SiS News - June 2009
| Newsletter Archive |
Recent News June, 2009
• Video Contest Study in Spain 2009 - 1st edition.
• Comillas Foundation and the University of Miami sign an agreement to promote Spanish in the United States.
• OEA - IE SCHOOL of Arts and Humanities Scholarships
• ALA Scholarships for American students of Asturian ancestry in the University of Oviedo. Course 2009-2010
SiS Student Ambassadors
• Kate Bundy, of Kennesaw State University, awarded “SiS Student Ambassador of the Year” in Boston, MA
SiS on the road
• SiS at NAFSA Keeps Growing Despite Economic Downturn
Amigos del español
• Amigos del español: Michael Douglas
Institution Profile
• University of Cantabria
Video Contest Study in Spain 2009 - 1st edition.
EDUESPAÑA and ICEX (Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade) present the 1st Study in Spain Video Contest, with $ 500 in prizes.
Summary of Conditions:
- Submit a video showing interesting aspects of studying and living in Spain.
- The recording medium is free. The format is set in the Contest Rules.
- The video must be uploaded on www.spainedu.org
- The deadline for submitting videos is August 31 2009 at 12 PM Eastern Standard Time. On September 30 the winner will be announced in www.spainedu.org
- The jury will choose a winner among all the videos received. The decision is final.
- The winner will receive a check for $ 500.
- The organizers reserve the right to declare the prize void.
Read more on:
http://www.spainedu.org/index.php/students.html?start=2
Comillas Foundation and the University of Miami sign an agreement to promote Spanish in the United States.
In order to establish relations and cooperation, the Comillas Foundation has signed an understanding with the University of Miami to strengthen a cooperation agreement between both institutions.
After an initial meeting in Miami in December 2008, the Program Director in the American University, Eduardo Negueruela, traveled to Comillas, Spain, in June to meet personally with Ignacio Rodriguez del Bosque, Director General of the Comillas Foundation.
The purpose of the agreement between the two institutions is to promote the development of training programs related to teaching and learning in the Spanish language in order to apply it in the economic, cultural and social fields.
Consequently, the University of Miami will send students to the Foundation with the aim of completing their training program in the Spanish language.
To foster this relationship, the Foundation will provide favorable conditions for teachers and students of the university to study in their headquarters in Comillas.
The staff of the University of Miami will improve their knowledge of both language and techniques in teaching Spanish through participation in specific courses tailored to this group, as well as a Master in Education of Spanish as a foreign language, organized by the Foundation in collaboration with the University of Cantabria.
Read more on:
http://www.fundacioncomillas.es/
OEA - IE SCHOOL of Arts and Humanities Scholarships:
Master in International Relations
The proposal for the Scholarship and Training Program of the Organization of American States (OAS) is to help Member States in their efforts to achieve their objectives of integral development by supporting the development of human resources in areas under the Organization’s priorities. With this objective, the Organization of American States (OAS) and the IE through IE’s School of Arts and Humanities, Madrid, Spain, have decided, in collaboration with the “Fundación Instituto de Empresa”, to promote the excellence, opportunities and development of the human capital of the Organization’s Member States by granting a Master in International Relations from IE which begins in October 2009 and runs for ten months.
Benefits of the Scholarships OAS - IE
- A maximum of two (2) scholarships per year will be granted for the Master in International Relations.
- Each of the 2 scholarships will fund 60% of academic tuition, which is paid for by IE and is equivalent to €28,100.
The scholarships are directed towards candidates who fulfill the following requirements:
- Nationality and/or permanent residence in any OAS Member State.
- Have already initiated the admission process to the Master in International Relations at IE.
- The candidates who benefit from this scholarship must commit to return to one of the Member States or to render service in an International Organization for a minimum period equal to the duration of the scholarship.
Read more on:
http://www.oas.org/OASpage/press_releases/press_release.asp?sCodigo=E-162/09
ALA Scholarships for American students of Asturian ancestry in the University of Oviedo. Course 2009-2010
The University of Oviedo, in northern Spain, will grant 15 scholarships: 10 for travel expenses and 5 for travel and living expenses. The purpose of the call is the concession of financial aid to American students, descendants of immigrants from Asturias, to study a degree at the University of Oviedo, during the academic course 2009-2010 (September 28, 2009 to June 30, 2010).
The stays provide the students with the opportunity to know the culture of their ancestors and to study in a Spanish university system.
There are two kinds of scholarships, with and without grants:
a) Those who obtain the scholarship with grant will receive the corresponding financial aid and will be exempted from paying the regular tuition for the registration in the University of Oviedo.
b) Those who obtain the scholarship without grant will have to pay the regular tuition for registration in the University of Oviedo.
General requirements for participation:
a) Be a descendant of Asturian immigrants pursuing studies at an American institution of higher education
b) Be over the age of 18 and under 30 at the date of notice posting.
c) Not have been a scholarship recipient in previous enrollments.
d) Exceptionally, students may participate without being enrolled in an institution attached to the program.
Read more on:
http://www.uniovi.es/zope/organos_gobierno/unipersonales/vicerrectorados/vicd/estudiantes/visitantes/ALAS/
SiS STUDENT AMBASSADORS
Kate Bundy, of Kennesaw State University, awarded “SiS Student Ambassador of the Year” in Boston, MA
“Please do not stop doing these projects because they are really life-changing". Katherine Bundy, awarded in Boston on May the 6th as SiS Student Ambassador of the Year for the Study in Spain Program, closed with these words her emotional speech after the award.
The young student from Kennesaw State University in Georgia (USA) won the award for her efforts in promoting Spanish culture and language in her campus. Katherine Bundy had made works in poetry in Spanish, tasting contests, and film festivals on Buñuel, among other activities.
With her, 9 best Ambassadors received the honorable mention of the Study in Spain Program. They were:
- Salvador Barajas from Pasadena City College
- Lindsay Clark from Oregon State University
- Soha Salamah from SUNY Brockport
- Meera Yogesh from University of Tennessee
- Katherine Brooks from University of Central Florida
- Jessica Almaguer from University of Arizona
- William Nathan Greene from Auburn University
- Michelle Spreutels from Regis University
- Zilin Cui from Mount Holyoke College
The SiS Student Ambassadors program is an initiative of the Embassy of Spain-Trade Commission in Miami and EDUESPAÑA (association representing universities and educational institutions in Spain), funded by the Spanish Institute of Foreign Trade (ICEX) and part of the Study in Spain program. Study in Spain seeks "to promote American involvement in Spain’s educational system with programs and projects of all kinds”.
The interest in participating in this program is high. About 150 higher education institutions have already requested to participate with their students in the next edition. "Studying outside the country of origin has become crucial for a successful and promising career" said Silvia Iranzo, Spanish Secretary of State for Trade, who gave the awards to the young SiS Student Ambassadors.
Ms. Iranzo emphasized the growing importance of collaboration between the U.S. and Spain in the field of education. One of the "cornerstones" of the new policy of the Obama Administration, which has created a fund worth 80 million dollars annually, is targeted to encourage and support nearly one million American students studying abroad per year.
Spain is the third preferred destination for American student exchange, after the United Kingdom and Italy.
SiS ON THE ROAD
SiS at NAFSA Keeps Growing Despite Economic Downturn
Consolidated as the most important event in the international education sector in the United States, NAFSA’s growth in the last decade has been incredible, as well as the demand of this kind of educational service. In the past ten years, the number of exhibitors at the trade show has doubled and the number of American students studying abroad has seen an increase of 150%.
After the United Kingdom and Italy, no other country receives more American students than Spain. Accordingly, a large number of Spanish institutions decided to come to the United States, at least once a year, to participate at the NAFSA Conference. In this year’s edition, celebrated at the Los Angeles Convention Center, 28 Spanish universities, along with some business and language schools, were recruiting students in the Spanish Pavilion, coordinated by EDUESPAÑA and the Embassy of Spain-Trade Commission in Miami.
Although there were fewer attendants than other years, Spanish institutions were satisfied with the results. They came to Los Angeles with an agenda of meetings with universities from all over the world. Next year’s edition will take place in Kansas City and Study in Spain will be present once more.
Amigos del español
Michael Douglas
Considered Hollywood royalty, the 63-year-old native of New Jersey and son of the legendary Kirk Douglas, has won two Oscars – one as producer for “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and another for best actor in “Wall Street.” Douglas and his family – including his wife, Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones – divide their time between Hollywood, New York, Bermuda and Majorca.
Do you read in Spanish?
Unfortunately I have pub-level Spanish. I can read but it’s slow going. It helps me that I speak French.
Do you have a favorite book?
Don Quixote, but not in Spanish. I read Cervantes at the institute. It was mandatory reading. I like it because it’s a great story. And of course for the musical “Man of La Mancha,” even though it’s not the same.
Why did you learn Spanish?
I’ve been going to Majorca for 25 years and I feel close to its culture, to its life. The food is spectacular. But I have to practice more because I get lost when I’m surrounded by Majorcans.
Do you read in Spanish to your children?
First Catherine and I are going to study Spanish again.
How important is it to read?
It’s very important but I’m not a good example since I have to suffer through reading too many bad scripts and then I only have time to read magazines and articles. I don’t have much time for books. But I do read the news in Spanish.
Institution Profile: University of Cantabria
Santander (220,000 inhabitants), located in northern Spain, offers an extraordinary landscape on the shores of the Bay of Biscay and has been described as Spain’s "most elegant city." While the climate throughout much of the year is rainy, Santander is full of beauty with lush green trees and rolling green hills surrounding the city. With this green backdrop, Santander’s beaches are known to be the best and most appreciated natural spaces, offering both small and large sandy beaches, some sheltered from the wind with calm waters and others open to the bay with more surf. Next to these beaches, beautiful natural areas look out over the coast, like Piquío with its emblematic gardens. Also the Parque de La Magdalena faces the island of Mouro and surrounds the Palacio de la Magdalena, the most famous view in Santander.
The University of Cantabria hosts each year a big amount of international students from different countries. As for specific agreements with American Institutions, the UC holds study abroad programs with Baylor University (TX),Cornell University (NY), OSU (OK), Miami University (FL), UNC Charlotte (NC), University of Rhode Island (RI), University of Texas at Austin, Washburn University (KS), and Wittier College (CA)
More information:
http://www.unican.es/WebUC/Internet/Estudiantes_internacionales/ori.htm
SiS News - July 2009
| Newsletter Archive |
Recent News July, 2009
• Fulbright Traditional Scholarship from CIES.
• More than 2.000 students from 69 countries participate in the International Courses of Spanish Language and Culture 2009, at University of Salamanca.
• The Global one University Network for Innovation-GUNI, chaired by the vice-chancellor of the UPC, participates in the Worldwide Conference on Higher Education.
SiS Student Ambassadors
• The 2009-2010 edition of the SiS Student Ambassadors Program, ready to go.
SiS on the road
• Study in Spain heats up with its third participation in the AP Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas.
Amigos del español
• Gwyneth Paltrow
Institution Profile
• University of Murcia
Fulbright Traditional Scholarship from CIES.
The traditional Fulbright Scholar Program sends 800 U.S. faculty and professionals abroad each year. Grantees lecture and conduct research in a wide variety of academic and professional fields.
The Fulbright Program is sponsored by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Under a cooperative agreement with the Bureau, the Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES) assists in the administration of the Fulbright Scholar Program for faculty and professionals.
Eligibility requirements apply at the time of application (ending August the 1st). Applicants must meet all of the following requirements—unless specific exemptions are stated in individual country or award descriptions. Applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin and/or physical impairment.
- U.S. citizenship at the time of application. Permanent resident status is not sufficient.
- A Ph.D. or equivalent professional/terminal degree (including a master's depending on the field) as appropriate at the time of application. For professionals and artists outside academe, recognized professional standing and substantial professional accomplishments.
- College or university teaching experience at the level and in the field of the proposed lecturing activity as specified in the award description at the time of application.
- Foreign language proficiency as specified in the award description or as required for the completion of the proposed project. (Note: Except in certain world areas and countries, lecturing is in English.)
- Sound physical and mental health
More information at:
http://www.cies.org/
More than 2.000 students from 69 countries participate in the International Courses of Spanish Language and Culture 2009, at University of Salamanca.
More than 2.000 foreign students, from 69 countries, will participate during the months of July and August in the International Courses of Spanish Language and Culture of the University of Salamanca, inaugurated by the provost Jose Ramón Alonso.
The writer from Valladolid Gustavo Martín Garzo, pronounced the opening conference: “The Value of Words”.
In a crowded Meeting Hall, followed the ceremony the Mayor of Salamanca, Julián Lanzarote, the Subdelegated of the Spanish Government, Jesus Málaga, the Mayor of Béjar, Cipriano González and the education representative of the Council, Jesus María Ortiz, among other authorities.
In the 2009 edition of International Courses, the University of Salamanca has been able to keep the interest of foreign students, with an increase of 4% in the Master's degree of Spanish Language and Culture and 8% in the six-week courses of Spanish.
The United States is the country that sends more students, 1.415. That is 27% of the attendants, but in july, they were 70% of the total. Following are China and Italy.
The Global one University Network for Innovation-GUNI, chaired by the vice-chancellor of the UPC, participates in the Worldwide Conference on Higher Education.
The Worldwide Conference on Higher Education 2009 (CMES) is an international platform to debate the state of higher education in the world, a sector that is quickly transforming and which has an indisputable repercussion in the progress of mankind. The Congress takes place from July 5th through July 8th, in the headquarters of UNESCO, in Paris. The Conference should serve to lay the foundations of the role of higher education and research facing world challenges.
The Conference will give way to a strategic program that drives policies on higher education in the world, with a specific action to guarantee higher education and research a strategic role in the development and exchange of knowledge.
The committee of the Conference is integrated by skilled high-level management who gives counselling, orientation and intellectual leadership in the UNESCO. They elaborate the fundamental strategies within the framework of higher education.
The participants in this committee are: the vice-chancellor of the Universidad Politécnica de Catalunya (UPC) and President of the Global one University Network for Innovation-GUNI, Antoni Giró, together with other 20 agents of networks and experts in higher education from all over the world.
SiS STUDENT AMBASSADORS
The 2009-2010 edition of the SiS Student Ambassadors Program, ready to go.
The new edition of the successful SiS Student Ambassadors program, developed and implemented by the Embassy of Spain-Trade Commission Miami and sponsored by EDUESPAÑA and the Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade, has been published in www.spainedu.org, with significant changes from the previous edition.
The Embassy of Spain is looking for higher learning students who have:
- Knowledge of Spanish language.
- Proactive personality.
- Social skills.
- Interest in the people and culture of Spain.
- Motivation and commitment for a minimum of two semesters.
The SiS Student Ambassador receives:
- An accreditation certificate issued by the Embassy of Spain-Trade Commission Miami.
- Personal reward and added value to his/her Résumé.
- Be eligible for diverse awards, including a one-week trip to Spain in the summer as SiS Student Ambassador of the Year.
The Embassy of Spain-Trade Commission Miami will support the SiS Student Ambassadors by providing:
- Information.
- Merchandising and materials.
- Limited financial support.
- Assistance of program coordinator.
Each SiS Student Ambassador must be endorsed by a Professor Sponsor at his or her institution. The Professor Sponsor of the SiS Student Ambassador of the Year will also be honored.
Find complete information at www.spainedu.org
SiS ON THE ROAD
Study in Spain heats up with its third participation in the AP Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas.
Study in Spain participated with an Informative Pavilion in AP Annual Conference 2009 for the third year in a row. AP 2009 took place in San Antonio, TX, between the 15th and the 19th of July, and was organized by The College Board.
The College Board is a national nonprofit dedicated to preparation and facilitation of the admission of students to higher education institutions, it offers extensive programs and services in the areas of college admission, guidance, assessment, financial aid, enrollment, teaching and learning.
The association was founded in 1990 and currently includes over 4200 universities and secondary schools, and annually serves more than 22,000 high schools and 3,500 universities.
The AP (Advanced Placement) is a voluntary program that offers high school students the opportunity to take higher level courses and obtain University credits before joining the university, which allows faster entry to advanced level courses, admission to degree programs and master, or to finish degrees in less than four years, besides the economic benefit by reducing costs of admission and tuition.
The Study in Spain Pavilion promoted the AP Programs of EDUESPAÑA, through the widespread distribution of brochures and other information.
The AP Spanish Language and Literature Programs for High School Students in CEELE-accredited Schools are organized in Spain and their goal is to help U.S. high school students aged 15-19 improve their Spanish language skills and their knowledge of Spanish literature, respectively, in preparation for the exams. Canadian students are also welcome. For the Spanish Literature Program, an advanced level of Spanish is required.
The program consists of 60 class hours over three weeks. Class size is limited to 12 students. Students practice taking AP exams.
More information at www.eduespa.org
Amigos del español
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow is a perfect example of the California blonde, but also an “adopted daughter” of the Spanish city of Talavera de la Reina, where she lived as an exchange student and learned Spanish. This citizen of the world won an Oscar at the age of 26 for her role in Shakespeare in Love and had highly publicized romances with Brad Pitt and Ben Affleck. Paltrow now lives in London with husband Chris Martin, the lead singer of the English rock band Coldplay, and their two children. Paltrow’s worldly background is reflected in her ability with languages, as she speaks English and Spanish fluently and also has good command of Italian, French and German.
Why so many languages?
Languages come easy to me. I grew up imitating accents and I have a good ear.
What’s the best thing about knowing Spanish?
It gives me a broader perspective of the world I live in.
Who’s your favorite author?
J.D. Salinger. I have the first editions of The Catcher in the Rye, Franny and Zooey and Nine Stories.
And in Spanish?
I also have them in Spanish.
But what about a Spanish-language author?
All of them. Spain has such a rich culture!
But is there one book in particular?
Now with the kids anything by Roald Dahl for the kids. When I was a girl I went through a phase when I was obsessed with Nancy Drew and then in the institute I got into Charlotte Bronte, Dostoevsky, Faulkner and of course García Márquez. But now it’s Dahl.
Would you like to teach your fellow Americans Spanish?
I want to show Americans Spain. They know about France and Italy and don’t realize what they’re missing by not knowing Spain.
Institution Profile: University of Murcia
The University of Murcia, situated in the south-eastern area of Spain of the same name, can trace its roots back to the 13th century and the reign of Alfonso X the Wise. Through the centuries it has been founded and re-founded before finally coming into its own in the early nineteen thirties. It is a university which has wrought to blend the traditional with the modern, the historical with the contemporary, and the past with the present.
This is why it has responded successfully to the demands of each period. The seventies were to see the University really take off. The rise in the number of centers, of the academic courses offered, of students and the appearance of new campuses all bear witness to this boom.
Progress on progress, yet the University never loses sight of its homeland, the Region of Murcia, to which it owes its being, which it reflects and in which it sees its own reflection. And so the traditional, the classical courses remain, but accompanied by others dictated by the needs of a society which is increasingly more plural and more specialized.
American students and scholars can study at the University of Murcia as exchange students, by means of::
- An international programme for a fixed period and only to study part of your course (ISEP etc. programmes) or
- Participating in a specific agreement between their center of study and the University of Murcia.
To learn or improve Spanish skills and get into Spanish culture within the university environment, the University of Murcia can offer a range of courses in Spanish language and culture. These are aimed not only at language learning but at national and local culture knowledge, too. There are intensive, semester, summer and tailor made courses.
More information at www.um.es/internacionales/
SiS News - September 2009
| Newsletter Archive |
Recent News September, 2009
• Study in Spain Video Contest.
• Survey: Quality of Education in Spain
• Connecting Continents: The European Association of International Education celebrates its coming of age in Madrid.
• Engineering students from Auburn University raise the bar at the Learning Spanish Institute in Pamplona.
SiS Student Ambassadors
• Soha Salamah, from SUNY Brockport.
SiS on the road
• Study in Spain will be traveling throughout the US again this academic year.
Amigos del español
• Dr. Urbain De Winter
Institution Profile
• Pamplona Learning Spanish Institute
Study in Spain Video Contest
Do you have videos on Spain? Do you feel like a winner? How about $500?
With these words the association EDUESPAÑA, the Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade and the Embassy of Spain-Trade Commission Miami launched the First Study in Spain Video Contest, aimed at enhancing the image of Spain as an educational destination for American students.
Each year, between 24,000 and 60,000 students travel from the US to study abroad in Spain. These students bring back an increased awareness of the world, and an array of experiences that will help build bridges toward the common challenges of the future.
The Study in Spain program would like to spread knowledge of these experiences, helping and encouraging others who might be willing to follow on the footsteps of the participants.
The contest is open to all students, provided they are US citizens or permanent residents, and not professionals in the audiovisual sector. The videos may contain any material related to Spain as an educational destination (including culture, language, sports, festivals, etc ...). Videos should not be shorter than 30 seconds or longer than 3 minutes.
To participate, register on www.spainedu.org, enter the Videos section and upload your works. The procedure is easy and simple, the rewards, letting the world know about your experience and earning $500 on the way!
More information at:
http://www.spainedu.org/
Survey: Quality of Education in Spain
The standards and guidelines developed by the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) highlight the central importance of institutional autonomy in the context of quality assurance. However, given the fact that publicly funded institutions are accountable to society, the quality of higher education needs to be safeguarded by external controls as well.
The Embassy of Spain-Trade Commission Miami, with the support of EDUESPAÑA, intends to increase the awareness on the factors which lag in the hosting of US students in Spain. The aim of the Survey on the Quality of Education in Spain is therefore to help build the basic standards that will assist institutions in managing their quality.
The survey is composed by 28 questions divided in four sections:
- Profile of Respondent: aimed at determining the spectrum analyzed by the survey.
- Study Abroad Experience: aimed at determining the profile and motivation of the students who choose Spain as a destination.
- Difficulties and Expenses of Study Abroad in Spain: aimed at identifying the barriers for studying in Spain.
- Characteristics and Quality of the Programs in Spain: aimed at gathering information on the types of programs offered in Spain and their quality.
Framed within the Study in Spain program, this survey will be distributed to over 5.000 institutions of higher education, helping draw conclusions for improving the quality of higher education in Spain for US students.
You can find the survey on our website: www.spainedu.org. Please, spread knowledge of it among students at your institution, we thank you for your support.
Connecting Continents: The European Association of International Education celebrates its coming of age in Madrid.
This September, the EAIE Conference celebrates its 21st anniversary in the sunniest and greenest capital of Europe. A cosmopolitan and dynamic city, Madrid has attracted immigrants from all over the world, including Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa.
Conference dates: 16-19 September 2009
Site of the EAIE Conference: Palacio Municipal de Congresos de Madrid
The EAIE is a non-profit organization whose main aim is the internationalization of higher education in Europe and around the world, and to meet the professional needs of individuals active in international education.
Madrid's rich history with other nations and cultures makes this year's conference theme, Connecting Continents a fitting choice. In keeping with this theme, many of the sessions and workshops will focus on providing participants with the skills and tools they need to attract students from continents all over the world to their institutions.
Numerous seminars, sessions and workshops will take place during four intense days. From Beyond 2010: the next decade of the Bologna process to The Spanish way of life: what students should expect, registered assistants will have the opportunity to discuss the wide array of issues concerning Higher Education in Europe and worldwide.
¡De Madrid al cielo!
Madrid offers a bit of everything, or as the Madrileños say: de Madrid al cielo. After Madrid there is only one destination left - heaven.
More information at:
http://www.eaie.org/madrid/
Engineering students from Auburn University raise the bar at the Learning Spanish Institute in Pamplona
Last june, a group of engineering students from Auburn University (Alabama) completed their career education in Pamplona, Spain, at the Learning Spanish Institute.
The students took part in the pilot program of Engineering, Technology and Society. The training program combines the learning of the Spanish language with visits to companies and entities that develop top projects of renewable energy.
The board of the Southeastern Conference Academic Consortium (a group of 12 universities with approximately 350.000 students) gave a positive evaluation to this program during their stay in Pamplona, and declared that it will be extended to students from other member universities.
More information at:
http://www.pamplonaspanishinstitute.com/
SiS STUDENT AMBASSADORS
Soha Salamah, from SUNY Brockport
We would like to introduce SUNY Brockport student Soha Salamah. She was awarded as one of the ten best SiS Student Ambassadors in the 2008-09 edition of the program. “My name is Soha Salamah and I live in Albany, NY but attend the College at Brockport in Brockport, NY”.
Soha is a busy student, who combines a double major with her duties as SiS Student Ambassador “I am a double major in Spanish and French and I have a minor in Anthropology,” she declares.
Her bright future is guided by her interests and passions “Due to my love of languages and cultures, I hope to become an interpreter/translator after attending graduate school and traveling for a little.”
Soha is applying for a second term as SiS Student Ambassador (year 2009-10) and she is positive about her work “The program is a great opportunity for me to meet new students and continue practicing my Spanish. I benefited a great deal last year from being a SiS Student Ambassador and want to continue this experience while at Brockport.”
Soha organized many activities last year, which helped spread the language, culture and education of Spain throughout SUNY campus. Her plans for this edition involve taking the program a step further. “I hope to encourage many students to get involved with Spanish and learn more about the fascinating Spanish culture. As a SiS Student Ambassador and peer mentor for the Spanish students, I plan to combine activities and hold more conversational groups at our local café. I also plan on having more cultural nights like I did last year because it was a big success with over 40 students.”
Being such a gifted, passionate student, and counting with the support of her Professor Sponsor, Ms. Rachel Linville, Soha will again be a proud representative of the program in the New York area.
SiS ON THE ROAD
Study in Spain will be traveling throughout the US again this academic year
The 2009-10 academic year will once more have the Study in Spain program participating in the most important education fairs and events.
Since its opening, the Embassy of Spain-Trade Commission Miami, with the support of ICEX (Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade) and EDUESPAÑA have carried Study in Spain all across the US in an effort to promote international education in Spain.
The rewards have been undeniable, as Spain is the third preferred destination for American students worldwide.
This is a brief preview of the projected participation of Study in Spain. The dates and/or events may be subject to changes.
OCTOBER
HACU, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
OCT 31-NOV 02
ORLANDO, FL
NOVEMBER
NAFSA REGIONAL
To be confirmed
ACTFL, American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages
NOV 20-22
SAN DIEGO, CA
DECEMBER
EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOP (3) FOR US INSTITUTIONS
NOV 30-DEC 06
MADRID
FEBRUARY
NABE, National Association Bilingual Education
FEB 03-06
DENVER, CO
AIEA, Association of International Education Administrators
FEB 14-17
WASHINGTON DC
MARCH
CSCTFL, Central Conference of the Teaching of Foreign Languages
MAR 04-06
MINNEAPOLIS, MN
CABE, California Association of Bilingual Education
MAR 11-13
SAN JOSE, CA
EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOP (1) FOR US INSTITUTIONS
MAR
MADRID
FORUM ON EDUCATION ABROAD CONFERENCE
MAR 24-26
CHARLOTTE, NC
NECTFL, Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages
MAR 25-27
NEW YORK, NY
APRIL
SWCOLT, Southwest Conference on Language Teaching
ABR 08-10
ALBURQUERQUE, NM
MAY
ANNUAL SiS MEETING AND AWARD PRESENTATION
MAY
NAFSA, Association of International Educators
MAY 30-JUN4
KANSAS CITY, MO
JUNE
EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOP (2) FOR US INSTITUTIONS
JUN
MADRID
JULY
AATSP, American Assn. of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese
JUL 10-13
GUADALAJARA, MX
APAC, The College Board AP
JUL 14-18
WASHINGTON DC
Amigos del español
Dr. Urbain De Winter
Dr. Urbain (Ben) DeWinter is Associate Provost for International Programs and Professor of Modern Foreign Languages and Literature at Boston University. He has been a faculty member and administrator at various institutions, including the University of Pennsylvania and Cornell University.
Working closely with faculty, staff and students, he has developed international programs, exchanges and partnerships worldwide and has chaired or participated in many external reviews of education abroad programs.
Study in Spain had the honor to count with his participation in the First Annual Study in Spain Meeting and Award Presentation on May the 6th, 2009, in Boston, MA.
When was the last time you have been to Spain?
The last time I was in Spain was in the summer of 2008 for three weeks, combining work and leisure. I worked in Madrid, where Boston University has a program of studies and then traveled with my family in Castilla-Leon and Galicia. We had a wonderful time. I especially enjoyed my first visit to Santiago de Compostela as well as the archeological site of Atapuerca, near Burgos, which has the oldest remains of prehistoric man in Europe, even older than Altamira.
What do you enjoy most about Spain?
I have traveled to Spain many times, and have always enjoyed the warm hospitality of its people, its varied and beautiful landscape, and its food and wines, especially from Rioja. Getting together for dinner with friends is always an enjoyable experience.
What do you think are the advantages of Spain as a destination for American students?
Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, including in the United States. One can find good language teachers in Spain and many people who will gladly help students learn the language and share their culture.
Could you describe the Study Abroad programs your University has with Spain?
Boston University recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of its Language, Culture and Internship program in Madrid. In addition to the faculty, students and staff who participated in this wonderful celebration, it was impressive to see that some former students traveled from the US just to be with some of their teachers and the Spanish families who had hosted them in their homes when they were studying there.
Our program is located as the Instituto Internacional, a famous historical building in Madrid, where students can take a wide variety of courses; they can also take advanced courses at the Universidad Autónoma and do internships in one of many businesses and organizations in the city. Boston University also sends students to the University of Burgos and runs a summer Mediterranean archeology program in Menorca.
How satisfied are, in general, American students going to Spain?
Students are very satisfied with their experience in Spain. They greatly enjoy meeting Spanish people, working with them in their internships and traveling in the country. Many students make plans to return to Spain as soon as they can; they miss their Spanish friends very much.
Institution Profile
Pamplona Learning Spanish Institute
Pamplona is situated in the North of Spain. It is a safe city with complete harmony between respect for the city’s age-old traditions and a constant desire for change. It is as rich and plural as its inhabitants; this variety is its greatest treasure, whatever your interests here you will find something to satisfy you: art, culture, tradition, gastronomy, nature, technology… Pamplona is famous worldwide for the running of the bulls at the San Fermín festival between 6th and 14th July; it is the most international fiesta in Spain, a cosmopolitan event made internationally famous by the Nobel prizewinner Ernest Hemingway (Fiesta- The Sun Also Rises).
Pamplona Learning Spanish Institute is located in one of the most emblematic historic buildings of Pamplona, surrounded by a park which overlooks the old walls of the city and only 5 minutes on foot from the centre of the city. There are six classrooms, a library, a cafeteria, a restaurant and an auditorium. They organize accommodation and extra activities for their students.
In 2008, as a result of one of the visits to the School in Pamplona organized by EDUESPAÑA and the Embassy of Spain- Trade Commission Miami, an agreement was signed with the School of Engineering of Auburn University in Alabama to held the specific program Engineering, Technology and Society- Spain which took place last June for the first time with students of Auburn University, University of Alabama, University of Arkansas and Vanderbilt University.
This special program combines lessons of general Spanish, Spanish for Engineering and a wide range of field- trips related to Engineering and cultural visits. Due to this successful experience we have been elected to held this program for the 12 member universities of the SEC (South Eastern Conference).
Courses offered: General Spanish (six different levels); Spanish for Engineers; Spanish for the Medical Profession; Spanish for Business; Spanish for groups; Spanish and San Fermín.
More information at http://www.pamplonaspanishinstitute.com/
Amigos del español
Sofia Vergara
Who was Griselda Blanco? For many years, this woman was only the ‘Black Widow’ or the ‘Cocaine Godmother’ two of the nicknames that the few people who knew her were using to identify her.
Sofía Coppola
A teenager and a rock star fall in love and get married in Director Sofia Coppola’s biographical drama, ‘Priscilla’. Literature has even found its way into her on-screen work.
Xolo Maridueña
The new DC action movie, 'Blue Beetle', is the first to feature a Latino superhero as the protagonist. The film tells the story of Jaime Reyes, a recent university graduate, who returns home to Ciudad Palmera when he comes into contact with a Beetle
