In this issue:

• ISSO Continues to Serve as a Community Resource
• School of Public Health Mexico Program
• BU Study Abroad Launched New Summer Programs
• Jeff Berg, BU’s Director of National & International Scholarships
• Women’s Lacrosse Travels to Japan for 2017 Friendship Games
• Did You Know…

ISSO Continues to Serve as a Community Resource

The Trump administration has been quite active since January issuing Executive Orders and proclamations regarding travel, US visas and immigration. The Boston University community has been there to support our international students and scholars every step of the way. From President Brown’s email to the BU community on January 29^th, to the Town Hall meetings hosted by Global Programs and the Dean of Students Office U. S. Presidential Transition of Power on February 15, 2017, Executive Order on Immigration on February 27, 2017, and Recent Government Actions Impacting International Students and Scholars on March 21, 2017. Changes to immigration procedures continue with the announcement of the phase out of DACA on September 5, 2017 and the new travel restrictions published September 25, 2017. The International Students and Scholars Office continues to answer questions, post updates and serve as a resource for the entire BU community.

School of Public Health Mexico Program

For the third year, the School of Public Health has launched the Mexico Field Program, a collaboration between the school and the National Institute of Public Health in Cuervnavaca, Mexico. Veronika Wirtz, MSc, PhD is the instructor for the program and brings ten years of experience in international public Health. “We identified a need for a field program in Latin America given the interest of our MPH students with an interest in Global Health. A significant number of students have either immediate family in Latin America or have spent some years living in a Latin American country. They speak fluent Spanish or have a high proficiency level. “says Wirtz.

During the program, BU students are based at INSP (Instituto Nacional de Salud Public), a prestigious school of public health led by Julio Frenk, former dean of the Harvard School of Public Health. Current Public Health student Linette Duluc who participated in the field seminar, found the collaboration with INSP to be a unique opportunity to work alongside students based at INSP. “This collaboration was a fantastic experience because, not only is the Mexican curriculum different than the Boston curriculum, but even within subjects in common, the students learned different techniques to obtain results,” says Duluc.

Through intensive preparatory work in Boston and ten weeks of field work in Mexico, the course builds skills and confidence in conducting a community health assessment; implementing and evaluating health promotion intervention; and engaging in public health research. The preparatory work in Boston was a component of the program, participants found particularly helpful. “Prior to the practicum, we had about 5 sessions with Professor Wirtz to learn about the Mexican health care system, and research methods we may have not previously been introduced to in our courses,” says Duluc. “Working in a public health setting, it is essential to understand the health-care system, and what we learned in those sessions was directly related to what we were working on, and helped us understand the issues within our communities more in depth.”

Upon arrival in Mexico, participants in this course work alongside MPH students from the National Institute of Public Health (INSP) and engage with representatives of local communities and municipal governments to assess the health of communities in the state of Morelos, Mexico. Students identify priority health needs that should be addressed and present results and recommendations to local community leaders and other stakeholders.

Wirtz noted that for SPH students this is an opportunity to practically apply the skills they have learned through the field seminar, “The “new public health” envisioned by the Framing the Future Task Force of the Association of Schools of Public Health requires students to integrate and apply skills from multiple disciplines, and to relate globalization and sustainable development to population health. Through this course, BU students will have an opportunity to practice these skills and to respectfully engage with people of different cultures and socioeconomic strata. “

The prior preparatory work In Boston and collaborative field work with ISNP, proved to be a successful approach to enrich participants learning. “With my coursework in monitoring and evaluation as well as Global Health, I haven’t had the opportunity to conduct field-based work, which is a major reason why this practicum was so beneficial to me. I was able to gain qualitative and quantitative skills, collaborate with fantastic students, and immerse myself in another culture,” says Duluc.

BU Study Abroad Launched New Summer Programs

BU Study Abroad is excited about the successful launch of four new programs this past summer: the New York City Internship, Padua Mediterranean Diet, Los Angeles Cinema and Media Studies, and the San Fransisco Internship programs. Executive Director, Gareth McFeely feels these programs meet the needs of prospective students. “2017 was an exciting summer for new programming in Study Abroad, as we developed a range of new programs, all designed to expand the opportunities available to our students. These programs reflect both the richness of our relationships with faculty across campus, and our efforts to respond to new or growing areas of demand from our students, with a particular emphasis on meaningful workplace experiences.” says Gareth McFeely.

Jeff Berg, BU’s Director of National & International Scholarships

The Office of Fellowships and Scholarships is a university-wide resource, situated in the Office of the Provost, serving BU undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in a wide range of nationally competitive awards including Fulbright, Rhodes, Marshall, Truman, and Goldwater scholarships, among many others. The office also oversees the application and selection for a number of BU-specific awards, such as the Case and Melville scholarships for undergrads, as well as internal scholarships for current and incoming graduate students.

As director of the office, Jeff Berg is responsible for ensuring that members of the BU community—from students and faculty to advisors and staff—are aware of these opportunities and for supporting students throughout the application process. “We are fortunate to have incredibly talented students at BU who could be very competitive in these prestigious award competitions. But more important than prestige, I also want students to appreciate the very real benefits of applying regardless of whether they ultimately win an award,“ says Berg.

The range of opportunities that the Office of Fellowships and Scholarships administers is just as diverse as the applicant pool. However, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, established in 1946, piques many students interest. The program offers over 1900 research, graduate study, creative arts, and teaching opportunities in more than 140 countries. Seniors, recent graduates, and current graduate students are eligible to apply. In terms of what students do in the program, Berg mentions that the responsibilities vary on a candidate to candidate basis. “For some, it’s an opportunity to conduct independent research overseas. Other Fulbright recipients pursue their intellectual interests in a formal graduate degree program abroad. And many others are drawn to the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) program, which places grant recipients in local schools to contribute to English language instruction. Beyond the research, studies, or teaching, Fulbright’s larger mission is one of cultural exchange.” Recipients of the Fulbright Scholarship live and work with the people of the host country resulting in an appreciation for diverse cultures and viewpoints.

For those interested in applying for a scholarship, Berg suggests starting with a conversation about what most sparks a student’s interests. “Some of the most fruitful discussions begin with a revealing conversation about the student’s passions, goals, and accomplishments. We can then consider the kinds of opportunities that might align with those interests. From the start, I hope that working with our office can be a process of self-reflection, growth, and discovery.”

More information on the Fulbright program can be found here.

Women’s Lacrosse Travels to Japan for 2017 Friendship Games

Following the successful completion of the 2016-2017 lacrosse season, the Boston University women’s team set their sights on a 10-day global trip to visit Japan and participate in the 2017 Friendship Games. For head coach Liz Robertshaw, the trip was more than playing in a tournament, it was an opportunity for the team to be immersed in a different culture. “We wanted to expose our team to different cultures, lifestyles and lacrosse around the globe. Many countries offer these trips but we decided on Japan because they are a country rich with culture and tradition that is very different from the cultures and traditions that we experience every day in America,” says Robertshaw.

Through this cross-cultural trip, the women’s lacrosse team experienced their sport through a much different lens. As one of the global powerhouses in the sport, the United States sets the standard for many of their lacrosse counterparts throughout the world and upon arrival in Japan, although the sport cultures are similar, there were some apparent differences. “While the on-field play is similar, their customs before and after the games, from what we saw, are a bit different. I am not sure if it happens at every competition but whenever the Japanese National team plays a team from another country, it is customary to exchange gifts after the game. We brought over a plethora of bracelets, BU pins and t-shirts to exchange for each game.” Robertshaw mentioned.

During their time abroad, the team competed against other universities, held clinics and concluded the trip with a memorable game in the Friendship games in front of thousands of fans. “Our experience in Japan was full of exploration, learning and adaptation. From the language to the cuisine, to simple everyday manners and practices, our team was immersed in what it would be like the live in Japan. We went to traditional Japanese restaurants, visited a number of shrines and historical landmarks, tried our best to learn some of their language and even spent two nights living with Japanese families!,” says Robertshaw.

Did You Know…

Health and Safety Training

Global Programs staff are available to conduct group or individual trainings for faculty and staff involved in planning or participating in educational programs or research abroad, or who travel abroad for BU. For health, safety and security pre-trip recommendations and briefings, please contact Joe Finkhouse or Sarah VanKirk to get started.