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| China | Jordan and Oman | Senegal |
Country: CHINA
Seminar Title: History, Culture and Economic Development in China
Duration: Four weeks from late June through July 2009
Participants: U.S. postsecondary educators, administrators, and media resource specialists who have responsibility for curriculum and instruction in the social sciences, humanities, foreign languages, and area studies
Program Content:
China's continuing transformation into a worldwide economic powerhouse is of utmost importance for U.S. educators whose role it is to provide information on and explanation of China's new role and the challenges this presents not only to other countries but also to China itself. The need to understand more about this country grows on a daily basis. This seminar will examine China's history, culture, society, and rapid economic growth.
China is one of the most rapidly changing countries in the world today and an exciting place to visit and study. Lectures during this four-week seminar will provide opportunities to understand better both the country's fascinating past as well as its current challenges - social, economic and political. Complementary site visits will be made to places of historic importance as well as to those illustrative of contemporary society. Efforts will be made to schedule the program to allow visit to schools before the summer holiday.
Prior to international departure, participants will gather in the San Francisco Bay area for a two- and-a-half-day pre-departure orientation program. This will provide an opportunity for Fulbrighters to get to know each other and attend initial briefings on topics such as Chinese culture, society and language, as well as the systems of education, politics, and economics.
Once in China, the itinerary will include meetings, site visits, and discussions in four cities, chosen to provide opportunities to observe different aspects of China. Beijing, the capital of China, is home to many top universities, government offices and sites of historic and cultural interest. The first portion of the program will be spent exploring the capital city, including visits to educational and economic institutions, where specialists will lecture on Chinese history, politics, economics, and education. Site visits to government offices, media outlets, and to historic and cultural sites will complement these lectures and provide first-hand opportunities to observe issues of examination.
Xi'an, the "cradle of Chinese civilization," is located in central China and was the capital for eleven dynasties. Lectures on politics and government will be followed by visits to area educational and historic sites.
Shanghai is widely recognized as one of the most dynamic cities not just in Asia but also in the world. Several days will be spent there examining topics such as the history of colonial involvement in China, the rise of China's Communist Party, and current urban issues, including the city's unique economic contribution to the country.
The fourth city will be selected from one of the following: Kunming, Chengdu, Guilin, or Guiyang. At the end of the seminar, it will be possible for delegation members to choose to visit Hong Kong, partially at their own expense. Those who do so will spend three to four days attending meetings to discuss aspects of Hong Kong society of most interest to the group members.
The National Committee on United States - China Relations and the China Education Association for International Exchange will administer the seminar on behalf of the United States Department of Education.
Country: JORDAN and OMAN
Seminar Title: Middle East Neighbors
Duration: July 2009
Participants: U.S. postsecondary educators, administrators, and media resource specialists who have responsibility for curriculum and instruction in the social sciences, humanities, foreign languages, and area studies
Program Content:
Situated in different parts of the Arab world, Jordan and Oman together provide an ideal case study of this diverse region. Meetings with journalists, government officials, economists, activists, entrepreneurs, and educators will provide a variety of views concerning differing realities and approaches to such issues as the role of women, balancing continuity and change, economic and educational reform, the management and exploitation of natural resources, environmental preservation, conflict and refugees, and regional and international relations, including those with the United States. Islam and its role in society will also be addressed. Participants will visit key archaeological and other sites in Jordan and Oman to gain historical perspective and an appreciation for geography as a cultural and social determinant. Cultural events will also be arranged to provide participants with the broadest possible exposure to contemporary society.
The opportunity for personal interaction is important for achieving greater understanding of a place and its people. Each participant will spend at least one day with a family to learn first-hand about aspects of everyday life and culture and exchange personal views and experiences. They will also attend social and professional events that enable interaction with Jordanian and Omani colleagues. The relationships and insights that result from these encounters will enable mutual understanding and respect to replace stereotypes on both sides.
Periodic debriefing sessions will enable participants to compare and contrast their experiences, ask questions, and synthesize the information they have acquired. To the extent possible, time will be provided for work on individual curriculum projects and for exploring areas of individual interest.
Country: SENEGAL
Seminar Title: Gateway to West Africa
Duration: Tentative dates - June 28 - July 26, 2009
Participants: U.S. educators, administrators and media resource personnel at the postsecondary education level
Program Content:
Once in Senegal, participants will have two days to settle in and get oriented. This will include a cultural crash course, presentations of practical information on getting around the city, a general geographic orientation, currency and exchange issues, and relevant outings (including practical destinations, e.g., bank, ATM, pharmacy, downtown; and scholarly resources in Dakar such as CODESRIA (the Council for the Development of Economic and Social Research in Africa), IFAN (Institut Fondamental de l'Afrique Noir, a research institute), and UCAD (Universite de Cheikh Anta Diop), Senegal's national university in Dakar; and will also include a visit to the U.S. Embassy. During the following days of this first week, participants will deepen their knowledge of Senegalese history and culture through a series of interactive lectures, field trips in and around Dakar, and readings and discussions. This will include examining Senegal's historical and contemporary relationships within the region, the continent, and in the international arena.
The second week, "West Africa: A Region of Diversity" will cover West Africa, branching out to explore the diversity of experience and cultural expression in the region. We will look at the history of scholarship within the region as well--an important topic for those in postsecondary education--and will closely examine not only intra-regional relationships, but also West Africa's relationships with the Middle East and Mediterranean worlds, with Europe, and with the New World.
The third week, "Africa in Microcosm: Senegal" will examine some contemporary issues, discussed in regional terms, as they play out in both rural and urban areas of Senegal. We will cover economic, environmental, social and cultural topics, including the arts. We will also discuss various issues of pedagogy across cultures.
The fourth and final week will be devoted to independent study and research, specifically, the completion of participants' curriculum or independent projects. Although there will be no formal sessions, support and guidance will be provided by the seminar staff.
The institute will be based in Dakar at the West African Research Center (WARC) and, during the course of the four weeks, participants will travel to key sites in Senegal including the holy cities of Touba and Tivaoune; Saint Louis, former capital of French West Africa; Toubacouta in the Saloum Delta; and of course, Goree Island. These trips will give participants a live sense of the great environmental diversity of the country. They will also visit a number of NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and meet with Senegalese and other West African professionals working in the NGO sector. In addition, participants will also have the opportunity to attend cultural events such as musical and dance performances. Participants will take home a practical knowledge of the geography and history of the region and how it fits in with the rest of the continent and the world, as well as more profound experience in one country, thus a familiarity with some forms of contemporary cultural expression. This first-hand experience will be immediately applicable in the classroom and in building curricula. Participants, once home, will be able to share with their students and colleagues a deeper understanding of this region of the world and its relevance to world events.
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