Global Initiatives
Nana Atta Frimpong, Gyasewahene of Obo-Kwahu and
head of Professor Kwadwo Anokwa's Asona family clan was host to
Butler's study group to Ghana in Summer 2003. Nana is seen here
posing with three members of the study group, Professor Lucinda
Wilson of College Education at Butler; Ms. Danielle Broadus of Pike
High School; and Mr. Jeremy Moore of North Central High School
(wearing Ghanaian cloth).
Campus Internationalization is a high priority at Butler
University. The Center for Global Education collaborates with
colleges, academic departments and programs throughout the
university to build international expertise, forge linkages with
partner institutions abroad, and expand opportunities for students,
faculty and staff to broaden their horizons and deepen their
understanding of global issues.
Semester in Spain Program with Universidad de Alcalá de
Henares
Butler launched a faculty-led semester-long program in Spain
during fall 2003. Professor of Spanish Linda Willem served as
faculty resident director for a group of 12 Butler students. The
program, which is offered annually during the fall semester,
features a rich curriculum in language, culture, history and social
sciences offered through the Institute for North American
Studies at Alcalá, as well as homestays with Spanish
families.
Summer Chinese Language and Culture Program at Nankai
University in China
Students who complete two years of Chinese language study at
Butler are eligible to participate in our six-week intensive
language and culture program at Nankai University in Tianjin,
China. The group is led by Dr. Li-chun Lee-Thompson, head of
Butler's Chinese program and by Dr. Xiaorong Han of Butler's
History Department. A highlight of the Nankai program is the
"roaming tutorials" students participate in four afternoons a week.
Each student is paired with a native speaker of Chinese, and the
pair completes an assignment to visit a site of historical or
contemporary social, economic, or cultural significance within the
city. The goal is to rapidly develop students' linguistic and
socio-cultural competence.
Collaboration with University of Tasmania in Teacher
Education
In the summer of 2004, Professor Lucinda Wilson led a group of
six teacher education students to Tasmania for a month-long period
of learning about education in Australia and practice teaching in
Tasmania primary and secondary schools.
Student and Faculty Exchanges with the Hong Kong Academy for
Performing Arts
Butler's Jordan College of Fine Arts has a deepening
relationship with the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, one of
Asia's premier institutions. A pilot student exchange brought a
third-year directing student from APA to Butler for a productive
semester of work, while a Butler theatre major (double majoring in
Chinese studies) spent a rewarding semester at APA. A short-term
faculty exchange in dance was also successful, and other
collaborations are under discussion.
Junior Faculty Development Program Visiting Scholar
During the 2002-03, 2003-04, and 2004-05 academic years,
Butler's College of Business Administration (CBA) hosted a young
visiting scholar - the first from Russia's far east, the second
from Serbia and Montenegro, and the third from Moldova - under the
Junior Faculty Development Program of the American Councils for
International Education (ACTR/ACCELS). Our visitors have
energetically pursued their professional development projects and
have contributed in important ways to CBA's internationalization
agenda.
Building Asian Studies at Butler with support from the Freeman
Foundation
Butler is using a four-year grant from the Freeman Foundation's
"Undergraduate Asian Studies Funding Initiative" program to
strengthen our offerings in Asian studies. The grant has enabled us
to establish a new faculty position in modern East Asian history;
to provide scholarships for students to study abroad in Asia; to
launch a summer language and culture program in China; to promote
student-faculty collaborative field research in Asian settings; to
build the library collection in Asian studies; and to undertake a
wide range of community outreach activities.
Exploring the Islamic Middle East
During 2002-03, Butler undertook a significant revision of its
curriculum unit about Islam within the Change and Tradition
Program. A Focus Grant from the National Endowment for the
Humanities, for which Associate Professor of History Michelle
Mannering served as project director, supported a faculty reading
seminar, visits to campus by outside experts, and curriculum design
and dissemination workshops.
Study Trip to Ghana
With support from a U.S. Department of Education, Fulbright-Hays
Group Projects Abroad grant, Professor of Journalism Kwadwo Anokwa
led a group of six Butler faculty and six regional high school
teachers on a four-week study trip to Ghana in summer 2003. At
Butler, the trip contributed to curriculum development for the West
Africa unit within the Change and Tradition Program and for other
courses in the African studies minor. The trip also made a
significant contribution to teaching about Africa in regional high
schools as the participating teachers incorporated their new
knowledge into their own courses and shared their experiences with
other teachers in their districts.
Building International Business Expertise through Project
GLOBE
Butler's College of Business Administration received a U.S.
Department of Education Business and International Education (BIE)
program grant for the 2001-02 and 2002-03 academic years. The
Project GLOBE (Global Learning Opportunities in Business Education)
grant has supported a range of activities to build faculty
expertise about two world regions that are important for Indiana's
economic health - the NAFTA countries and East Asia. In
collaboration with the International Trade Division of the Indiana
Department of Commerce, CBA has also organized a number of
workshops and seminars for the regional business community.
International Theatre Project
Created in May 2002 by Professor John Green, head of Butler's
Theatre Department, the Butler International Theatre Project is an
annual workshop for students, educators and theatre professionals
in Indiana devoted to exploring transnational processes of creating
live performance with master artists and theatre companies from
around the world. The May 2002 project - Woyzeck brain-matters
and mind-stuff - involved collaboration with the European Live
Art Network (ELAN). The May 2003 project - The Door of
Simplicity: Maps of Space - involved collaboration with
classical Indian dancer Preeti Vasudevan and Barbara Dilley, dancer
and choreographer from Naropa University, Boulder, Colorado.
Butler Seminar on Religion and World Civilization and Center
for Faith and Vocation
Butler University's Center for Faith and Vocation presents the
Seminar on Religion and World Civilization. During four sessions
offered throughout the academic year, the seminar focuses on
diverse subjects in religion and spirituality. They include
seminars on religion and science (2004-05) and religion and law
(2003-04). A panel of experts kicks off each event and encourages
questions and comments from the audience, which include students,
faculty, staff and off-campus visitors.
The Center for Faith and Vocation
The Center for Faith and Vocation provides opportunities to help
students see the world. In 2004, the center introduced The Field
Seminar on Ministry, a series of international trips led by Butler
faculty. It allowed students who were discerning their own sense of
calling to reflect on vocation in a unique way. In 2008, the center
will offer students studying abroad through Butler the chance to
explore faith and calling in their region of interest. Check the Center for Faith
and Vocation site often or email Marguerite Stanciu at the
Center for Faith and Vocation for details.
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