to such diverse cultures, thoughts and experiences has definitely changed him and at times he grapples with the feeling of “Am I Egyptian? Am I American?” The struggle comes into sharp relief in his Facebook feed with friends and family from Egypt, the US and the program.

Dr. Akram Sannaa, originally from Syria, and serving as the class president, had the most dramatic and serendipitous journey to the program. “In Syria, your dad would open a clinic for you. Coming to the US, I had to do everything from the ground up.” Since coming to the U.S. Akram moved between many states, worked in different types of jobs to provide for himself and met a lot of people who helped him along the way. One noteworthy person who had a great impact on Akram’s life was Dr. Myron Allukian, who has been called “The Social Conscience of Dentistry.” Dr. Allukian has had a long well respected career in dental public health and is on the dental faculties of BU, Tufts and Harvard. Akram interviewed with Dr. Allukian for a research position in Boston on an airport security line in Baltimore where Dr. Allukian’s was catching a flight to Boston. “I don’t think anyone who was standing in that line knew that I was having a life changing interview”, says Akram. After that interview Dr. Allukian became Akram’s mentor, recommended him for the program and is also the one who encouraged Akram to run for class president. By all accounts Akram is an outstanding President running uncontested for his second term. Ramy says “Akram doesn’t go by the book. He goes by the heart.” Akram says that his experiences in the U.S. taught him to believe in himself more and believe that he can make a change wherever he goes. Eventually Akram wants to go back to Syria and help rebuild the country’s medical infrastructure. He is definitely laying the ground work for BU trained Syrian dentists. When he started the program he was the only Syrian in his class, this year there were two and next year there will be more than three, most were recommended by Akram. The global connections continue.

BU Study Abroad Explores New Program in Ghana

Currently working its way through curricular approvals is a new study abroad program in Accra, Ghana, slated to launch summer 2016. The program is in collaboration with Lancaster University (LU) in the UK with a focus on global health.

If approved, a group of up to 20 students will live, study, and work for six weeks in Accra. Faculty from BU (among them Susan Foster and Eileen O’Keefe) and LU have jointly developed a course – Human Infectious Disease in Ghana – that will be co-taught with the support of LU Ghana. Building on the popularity and success of BU Study Abroad’s numerous international internship programs, the course will be offered alongside an academically directed internship or practicum that places students with an organization in Accra working in some aspect of public health.

Eileen O’Keefe, a Clinical Professor of Health Sciences and Director of Sargent’s Program in Health Science, is leading the academic development of the course on behalf of BU. She explains, “The program will combine components of laboratory microbiology and public health with an internship experience to provide students with a broader, contextual understanding of factors that impact population health in Ghana. We are particularly excited about the opportunities the selected Accra internship sites will offer to students to work with local health professionals and gain valuable hands-on experience.”

The same excitement resonates in Study Abroad; its Executive Director, Gareth McFeely, hopes to build on this collaboration to explore a variety of future opportunities.

To learn more about the program, email abroad@bu.edu.

BU Ranks in the Open Doors Top 25 Again

According to the recently released Open Doors report, published by the Institute of International Education (IIE), Boston University again ranks in the top 25 of universities for international students on campus and for students studying abroad. Up a spot from last year’s report, BU now ranks #11 among campuses with the most international students on campus. BU also ranks #20 among campuses with the most students studying abroad. These numbers illustrate that BU continues to be a leader in international education.

You may notice that the latest Open Doors numbers don’t match the International Students & Scholars Office’s statistics from the current academic year. The Open Doors’ just-released data reflects numbers from the previous academic year. It takes months for the IIE to collect and crunch the numbers from every university. For 2015 the ISSO proudly reports BU has 8452 students from 133 countries with growth from countries like Brazil and Vietnam, and new representation this year from Monaco, the second smallest and the most densely populated country in the world.

CELOP Turns 40

It is 1975, and two professors teaching in the English Department see a need for more dedicated language training for BU’s international students. Fast forward forty years, and the Center for English Language & Orientation Programs (CELOP) continues to attract students from all over the world who come to Boston to immerse themselves in language and cultural learning. Over the past 40 years, CELOP has taught English to tens of thousands of students and counting, and continues to be a wonderful resource for BU’s international students in need of more dedicated English language training.

To celebrate this important milestone, CELOP students joined with teachers and staff on November 19th for food, fun, and a trip down memory lane. The party was held to coincide with BU’s International Education Week, and the festivities did not disappoint.

For more information about CELOP programs contact celop@bu.edu

Did you know…

Psy, the Korean pop culture sensation known for Gangnam Style, studied at CELOP in 1996.

Washington DC Study Abroad Turns 40

The 2015/2016 Academic year also marks the 40th Anniversary of the BU Study Abroad Washington DC program. Through seven Presidential administrations BUDC has offered thousands of students the experience of living, working and studying in one of the most dynamic capital cities of the world. Students have had opportunities to study and intern in a diverse range of fields including Journalism, Business, Policy, Law, Arts and Architecture, Performing Arts, Media, Advertising and Public Relations, Energy and Environmental Policy, Health and Human Services and Hospitality among others. That the 41st year of the program also happens to be a presidential election year should make for another amazing experience for the students in the BU Washington DC Study Abroad program!

A celebration with alumni and friends to mark the 40 years of this unique program will be held in May 2016.

Get to Know the Assistant Director for International Student Initiatives

To build on existing University efforts to ensure the academic success and social wellbeing of our international student population, this October Callie Sopper became the first Assistant Director, International Student Initiatives. In the role, Callie partners with academic and administrative units on the Charles River and Medical Campuses who are already involved with international student support and outreach efforts to help create opportunities for greater connections among international and non-international students, as well as find ways to support faculty and staff interaction with international students. We sat down with Callie to learn more about her personal international experience and what brings her to BU.

On the decision to pursue a career in international education

My interest sparked when I myself was an international student during my senior year of high school. I lived with a non-English speaking host family in Beijing and took intensive Chinese classes. The process of learning who I was in the context of a new set of family, friends, language, and culture while staying connected with my own culture was a really formative experience. I was particularly interested in what skills were emphasized in Chinese education and how that was communicated to students.

What surprised Callie about BU

When I accepted the position this fall, I wasn’t thinking much beyond the job description and the mission of Global Programs. But one aspect of working for the university that has been such a great discovery is the extent to which employees can become part of a much broader academic and social community. In the short time I’ve been here, I’ve taken part in lectures, film screenings, and learned about some really interesting research happening on campus. It’s great to feel that this job can be personally enriching as well as professionally.

Callie’s most memorable cross-cultural experience

During my first trip to China as a high school freshman, I visited a school and met a girl my age who told me that she hadn’t slept for two days out of nerves and excitement because she knew she would be meeting an American. That experience stuck with me and caused me to take a hard look at my frame of reference compared with hers.

If you would like Callie’s input or help with any international student issues or initiatives at your school, please email her at csopper@bu.edu.