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International Leadership

In Education Program Scholars

SPECIAL EDITION, SPRING 2009

ILEP Visiting Scholars! Assia Benamara - Algeria

Kazi Rashid - Bangladesh

Badrun Nahar - Bangladesh

Alexandre Olivera - Brazil

Jose Santos - Brazil

Marwa Saleh - Egypt

Monte Pariat - India

Zulfa Sulaiman - Indonesia

Bayu Widyatmoko - Indonesia

Yaser Abuhmaid - Jordan

Mercy Labial - Philippines

Ana Mirana - Philippines

El Ismaila Diouf - Senegal

Patrick Mnisi - South Africa

Houssin Zayri -Tunisia

Ebed Sulbaran - Venezuela

In this special issue:

Meet New Scholars:

ILEP Scholars

Meet New Scholars:

Dr. Kim and Dr. Heu

Reporting Back:

CIIE events and

International Travel

Fast Forward:

Future Events

NEW Feature! Opinion

Funded by the U.S. State Department of

State, International Leaders in Education Pro-

gram brings exceptional secondary teachers from

the Middle East, South Asia, Africa, and Latin

America to the U.S. to help them develop exper-

tise in their subject areas and learn about the U.S.

This semester CIIE is hosting sixteen

ILEP scholars from twelve countries. They take

courses relative to their subject areas as well as

special courses in English and advanced technol-

ogy. Additionally, they do internships in public

schools of the Kent area.

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Meet New Scholars

SPECIAL EDITION, SPRING 2009

Assia Benamara

Algeria Assia is a talented teacher of

English in a secondary

school. Becoming a teacher

was her biggest dream. She is

enjoying her time at Kent

State while interning in Stow.

Assia has three children.

Kazi Rashid Bangladesh

Kazi has been

teaching computer

science in a secondary

school for the last 13

years. He has two

daughters and is an

author of six textbooks

in Bangla and English.

He is also Head

Examiner on the

Board of Education.

Badrun Nahar Bangladesh Badrun (means full

moon in Arabic)

teaches English at a

boarding school in

Tangail. She has a

daughter who goes to

a university back

home. She likes

Bangla and Indian

music. Badrun is

interning at

Crestwood High

School.

Alexandre Oliveira Brazil

Alex is from Rio de Janeriro. He has been a teacher

for 19 years and is really passionate about being a

teacher. He teaches English to high school students

in his home country.

He loves music and believes in using it to empower

his students.

Jose Santos

Brazil Jose comes from Teresina City where she teaches

English. She is a graduate of University of Piaui

in Brazil. She hopes to initiate changes in her field

upon returning to Brazil. Jose is an intern at

Hudson High School.

Marwa Saleh Egypt

Marwa teaches at a girl's college in Alexandria,

Egypt. One of the reasons she became a teacher

was because of the influence of her primary

science teacher when Marwa was in secondary

school. She is fond of reading in English and it is

one of the activities she enjoys in her free time.

ILEP Scholars

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Meet New Scholars

SPECIAL EDITION, SPRING 2009

Meet New Scholars

Monte Pariat

India

Monte is a high school Social

Studies teacher. He is a board

directors member of the Young

Men’s Christian Association

Vocational Training Center.

Monte has three children.

Zulfa Sulaiman Indonesia

Zulfa teaches English

to grades 10, 11 and

12 in Indonesia. She is

a mother to five

children. Zulfa is

interning at

Streetsboro High

School and is enjoying

his experiences at

Kent State.

Yaser Abuhmaid Jordan

Yaser is Social Studies

teacher in Jordan. He

belives that teaching is a

holy profession and

wants to make a

difference in the lives of

his students. He is an

active member of the

Human Rights

Committee at his school

and is learning how to

become even more

effective in teaching and

extracurricular pursuits

while at Kent State.

Bayu Widyatmoko Indonesia

Bayu is a teacher in Papua New Guinea and

abolutely loves working there! Bayu was a musician

before he decided to change his career to teahing. He

is still pasionate about music because he belives it

changes the way people think and live.

Mercy Labial

Phillipines

Mercy teaches English Literature to high

school students in her home country. She is

currently a Ph.D. student at Xavier

University in the Phillipines. While at Kent

State, she in an intern at Streetboro High

School. Mercy has two sons back home.

Ana Mirana Philippines

Ana is a high school teacher of Physics. She

was acknowledged as The Most Outstanding

Teacher in 2007 for excellent teaching and

exemplary performance at her work place.

Ana is a great mother to three sons.

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Meet New Scholars

SPECIAL EDITION, SPRING 2009

Islaila Diouf

Senegal

Ismaila teaches English to grades 8-

11. He is Deputy Secretary General

of the Association of Teachers of

English in Senegal. Ismaila is a

father to a four-month old daughter.

Houssin Zayri Tunisia Houssin is a teacher of

Arabic in Tunisia. He

likes teaching because

as a teacher he is able

to motivate his

students to pursue

great things in life. At

the present, Houssin is

working towards

getting his second

degree in English at

University of Arts and

Humanities back in

Tunisia.

Patrick Mnisi South Africa Patrick is a secondary teacher of English and Mathematics in the Limpopo

Province. His goals after completing the ILEP program is to become a curriculum

advisor for Mathematics and English at his work place. Patrick is a member of the

Association for Mathematics Educators in South Africa and has a seventeen-year

old son.

Ebed Sulbara Venezuela Ebed is a teacher of English to ages 5-12 in a

secondary school in Merida state in Venezuela.

He is passionate about English and his students.

While in Ohio, he is interning at Crestwood City

School. He has a four-year old son.

Dr. Yong Kim, South Korea

Dr. Kim is a visiting scholar at Kent State University. He is a professor at Gyeongsang

National University in South Korea. Dr. Kim received his Ph.D. in Higher Education

Administration at KSU in 1988. He has been teaching at Gyeongsang National Univer-

sity since 1989. Dr. Kim's research interests include teacher education in South Korea,

organizational behavior in school setting and Korean culture.

Dr. Hyunmi Heu, South Korea Dr. Hyunmi Heu is a South Korean visiting scholar at Kent State’s School of Exercise,

Leisure and Sport. She holds a Master’s degree in Sport Sociology and a doctorate de-

gree in Sport Sociology from the Awha Women’s College. Back in South Korea, Dr.

Heu worked as an associate professor of Leisure Sport at Kyungin Women’s College.

Her research interests include women’s sports, sexual harassment and abuse in sports,

sport management, service in sport faculties, and community sport clubs.

Visiting Scholars

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SPECIAL EDITION, SPRING 2009

Reporting Back

Cultural Dialogues Feature ILEP Visiting Scholars

This semester the Kent State community had a unique chance to meet the

sixteen ILEP scholars and learn about life in Senegal, Tunisia, Venezuela

and Bangladesh through the “On the street where I live…” brown bag de-

livered by El Ismaila Diouf, Houssin Zayri, Ebed Sulbaran and Badrun Na-

har.

The university community also traveled to Jordan, Algeria, India and The

Philippines to get a taste of their food and music through “The Spice of

Life: Food and Music” which featured Yaser Abuhmaid, Assia Benamara,

Monte Pariat and Ana Mirana. They shared interesting life stories about

the spice of their life.

The above-mentioned brown bags

were then followed by “Fate,

Beliefs and Luck” in South Af-

rica, Indonesia, Brazil and Egypt

by Patrick Mnisi, Zulfa Su-

laiman, Marwa Saleh and Alexan-

dre Olivera during which not only did

they surprise the audience by putting a

ladder in the entrance, but also by

demonstrating various superstitious

practices that people in their countries

believe.

Cultural Dialogues were com-

pleted by celebrating the Interna-

tional Women’s Day through

“The day in the life of

woman…” together with Kazi

Rashid, Bayu Widyatmoko, Jose

Santos and Mercy Labial from

Bangladesh, Indonesia, Brazil

and The Philippines.

The culmination of the Women’s Day celebra-

tion and the cultural brown bag seminar was a

song created and performed for women by

Bayu Widyatmoko and Alexandre Oliveira.

Mermaids (Alex / Bayu)

Night and day My mind, my fate

All I see

Will come too deep From you

Is this world Meant to be free

While you cry

And help me flee

From (With) this fear

Without you here To sing a song

‘cause I’m just on my

own

Is this world

Meant to be free…

From (With) this fear

Without you here…

This song is not about what women do. It’s mainly about the

power they have to fix things…if they want to. Careers and

lives are raised or reconstructed…or destroyed.

Zulfa said that a man can buy a house but not a home.

A man can protect a house… a woman can

protect a home, our heart and our soul.

- Alex and Bayu

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International Travel Dr. Philip Wang

SPECIAL EDITION, SPRING 2009

Reporting Back

Dr. Phillip Wang

In early April, School of Exercise, Leisure and

Sport’s Dr. Philip Wang and Mr. Ryan Rohrer, a

student in Recreation, Park and Tourism Man-

agement went to China to set up their summer

study abroad program. During the trip they met

with faculty and students at five universities in

Beijing, Shanghai and Xian. They gave lecture

presentations and invited students to apply for

admission to Kent State’s Master’s degree pro-

gram in Hospitality and Tourism Management.

The China program consists of coursework and a

three-week tour of Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, and

Guilin. The activities will include children’s

summer camp service with a Forth-of-July cele-

bration, adventure education testing, etiquette

training, introduction to a five-star hotel’s opera-

tions, and hiking, biking, and cave exploration

events through China’s historical and scenic

areas.

Through networking with Chinese universities,

Dr. Wang and Mr. Rohrer were able to arrange

lodging, transportation, and tour services for the

study abroad program and to exercise the skills

they have acquired in classes.

The program is designed for the students to see

global travel and hospitality trends, to witness

the diversity and fusion of cultures, The ultimate

goal, as Dr. Wang indicated, is for the students

to not only think outside the box, but to get out

of the box.

According to Dr. Wang, a major accomplish-

ment of the April visit was having the support of

Beijing International Studies University to serve

as the base of Kent State’s tourism and hospital-

ity study abroad in future years. It will support

the KSU program with faculty, classroom facili-

ties, and travel needs such as lodging and trans-

portation arrangements.

Dr. Kim Sebaly

Kim Sebaly of Cultural Foundations of Education was a guest

of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore for six weeks

during the latter part of his Fall Semester 2008 professional

development leave. He was invited to attend the centennial

academic conference for the "Tata Institute," and to help coor-

dinate plans for a centennial history of India's most fa-

mous institution

of higher educa-

tion in science

and engineer-

ing. J. N. Tata

(1839-1904), and

the Tata family

and their associ-

ates, have been

India's leading

industrial family

in Asia for over a

century. Dr.

Sebaly's re-

searches on the

Tata family's edu-

cational endowments in India at the end of the 19th century

and throughout the 20th century provide the major themes

being explored in the centennial project. Dr. Sebaly also vis-

ited the Tata Central Archives, Pune during his visit.

Dr. P. Balaram, Director of the IISc greets Kim and Fay Ann Sebaly at the Tata Memorial Statue

International Travel

Dr. Wang with his Chinese colleagues

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Contact CIIE at 330.672.0564 to learn about unique opportunities on international internships and study abroad programs!

SPECIAL EDITION, SPRING 2009

Reporting Back

Distinguished Lecture Series Lecture

Dr. Yong Kim

Trends and Issues in South Korean Higher Education

Dr. Kim’s lecture focused on the trends and issues of South

Korean higher education. Among the interesting things the audience

learned about this 48 mil. country during the lecture were the facts

that South Korea is ranked as the 13th largest economy in the world

and that it might be the only state that has achieved a rapid

economic development and a political stability in only fifty years

After the WWII liberation.

Korean higher education has been heavily influenced by the U.S. higher education system. Korean

higher education institutions include universities, junior colleges, graduate schools and distance edu-

cation establishments. 85% of the higher education institutions in Korea are private. Some of the

issues this country’s higher education is currently facing are high tuition rates, low competitiveness

on the global arena and decreasing numbers of student population.

http://www.worldtravels.com

International Travel (contd.)

Dr. Joanne Dowdy

Dr. Joanne Dowdy is

dedicated to promoting

international education.

She is a faculty member

at Kent State University

and took an educational

trip to Morocco. At Kent

State, she teaches gradu-

ate level courses in the

field of Adolescent/Adult

Literacy as well as pre-

service and veteran teach-

ers in reading and writing

methods at local middle

school and high school in

the state.

Her educational travel

includes numerous pres-

entations workshops in

America, Europe and Af-

rica. Dr. Dowdy is a

writer, actor and a film

script writer. She received

the American Education

Research Association for

2009 Book Award for her

book: "Ph.D. Stories:

Conversations with My

Sisters". Visiting Mo-

rocco was Dr. Dowdy’s

dream for many years.

Dr. Dowdy with her Moroccan colleagues

The CIIE is committed to promoting

opportunities for faculty and students at

Kent State University to travel to pro-

mote international and intercultural

education.

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Fast Forward

SPECIAL EDITION, SPRING 2009

Fast Forward

Marion Korllos Tour Design Contest

Marion Korllos, former Director of the Gerald H. Read

Center for International and Intercultural Education

1987-2002, has demonstrated success in educational

travel. Assisting with the extensive and pioneering

work of Dr. Geral Read, Marion Korllos has a legacy

on excellence in tour design.

A deeply rooted conviction that travel is an invaluable

way to expose educators to international trends led Dr.

Read, in 1964, to invite an Ohio superintendent of

schools to “get a firsthand look at a socialist educa-

tional system, “ says Marion Korllos. “Subsequent vis-

its to schools in the Soviet Union drew large, enthusias-

tic groups of U.S. educators, despite the prevalence of

Cold War sentiment, “ she recalls. The travel programs

were expanded to include visits to other socialist coun-

tries such as Poland, Romania, Hungary, former

Czechoslovakia, East Germany and the People’s Re-

public of China.

After Dr. Read’s re-

tirement, Marion

Korllos continued to

lead hundreds of edu-

cators on specially

designed tours that

included travel to all

seven continents. Marion Korllos’s tours were noted for

their cultural uniqueness, educational value, personal

touches and reasonable pricing.

It is with honor that The Gerald H. Read Center for

International and Intercultural Education continues the

Marion Korllos Tour Design Contest.

Join us on this special journey hosted by the Jordanian

Tourist Board and the Jordanian Ambassador to the

U.S., Prince Zied at on May 1, 2009 at 12:00 p.m. at

Moulton Hall Ballroom.

Save the Dates

University Teaching Conference

Since 1992, the CIIE has provided keynote

speakers for the annual University Teaching

Conference (UTC), a regional event hosted

by KSU. Speakers for the UTC have in-

cluded academic luminaries such as Dr.

Stephen D. Brookfield, an educational theo-

rist at the University of St. Thomas, St.

Paul, Minn., Dr. Madeline Greene from

American Council on Education Center for

Institutional and International Initiatives,

Dr. Molefe Asante, a specialist in African

American Studies at Temple University in

Philadelphia, Prince Cedza Dlamini, the UN

Millenium Development Goals Spokesman

and many other prominent speakers.

This year, the CIIE will feature the Chancel-

lor of the Ohio Board of Regents, Eric

Fingerhut on October 29, 2009 at 7:00 p.m.

at the KIVA.

Exhibit and Lecture

on Ukrainian Genocide

Visit the “Holodomor, Genocide by Famine

in Ukraine, 1932-1933” from April 24,

2009 till May 8, 2009 in Room 200, White

Hall.

Ukrainian scholar Roman Serbyn will speak

at 7:00 p.m. on May 1, 2009 in Room 200,

White Hall.

The exhibit and the lecture are featured as

parallel events in the frameworks of the

Kent State University’s Symposium on De-

mocracy which will take place May 4-5,

2009. Please visit

http://www.kent.edu/DemocracySymposium

for details.

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Don’t Say Goodbye Yet by Badrun Nahar, Bangladesh

It took me some time to struggle with the emotions I had right at that moment

when I received a mail from Washington about ILEP End of Program Agenda.

So the count-down has begun! All of us are longing to go back home. At the

same time, aren’t we feeling sad that we have to leave each other?

We are really lucky to have Dr. Robertson, our dear Linda, as the director of the

program. I am amazed at how she manages to do everything so well! I miss Jen-

nifer if I don’t see her for more than two days. I love to see Rose smiling. Sabina

and Shakhnoza (interns) are so friendly and so caring!

I have learned many things here, not only about the U.S., but also about 11 other

countries and 15 other ILEP fellows. Sometimes when I felt homesick and I sat

there gloomy, the concern I always saw in others faces solaced me that I have friends to share my happy and sad

moments with. I don’t need to talk to Alex that much — his look tells me

how much he cares. Who can forget Crazy Josy? Making us laugh and

think at the same time? Bayu, how many friends do you have now? Marwa,

the Egyptian princess, has become everybody’s favorite. Zulfa, like an an-

gel, is always there to care. The gorgeous Assia, I love you. Oh Houssin,

don’t always be so forgetful! Mercy you inspire me so much! Anna, keep

on smiling. Monte, you are always so nice! Yaser, I loved your blog for

your students. Ebed, don’t fight with Abid for the playstation. Patrick —

the Budweiser buddy. Ismaila, when you go back, you can see your daugh-

ter calling you Papa. Isn’t that great? And Rashid, your presence means so

much to me!

It is really difficult to express the way my heart aches at the very thought of

saying goodbye to all of you. With only a few weeks left to go back home,

we are going to miss Kent which welcomed us all and took care of us mak-

ing our experience the best.

Opinion

SPECIAL EDITION, SPRING 2009

Opinion

ILEP Faculty

Alexa Sandmann, Teaching, Leadership and Curriculum Studies

Don Bubenzer, Adult, Counseling, Health and Vocational Education

Ken Cushner, International Curriculum and Program Development

Linda Robertson, Gerald H. Read Center for International and Intercultural Education

Marty Jencius, Adult, Counseling, Health and Vocational Education

Mary Tipton, Instructional Resource Center

Rachel Anderson, Adult Student Center

Wendy Kasten, Teaching, Leadership and Curriculum Studies

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Opinion (contd.)

SPECIAL EDITION, SPRING 2009

The READ REVIEW is an in-house publication distributed 10 times a year. The Spring Special Edition was developed by Sabina Uzakova.

To subscribe to our mailing list, please contact Linda Robertson, Ph.D., Director and Editor, at lfrobert@kent.edu.

The Gerald H. Read Center for International and Intercultural Education College and Graduate School of Education, Health, and Human Ser-

vices Kent State University 215 White Hall Kent, Ohio 44242. Tel: 330-782-0564

I Like It! American Culture by Mercy Labial, Philippines

Mercy with her host grandmother

I always used to think that we, Filipinos, had the greatest hospital-

ity. When I got to know American people and culture more I came

to realize that if our hospitality is great, the American hospitality is

awesome. Dr. Linda Robertson, my mentor, my professor, my co-

operating teachers and my host family are showing the hospitality

of the American people which to me is so fantastic. They invited

me to their homes and made me feel so at home.

My host family makes me feel like I am not far from home as my

American host grandmother (she is 80 but is very active and still

drives!) plans things for me every week. I am amazed—my grand-

mother is a well-traveled woman!

Lastly, one amazing thing about the American culture is high level of respect for the individual and group religion.

I like the fact that America upholds the highest ideals of every religious or ethnic group. I have come to reflect that

with the diversity of cultures and religions, there is never a cultural deficit. Through this realization, I grew into a

more multiculturally sensitive and competent person.

Many Thanks by Yaser Abuhmaid, Jordan In this short blurb, I want to say a few things about my time in America.

Students in American schools move from a class to another but in my

country it is the teachers who move. Every classroom in my host school

has a TV, LCD projector and some—smart boards. In my home school,

however, classes have none of these. Here every teacher has access to

computers. Teachers in Jordan have no computers. I hope one day my

students have necessary resources for learning and teachers — for more

creative teaching. I know my role in this is big because I want to bring

about change and engage my school in activities the way the American

communities do here.

Americans are very kind and helpful and that helped me a lot to adjust to

a new culture. I have many friends who are students and people in the

community now. I shared as many happy moments as I could with them.

I tried to discover all aspects of the American life such as food, music

and culture. What I like the most about American culture is that if I get

lost, I can ask anyone and they are happy to help. In closing, I want to

thank Dr. Robertson, CIIE and my host site and family for being wonder-

ful hosts.