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New Worlds of Study
By Rita Mitchell
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Exchange agreements between universities literally open up new worlds of study when educational opportunities and cultural awarenessexpand for students and faculty. UT Martin has pacts with universities in France, Canada,Japan and Germany, among others,and continues to look for otherpartnerships throughout the world.
Mexico
A recent agreement between UT Martinand the Autonomous Agrarian University,Antonio Narro, in Saltillo, Mexico, is the latest of these partnerships. Antonio Narro is the highest-ranked agricultural universityin Mexico and is ranked 12th overall amonghigher education institutions in the country.
“We have a lot of great students in the agricultural program at UT Martin who will benefit from the exchange opportunities,”said Dr. Daniel Nappo, UT Martin Department of Modern Foreign Languages interim chair and assistant professor of Spanish. “And any time you bring international students to our campus it enriches everything.”
Initially, Dr. Joey Mehlhorn, UT Martin associate professor of agricultural economics, spent time this summer at Antonio Narro, beginning the process of developing a USDA International Education Grant. Hopefully, this opportunity will assist students and faculty from the agriculture and natural resources department to attend Antonio Narro on an exchange program. Mehlhorn also delivered seminars for faculty discussing the use of technology in the classroom as well as delivering online educational content. These seminars highlighted UT Martin’s leadership role in the use of technology for education. “So theagreement is already paying some dividends to us,” said Nappo. In August, two students from each institution will take part in an exchange. Antonio Narro already has a dozen students who want to participate in an exchange with UT Martin.
Nappo said several factors typically are considered when an exchange pact is being pursued. UT Martin officials look for institutions with high academic standards that are comparable in size and location within another country. That helps ensure that the students from each country can more easily adapt to life in the host country. Officials make sure that courses are similar so that students’ work will transfer to the home school.
The possibility of receiving grant funds from the North American Mobility in Higher Education program is another incentive to promote this university partnership. The competitive grant program is administered cooperatively by the governments of the United States, Canada and Mexico. The purpose is to promote a student-centered North American dimension to education and training in a wide range of academic and professional disciplines. The program funds, for up to five years, collaborations in the form of consortia consisting of at least two academic institutions from each country.
The agreement with Antonio Narro followed a visit to Saltillo in October by a UT Martin delegation. In March, Dr. Nick Dunagan, UT Martin chancellor, and Nappo returned to Antonio Narro, where Dunagan signed a formal exchange agreement. “It showed a level of commitment to the agreement,” said Nappo of the chancellor’s trip to Saltillo.
UT Martin students in the exchange program will have a variety of academic
pursuits supplemented by visits to state parks, experimental farms and villages
operated as communes.
“There will be a lot of opportunities for internships,” said Nappo, “during which students can really focus on specific areas of study.” In exchange, students from Antonio Narro will study agriculture production operations in this region of the United States, will visit agriculturally based companies, such as Tyson and Ferry-
Morse Seed Co., and farm equipment dealerships. Internships also will be
available for these students.
Nappo said he hopes they will return to Mexico with the knowledge and skills
to “make Mexico more productive agriculturally and get the most out of the land.
“I like to see our university and community building relationships with
Mexico,” said Nappo. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for our students to step out
of West Tennessee, that they know so well, and go somewhere else.
“I’m really happy we have this agreement,” added Nappo. “This is one of
the best universities in Mexico, and we are one of the first universities in theU.S. to have an agreement with them.”
Canada
By Erin Young, student writer
Courses in international relations are quickly becoming a necessity in undergraduate education. UT Martin students are being encouraged to learn about neighbors to the north via a new minor in Canadian studies.
Six of the 18 hours required for the minor are to be completed at the University of Quebec at Chicoutimi, the University of New Brunswick at St. John, another approved Canadian institution, a travel-study program or an international internship. Students are required to spend at least one month in Canada.
The new minor is expected to enhance career opportunities for graduates in
humanities, the sciences, business and agriculture. To prepare for the minor,
students are required to complete an introductory course, “Foundations in Canadian Studies,” an overview of Canadian geography, history, politics,
literature and culture. They also are required to take one course in Canadian
geography, history or political science; one course in Canadian literature or culture/civilization; and three electives from two approved fields.
During the 2005-06 school year, the Center for Global Studies andInternational Education sponsored a series of lectures and events to spark
interest in the new minor. Canadian Consulate General Michael Flaherty
began the series with an overview of U.S./Canadian relations.
This series continued with three lectures:“The Industrial City in Transition–St. John, New Brunswick,” by dean Robert MacKennon, New Brunswick at St. John; “Contemporary Quebec: Social Changes and the Affirmation of National Identity,” by Dr. Piere-André Tremblay, University of Quebec at Chicoutimi; and “Global Business Today from the Perspective of a Canadian CEO,” by Thomas MacKaig, TMI.
The Center for Global Studies also organized a two-week travel-study program to Quebec and New Brunswick for Canadian studies minors. Both the lecture series and travel-study trips were partially funded by a program enhancement grant from the Canadian government.
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