GM with the University of Ghana

We've just begun working with the University of Ghana so it's too early to talk of an actual partnership yet, but the early returns have been very promising. This past semester Akosua Darkwah from the University of Ghana paired with Barb DuBois from Champlain to discuss the complex issues surrounding domestic violence in Africa and the United States. The students examined two articles, Cultural Beliefs and Domestic Violence and The Trials of Measuring the "Success" of Domestic Violence Policies and discussed the situation surrounding domestic violence in their two countries and proposed suggestions for reducing violence against women. We're discussing a visit to the university within the next few months.

Gary Scudder
globalmodules@gmail.com
scudder@champlain.edu

Danube University Krems

We want as many different voices represented in the international dialogue as possible. We're focusing on creating a strong foundation in Africa and the Middle East, two areas that are all too often either ignored or vilified. That said, we also other parts of the world included as well. Obviously, we want European universities and we're trying to get a variety of schools. Last year I visited universities in Sweden, Spain, Austria and Hungary.

One example of a potential Austrian partner is Danube University Krems. It is about an hour outside of Vienna, meaning that you travel around on the great intercity train system and then jump on one of the S lines that head out of town. Danube University Krems is an innovative school that is only around 15 years old and has around 3000 students. This last spring semester Klaus Himpsl, Andreas Raith and Petra Szucsich from Danube University Krems combined with Rob Williams from Champlain to run a Global Module on media, using portions of Marshall McLuhan's Understanding Media: The Extension of Man as their common text. The conversation was wonderful.

Our initial local champion at Danube University Krems was Sabine Zauchner. Her interest in the project shows how even in the academic world there are advantages to "networking." I met a professor from Klagenfurt University in Austria when Champlain's Associate Provost Michelle Miller and I presented on the Global Modules at a conference in Hyderabad, India. The Klagenfurt professor then asked me to present at a Learning Communities conference in Klagenfurt, where I met Sabine after my presentation. She then encouraged me to visit her school and now it is paying benefits. After this initial success we are discussing ways to expand our partnership.

Gary Scudder
globalmodules@gmail.com
scudder@champlain.edu

Champlain student visits University of Jordan

This past fall, a senior Champlain College student, Jenica Norrish, from here in Burlington, VT visited Jordan to meet some of the students from the University of Jordan. Her visit was prompted from a series of articles she was writing for the campus newspaper about Global Modules being embedded into the new CORE curriculum at Champlain, with a final piece about her actual experience in Jordan. You can find Jenica's blog here and read about her first trip to the Middle East and about her time meeting some of the students and faculty on the other side of the Global Modules discussion.

Jenica at UJ in front of Big Ben campus clock

Global Modules Partners Spring 2008

After spending the last six (give or take) months visiting, recruiting and contacting universities to pair up with Champlain classes, the list is ready.

Here are international universities represented in the GM pairings for Champlain's Concept of Community class (COR 120) this semester:

Deakin University, Australia

Corvinus University, Hungary

Zayed University, United Arab Emirates

University of Skovde, Sweden

Kabul University, Afghanistan

University of Ghana, Ghana

University of Jordan, Jordan

Kenyatta University, Kenya

Goteborg University, Sweden

University of Alcala, Spain

Nipissing University, Canada

Al Akhawayn University, Morocco