New International Students at University of Missouri -- Culture Shock

This was the second day of orientation for new international students at MU. 

So many people... so much to do... so much to learn and unlearn...


We've got great students starting at Missouri, coping with culture shock.

Thanks to the Columbia Tribune for covering this story -- and thanks to the volunteers and staff at the International Center for great service.

International students begin new year at Missouri

Today is the first day of orientation for new international students at Missouri.  The International Center is buzzing.  Our great staff and dozens of MU student volunteers are welcoming hundreds of new students from all over the world. 

It's really great to see such a warm welcome.  Thanks to everyone involved.

Iraqis Pursue Education at University of Missouri

On the same day I read news about US combat troops withdrawing from Iraq, it was great to see this story in our local newspaper.

Art in South Africa

This morning, I find myself reflecting on a recent trip to South Africa.  Working with Missouri's good partners at the University of the Western Cape is always inspiring. They are doing incredibly ambitious work in spite of serious resource constraints.

On the last day of our visit, we wandered into the South African National Gallery.  I had no expectations, except that it looked like a nice place to visit while waiting for a long flight back home.  If you ever get to Capetown, there are so many things to do.  But don't leave the city without stopping at this museum.

It's filled with contemporary works that are beautiful, vibrant, and genuine.  It reminds me of the palpable creative energy I feel each time I visit the country, and each time I work with our colleagues at UWC.

I'm going to jail for good!

I'll be incarcerated next Thursday, Aug. 19, to raise funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Assn.  I can't get out until I raise $1,000 in bail money.  So far, I've raised about $300. 

With your help, I can be released on good behavior.  For more information, please check here .

Thanks!

Summer Reading

In the dog days of summer -- I'm reading two books I can't put down.

The first, is Cognitive Surplus, by Clay Sharky.  This blurb from the publisher provides a helpful summary:

The author of the breakout hit Here Comes Everybody reveals how new technology is changing us from consumers to collaborators, unleashing a torrent of creative production that will transform our world.

This is a short, practical book, and I recommend it to anyone involved in teaching or learning.

The second, is a novel by Marlene Van Niekerk, called Agaat.  Whenever I travel, I try to read works of fiction by local writers.  I chose this book for my recent trip to South Africa.  This is a beautiful and painful story.  It offers great insight into race and gender relations -- in South Africa and through out the world.

Global Migration Outlook: Implications for Higher Education

There's a great post on Worldwise -- the Chronicle of Higher Education's blog on international issues.

This post, by Francisco Marmolejo, draws on the OECD's annual International Migration Outlook.

It's estimated that 200 million people are currently living outside their home country.  A small - but growing - proportion of these people are students pursuing their education.  These young people with "mobile talent" will be key assets in the global economy.   It's understandable why international competition to attract these students has intensified.

Marmolejo says...

A combination of factors influence the attraction of more or fewer international students by a given country, including the perceived quality and prestige of institutions and academic programs, affordability of tuition in the host country, availability of scholarships and loans for mobility in both host and home countries, language of instruction, effectiveness of outreach and marketing efforts carried on by institutions and governments, perception surrounding the degree of friendliness and openness of the country, among many others. In addition, increasingly students take into consideration how difficult and costly is the visa process, and how flexible the migratory policies are regulating their opportunities to conduct further practical training and eventually to work. According to Nafsa–Association of International Educators, talented students and skilled workers will go to the places that welcome them and offer the best opportunities. Unfortunately the U.S. has been "slow to appreciate and adjust to a paradigm shift in global mobility." The title of the policy briefing authored by Nafsa couldn’t be more eloquent: "A Visa and Immigration Policy for the Brain-Circulation Era: Adjusting to What Happened in the World While We Were Making Other Plans."