Bridging cultural borders
Delaware Diplomats events foster intercultural dialogue between students
12:52 p.m., Dec. 16, 2015--The Delaware Diplomats, an initiative begun by the University of Delaware Institute for Global Studies (IGS) in 2014, provides opportunities for students to earn study abroad scholarship money through on-campus global engagement.
The program, while aimed at promoting cultural learning abroad, is also beginning to foster a more inclusive global environment at UD.
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The diplomats hosted a kickoff event for the semester, “Living Life Abroad,” which brought members of the Office for International Students and Scholars (OISS) International Student Advisory Committee, the English Language Institute (ELI) American Host Program and domestic students together to talk about the experience of living and studying in a new country.
The event was held in the International House (iHouse), UD’s living learning community that is co-sponsored by IGS and the Office of Residence Life and Housing.
“Going abroad has helped me to bring back understanding for the international student experience,” said Delaware Diplomat Evangelista Barylski. “I know that when I’m abroad, I will want people to communicate and help me adjust.”
Ugo Nsofor, a doctoral student in electrical and computer engineering from Nigeria, expressed to his discussion group the difficulties and initial culture shocks when he first arrived in the U.S., and how he has since overcome many language obstacles.
“I had difficulty in expressing myself to American kids when I came here,” confessed Nsofor. “I thought I had a good command of the English language. I could speak and write very well in English, but it became embarrassing for me when I came here and I was talking to someone, and they go, ‘What do you mean? What did you say?’ That was the first shock.”
The October diplomat event was one of many aimed at fostering and building a global world view on campus by creating connections between international and domestic students.
During Global Month, held annually in November, the diplomats sponsored an OISS International Coffee Hour at the Wright House. An afternoon tradition of free coffee and light refreshments, the weekly event brings students from every background together to meet others from around the world.
“I’ve learned to be more open-minded about opportunities to learn about different cultures, and also to understand people from a different angle because it's difficult to live in a new culture,” said Liza Dennis, a sophomore biological sciences major and Delaware Diplomat.
At semester’s end, diplomats honored International Human Rights Day in advance with a lecture and discussion on the Syrian Refugee Crisis with William Meyer, professor of political science and international relations.
Each of these events was carried out with the immense help of the first-ever Delaware Diplomats Leadership Council.
The diplomats plan to start the spring semester with an event to welcome the UD World Scholars to campus. World Scholars have spent their first semester as University of Delaware freshmen studying abroad in Rome. They will be invited to participate in the diplomat community and to share their own experiences as Americans beginning their college careers abroad.
This year, the Institute of International Education (IIE) has spotlighted the Delaware Diplomats program in their recent “Generation Study Abroad: One Year Impact.” The report shares the noteworthy progress academic institutions have made during 2015 to increase advocacy and awareness for study abroad programs.
Students with an interest in becoming Delaware Diplomats or studying abroad are encouraged to seek more information on the IGS website. Search #UDiplomat on social media for a glimpse into Delaware Diplomat activities.
About the Institute for Global Studies
The Institute for Global Studies was created in 2009 to enhance the international dimensions of teaching, research and outreach at the University of Delaware. IGS provides leadership and support for programs and experiences that contribute to the education of informed, skilled, open-minded citizens of the world.
IGS awards scholarships and grants to faculty and students for a number of global opportunities, and administers internationally-recognized programs such as the UD Fulbright Initiative, MEPI (Middle East Partnership Initiative) Student Leaders Institute, Mandela Washington Fellowship Program for Young African Leaders and most recently the SUSI-WL (Study of the United States Institutes for Student Leaders) program.
IGS sponsors such signature events as Global Month each fall and country-specific celebrations each spring.
IGS collaborates with other global partners on campus, including the Office for International Students and Scholars, the Confucius Institute and the Center for Global and Area Studies. In addition, IGS partners with Enrollment Management to coordinate the UD World Scholars Program.
Article by Kristina Magana