GC Global
The International Education Center's Newsletter - Oct. 2020
It's Autumn Again in Georgia
While it is always sunny in Georgia, there is something about the crispness and clarity of the light at this time of year that makes this season particularly special. Combined with the cooler temperatures and the always spectacular changing colors of the leaves on trees - plus footballs in the air - what could be better than autumn in Georgia on the GC campus? On whichever of the six continents where GC Global is read that you reside, we hope that your season is as perfect as here!
GC Global News
What is Border-Free Education?
Border-Free education at Georgia College leverages the online environment to extend international opportunities to more of the Georgia College community.
- “Border” is understood here not only in the sense of a boundary separating geographical entities, but also in the sense of a barrier to be surpassed or, ideally, eliminated.
Conceiving of education in a border-free way makes it possible for all GC students - and faculty and staff - to benefit from international education and to acquire international experience. GC's International Education Center is currently exploring border-free opportunities with partner universities and providers on five continents.
Border-Free education at Georgia College includes the following categories:
1) Border-Free Study Abroad: Program directors develop online opportunities based upon learning outcomes and utilize technology to connect students with international content and experiences, plus experts, organizations, and political and community leaders anywhere in the world.
2) Border-Free Classroom: Faculty may incorporate any level of internationalization into their classes, from a single guest lecturer abroad, to ongoing conversations and group projects among students here and overseas, and even co-taught/co-coordinated and co-attended courses. The latter are particularly effective when mixed teams of students collaborate on projects and co-present.
3) Border-Free Academic Programming: These outside-of-the-classroom learning opportunities open the conversation to a larger audience, expanding beyond one class or even a group of classes.
- Topics may be interdisciplinary in nature and incorporate participants from multiple institutions or organizations, plus they may be one-time or ongoing collaborations.
4) Border-Free Student Development: These opportunities allow students to connect with other students abroad in a more social and easy-going manner or atmosphere.
- Connecting non-academic student groups with similar groups abroad allows students to develop and practice intercultural communication, plus problem-finding/problem-solving, and teamwork skills while also developing networks and fostering friendship and camaraderie around the world.
5) Border-Free Faculty and Staff Research and Professional Development: Connect with colleagues abroad to explore in-depth topics of interest or concern, and find out what others have done, are doing – and what they think – plus share opinions and solutions from the GC side.
- Whether it’s the pursuit of collaborative research or cross-cultural perspectives on day-to-day tasks, this is a great way to evolve, grow, and expand knowledge, plus gain valuable insight and solutions.
For more information about Border-Free education, contact the International Education Center or visit International's Border-Free Georgia College information webpage on Georgia College's new-look website.
Updates: Border Free GC - Experiences and Opportunities
GC and De Montfort University (England). "Global Conversations: Cultural Connections."
On September 30th, GC’s Education Abroad unit, the MALE Connection and the Cultural Center teamed up with De Montfort University’s “Decolonising DMU” initiative to host an hour-long Zoom conversation on the status of "University Life Today." Taking into consideration the challenges of COVID on top of the racial, political and economic challenges facing both nations, a group of about 15 students of color from both institutions engaged in lively and heartfelt discussions about their experiences. The raw and unfiltered emotions brought students together over common experiences, fears, and frustrations and helped to foster support and camaraderie that will surely carry forward. The second in a series of dialogues between students at GC and DMU, these formal conversations will continue on a monthly rotation, as well as through students' engagement with one another "offline" through What’s App.
GC and the CEPA Foundation, plus the University of Strasbourg
As reported in last month's GC Global, GC’s Education Abroad and Leadership teams have collaborated with the CEPA Foundation and the University of Strasbourg to host a leadership series, an endeavor that has now received the valuable support and recognition of the University System of Georgia’s International Education Grant for International Virtual Exchange. See below for more news about the grant award.
- On October 28th, the Leadership Symposium hosted the Hon. Gunther Krichbaum, member of the national Parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany in Berlin. Mr. Krichbaum spoke about leadership as part of the university’s Usery Forum on Leadership. Krichbaum, who first took his seat in parliament in 2002, is chairman of the Committee on European Union Affairs.
Al Akhawayn University (Morocco)
Al Akhawayn University and GC’s Education Abroad and Creative Writing programs are hosting an on-going writing workshop. Students from each institution submit written works to their peers to then dissect and critique with the goal of both enhancing stylistic development and also to get to know one another, as well as to learn more about each other’s cultures. The first session was a huge success and sessions will continue every two to three weeks throughout the semester.
Hong Kong Baptist University
GC’s Education Abroad unit, the International Club, and the Department of English, plus the Department of Philosophy, Religion & Liberal Studies, have teamed up with several units at Hong Kong Baptist University to host an array of student dialogues both inside and outside of the classroom. This strategic partnership is growing quickly.
Innovative Leadership Symposium Series Wins USG Grant Award
At a recent meeting of the University System of Georgia (USG) System Council on International Education, Georgia College was announced as the recipient of a competitive Virtual International Education grant award - one of only three awarded system-wide. The award recognizes the innovative nature of the "Leadership Symposium Series" that was featured in last month's GC Global, and will help support the symposium's operation and growth.
A collaboration between the International Education Center, Georgia College's Office of Leadership Programs, and the CEPA Foundation in Strasbourg, France (the seat of the European Parliament) the series provides students and faculty the extraordinary opportunity to engage - through real-time online video technology - with recognized international leaders in the fields of business, politics, and academia - as well as with their own international peers abroad - for discussions of current global issues and the leadership challenges they present.
Dr. Harold Mock, Leadership director and assistant professor of history, explained that the goal of the Leadership Symposium Series is to "bring together bright, inquiring minds from around the world to ask common questions and to engage in dialogue related to public leadership and citizenship in democratic societies."
"Liz Havey [GC Education Abroad] and I worked together to consider how we might best serve our Georgia College students and to create opportunities not otherwise available to them. We are grateful to the University System of Georgia for awarding us funding to support this project. We consider it a great vote of confidence that the USG invested in this project," he said.
The Leadership Symposium Series is just one component of Georgia College's innovative Border-Free initiative.
GC Study Abroad News
International Week: A Virtual Exploration Through Study Abroad
On-Demand Study Abroad Information Available to GC Students
International Club's "Meet & Greet" Event
Georgia College's International Club, composed of both international and domestic students - one of the largest and most active student organizations on campus - recently held its first event of the year, a "Meet and Greet." Held in front of the International Education Center after classes, the event was very well-attended. Flags decorated the Bone House's porch and its columns. Awad Umar (Pakistan, Club treasurer) and Renata Kuswanto (Indonesia) played guitars and sang. An event designed to promote wellness in addition to the Club, attendees - sporting masks and practicing strict social distancing - received pre-packaged "Wellness Bags" containing an International club mask, tissues, Gatorade, a vitamin C drink mix, plus pre-packaged sweet and salty snacks.
International Club President, Isabella Echeverria (Venezuelan-American), said that the theme of the event was "Let's Scare Away the Virus Together." "The event was very successful," Echeverria said, "because we had a lot of people stop by and, after only an hour and a half, we had given out all of the bags. Before giving people the bags, we would get their emails in order to reach out to them later in case they are interested in finding out more about the club."
The event was a great way for the club to meet and interact with GC students in general and with potential new club members in particular. It also allowed the new members to get to know the club's other participants, its officers, and the new international students that had come to Georgia College this semester. The International Club continues to do a great job in promoting diversity and multi-culturism, and adding to the community, plus the creation of networks of mutual support.
For information about the International Club, contact the International Education Center.
Virtual Study Abroad Opportunities Fair: A Real Success
For the first time ever, the annual GC Opportunities Abroad Fair was held online, September 23- 30. The Fair is the university's annual “one stop shop” where students can learn about the many Georgia College offerings to study, intern, or do service learning abroad. Given the limitations regarding face-to-face interactions at this time, the event was not able to be held in person, so the Education Abroad team moved the 2020 Fair online. The fair was extremely successful with 65 registered participants and 55 events. Students had easy access to all the same information - and more - as in the past, but with the bonus of being able to interact directly with program directors - both local and those abroad - via live sessions online. GC study abroad partners from around the world said that they enjoyed engaging with GC students and found the online format incredibly convenient - and cost-effective - since there was no need to travel to Milledgeville in order to participate.
Jeff Vickers, a junior Management major, said, “I learned all about the different programs offered, and I have since applied for the GC Sweden: Corporate Sustainability & Leadership program,” a program that is ideal for majors in the College of Business.
Students accessed in-depth information and interacted online with program directors. These real-time conversations afforded faculty and program coordinators the opportunity to provide immediate and meaningful engagement with interested students in a way not possible previously.
Kelsey Thomas, a junior studying art and psychology, attended a live session about the program in Montepulciano, Italy. Afterwards, she said that she "enjoyed getting to know the program director along with [Professor of Sociology] Dr. McClure." "It was very informative, and it really boosted my interest in the program!" She now plans to participate in the Montepulciano program during the summer of 2021.
National Candy Corn Day: October 30
Candy corn is a favorite American autumn candy. In its traditional form, candy corn is small and triangular-shaped, consisting of three colored sections (white, orange, and yellow); it’s mainly sold around Halloween. The main ingredients in candy corn from Brach's - the largest manufacturer - are sugar, corn syrup, confectioner’s glaze, salt, dextrose, gelatin, sesame oil, artificial flavor, and honey, plus coloring.
A Philadelphia candymaker named George Renninger is believed to have invented candy corn in the 1880s. The recipe for the confection was then bought by the Goelitz Confectionary Company (today the Jelly Belly Candy Company), which has been making the candy since 1898.
According to the National Confectioners Association, in the beginning it took a team effort to produce candy corn across several months of the year. Sugar, corn syrup and other ingredients were cooked in large kettles. Fondant and marshmallow were then added to give texture and some heft. The 45 pounds (!) of warm candy produced was then poured into special containers. Confectioners called "stringers" walked backwards pouring the candy into cornstarch trays imprinted with the kernel shape. It took three passes to lay-in each of the white, yellow and orange colors. Originally, it was delivered by wagon in wooden boxes, tubs and cartons. Though now mechanized, the manufacturing process is largely the same today.
CandyStore.com’s map of top Halloween candies, indicates that residents of three states — Alabama, Michigan, and North Dakota — have named candy corn as their favorite Halloween candy, based on sales data from 2007 to 2019. Spoiler Alert: Georgia prefers Swedish Fish. Curiously, Wyoming prefers - salt water taffy.
(GC Global thanks Vox.com for providing information for this story)
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About the IEC
Welcome!
The International Education Center (IEC) of Georgia College promotes international and cross-cultural learning and understanding, plus inclusive excellence, and the importance and benefits of diversity.
Email: gcglobal@gcsu.edu
Website: https://www.gcsu.edu/international
Location: 141 South Clarke Street, Milledgeville, GA, USA
Phone: 478-445-4789
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GcInternationalClub/
Design, graphics, and interviews by Hannah Wildes, Mass Communications, GC Class of 2021.
Original design and graphics by Jada Collins, Mass Communications, Georgia College Class of 2020.