The David and Leighan Rinker Center for International Learning
WORLD is excited to host our upcoming Lessons from Abroad Conference on Friday, March 31, 2023 from 11am-3pm in Brown Hall. During this inaugural conference, study abroad and international students will reflect on the impact of learning abroad and global citizenship experiences through engagement with new cultures. Students will present their reflections and invite discussion. We welcome you to join us!
WORLD: The Rinker Center for International Learning invites you to participate in diverse week of activities in celebration of International Education Week 2020. Find here a Stetson’s schedule of events. Click on each event title in the chart to participate. Cultural Credit is available. Please share with students.
For more information, contact Wendy Viggiano, international programs coordinator.
International Education Week is November 12-16, 2018. IEW is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Education “to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences”.
WORLD is now accepting proposals for the upcoming AY 2020/2021 Faculty-Led Study Abroad Programs. Each year, WORLD invites faculty from all disciplines at Stetson University to step outside of the DeLand campus and explore the possibilities of teaching abroad.
Last month, Wendy Viggiano, Program Coordinator for International Learning, hosted a Lunch and Learn webinar on leading faculty-led programs abroad. She covered topics such as program types, student considerations, working collaboratively with WORLD, benefits of working with a study abroad provider, and walked through the proposal process. You can check out each topic in the short videos provided here as well as on our YouTube channel. We hope these informative videos will clarify the proposal process and encourage faculty to submit proposals.
Stetson University has seen an increase in faculty-led programs abroad and we hope to continue that trend next year. Students are eager to study abroad and we look forward to offering students more programs in a variety of disciplines to meet the demands of our students. No matter the subject or discipline, WORLD can find the right location abroad for your course. How can a new place enhance your teaching and the student’s understanding of the topic? Feel you don’t have the time to make all the arrangements and organize all the logistics of the program? Not sure even where to begin? No worries! WORLD is here to help you every step of the way.
Start your Faculty-Led Study Abroad Proposal and we will help you take care of the rest!
—International Tax session April 6, 2020 2:30 PM EST. Use the link below to sign up by noon April 3rd to be included in a chat during which Albert Aguirre and Roxanne Lewis will be available to talk you through the process of filing your taxes for 2019. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe5GJf7i_mhsPmR7nU-PRlPq3q4QfIFDEurC7fvdN6-rGZwag/viewform
Other University Events
–March 23, 2020 from Travis Potter of Stetson’s Wellness and Recreation office [email protected]. Contact him to express interest in joining. “It goes without saying that we are not scheduling any intramural games for the remainder of the semester, but what if we can explore an alternative for your fun and entertainment. The first step is to gauge your initial interest and hopefully there are some commonalities among everyone. I have brainstormed the following activities:
Madden Tournament (PS4; Xbox)Call of Duty Warzone (top finishes; Xbox, PS4, Computer)
8 Ball Pool Competitions (App on Google Play)
FIFA 2020 Tournament (PS4; Xbox)
Rocket League CompetitionNBA 2K (PS4 & Xbox)
Interested? Let me know, I’m starting new tournaments each Monday between now and the end of April. “
–Looking to get involved in Stetson leadership opportunities? Connect with ULEAD www.stetson.edu/ulead
Join WORLD and the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life to celebrate the United Nations International Day of Peace.
Join us today, Sept. 18 from 11:30 a.m.-12:50 p.m., in the Conrad Hall Lounge for conversations over lunch on the following topics:
Moe’s and Cultural Credit will be provided.
The theme draws attention to the importance of combatting climate change as a way to protect and promote peace throughout the world.
Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on September 21. The General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples.
Two Stetson University School of Business Administration professors have been recognized by two separate international organizations for outstanding achievements.
Isabel Botero
Isabel Botero, Ph.D., assistant professor of family enterprise and entrepreneurship, was awarded the Advanced Certificate in Family Wealth Advising (ACFWA) and honored as a Fellow of the Family Firm Institute (FFI) at the 2018 FFI Global Conference held in London, England.
To be named a fellow honoree, Botero had to achieve comprehensive professional knowledge and significant expertise over the past 10 years that may now be shared and used by family business owners and family wealth management clients. The Family Firm Institute, an international professional membership organization of more than 1,800 individuals and organizations across 88 countries, provides interdisciplinary education and networking opportunities for family business and family wealth advisors, consultants, educators and researchers.
“Becoming a Fellow for the Family Firm Institute is an honor for me because it highlights my collaborative work to help family enterprises around the world become better,” explained Botero. “It also acknowledges the importance of education and research in the field.”
Jennifer Foo
Jennifer Foo, Ph.D., professor of finance, also has been honored as a member of the Jewish National Fund’s Winter 2018-2019 Faculty Fellowship Program in Israel. This competitive academic fellowship gives full-time higher education faculty members the opportunity to participate in a 12-day all-expenses-paid academic trip to Israel. The program strives to link scholars from diverse disciplines with their Israeli counterparts at major universities to initiate collaboration and exchanges, and to give participants an opportunity to explore Israel’s history, politics, culture and economy. Foo is the first Stetson University faculty member to receive this fellowship.
“This fellowship is an invaluable and exciting opportunity for me to learn about Israel,” said Foo. “I look forward to learning how an entrepreneurial and innovative business spirit can be born out of a necessity to grow and survive, as it did in Israel.”
Neal Mero
“This recognition of Dr. Botero and Dr. Foo highlights the quality of faculty who serve in the Stetson School of Business Administration,” said Neal P. Mero, Ph.D., dean and professor of management. “In addition to bringing global recognition to Stetson for their work, my colleagues leverage that expertise through their service as incredible teachers and scholars delivering a world-class education to our students.”
Originally posted at Stetson Today on December 9, 2018 by Marie Dinklage
WORLD: Rinker Center for International Learning joins thousands of universities, colleges and organizations to recognize international learning and global mindset. During November 5-9, 2018, Stetson will celebrate its global footprint with a week of cultural activities, research showcases, sporting events, and more.
International Education Week is November 12-16, 2018. IEW is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Education “to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences”.
Congratulations to Henry Semaganda, international student from Kampala, Uganda, who received one of Stetson’s prestigious Global Citizenship Scholarships. Semaganda has long demonstrated interest in Stetson University, applying twice before receiving the scholarship.
“As a recipient of the prestigious Global Citizen Full Tuition Scholarship, I have an immense opportunity to live my dream at Stetson University, Florida. A dream that has come to pass despite the fact that the competition was indeed stiff, with only one slot available for a student from sub-Saharan Africa.“
Henry Semaganda, ‘20 (biology), proudly displays his Global Citizenship Scholarship certificate of award. Semaganda is the second recipient of the Global Citizenship Scholarship, a new scholarship program at Stetson University aimed at attracting outstanding international students.
The full tuition scholarship is awarded to incoming international students with top academic potential who exhibit Stetson’s value of global citizenship. Three students are chosen annually, each from different regions of the world. The scholarship enables recipients opportunity to deepen their practice of global citizenship as Semeganda describes in his application essay.
“For a substantial part of my life, I have always held a firm belief in the promise of humanity. This belief has persisted despite the wrongs and misfortunes that have befallen our societies. I have never given up hope in believing that there is potential to do good in all of us and that deep within us lies the solution to the problems that torment the world today ranging from war, terrorism, disease among others. I believe everyone has a place on the team in this journey to make the world a better place for posterity”.
Semaganda has also received the Stetson Access Grant Scholarship (now discontinued) to cover the remaining costs of attending university. He believes that the small class sizes and student-to-teacher ratio at Stetson will afford him the “rare opportunity of an up-close learning experience and mentorship between the professors and me…”
Today, I rejoice in an improbable success. That as a student who began his academic journey at Masajja Bridge nursery and primary school, a school that is on the verge of demolition currently, I will be obtaining my undergraduate education at Stetson University, one of the top institutions in U.S. Both my parents dropped out of school during the 1979 Iddi-Amin civil war but held a firm belief that education would be the ultimate gift they would ever give me. It is their unwavering hope that even pushed me to limits they had never envisioned.
The biology major has participated in the EducationUSA program at the U.S. Embassy in Kampala and has volunteered to work with them to spread the benefits of an American education.
I want to share in the diversity, to bask in the depth, richness and flexibility of an American education. My story is one of hard work, tenacity and unflagging faith that I can be among the best. If one wants to achieve greatness, the door to opportunity is always open. My story has just begun. I urge students from Uganda, and from around the world to never give up on their dreams because they seem too big. Let us strive to push ourselves to limits we have never imagined before.
Semaganda’s future plans include a career as a medical doctor to help improve Uganda’s health system.
“I envision that after my time at Stetson, I will be an ambassador of hope, well equipped with knowledge, exposure and skills to contribute to sensitization and improvement of basic health care in Uganda but more especially in eradicating preventable diseases like HIV/AIDS, cholera and ebola that plague millions of Africans.
”Today, as a global citizen, I long to see African societies that are not held hostage to negative traditional beliefs and senseless stereotypes. This will boost our education, health, infrastructure, relationships, politics and leadership.”
