As a national leader in community engaged learning and education abroad, MSU has refined years of community engagement and partnerships around the world into best practices for future education abroad program leaders, faculty members and administrators. John-Paul Sewavi, Global Learning Coordinator for the Center for Global  Learning and Innovation, International Studies and Program, and Emily Weiner, Academic Specialist, Office for Experiential Learning, College of Social Science, will share highlights and experiences using the MSU Global Community-Engaged Learning Rubric and Best Practice Guide. Vincent Delgado, Director of the Program on Sustainability in Costa Rica, School of RCAH, College of Arts and Letters, will share some program and partnership development basics for both future and seasoned practitioners. These are grounded in principles-based education abroad program development, the SOFAR Model of Partnership and Radical Reciprocity – a process framework for transforming relationships into highly-engaged university-community partnerships. Finally, Tina Houghton, Assistant Director with the Center for Community Engaged Learning and Advisor to Alternative Spartan Breaks will discuss her experience supporting students in leading their own community engaged learning in fulfillment of MSU’s mission: advancing knowledge and transforming lives through deep and direct relationships between undergraduate students and communities across the U.S. and internationally.

Presenters:

• Vincent Delgado, Director, Program on Sustainability in Costa Rica, Residential College in the Arts and Humanities
• Tina Houghton, Assistant Director, Center for Community Engaged Learning
• Emily Weiner, Academic Specialist for Experiential Learning, College of Social Science
• Jean-Paul Sewavi, Global Learning Coordinator, Office for Education Abroad

Join on Zoom
Passcode: MSUEA

Speaker: Jennifer Lee Johnson

Eye on Africa is a bi-weekly seminar series that provides scholars, policy-makers, applied practitioners, students, and the interested public with cutting-edge and highly-contextualized knowledge about the African continent. Emerging and established scholars share the results of their recent research, with time for audience questions and comments. The series draws on a diverse group of presenters to create an inclusive, holistic view of African history, social movements, the economy, and politics.

EA 101 is for anyone interested in studying abroad but isn't sure where to start!

Topics covered include:

• Benefits of Education Abroad
• Things to Consider (courses, timing, budget)
• Program Types
• Cost Factors and Program Fees
• Scholarships and Funding
• Navigating the Website
• Searching for Programs
• Health, Safety and Security

At the end there will be a Q&A session where you can ask us any questions you may have.

Register on Zoom

Join the OISS Advocacy Team for the last Coffee Hour of the semester to de-stress from all your commitments!

Michiyoshi Sato is a national champion of Tsugaru-jamisen, a dynamic and improvisatory style of Japanese folk music played on a banjo-like instrument called a shamisen. He is the founder and lead singer of KOTOBUKI Band, a festival-themed east/west fusion performance group that combines music, dance, comedy, and audience participation. His other accomplishments include appearing as a recurring character on the popular NHK program "Nihongo de asobo" and, more recently, composing commercial film scores. Sato will be joined for this concert by Yoshiaki Shiratori on shakuhachi (flute) and Yusaku Kanno on keyboard; interpretation and commentary will be provided by Dr. Joshua Lee Solomon of Hirosaki University (Japan).

This event, part of the Midwest Japan Seminar, is made possible by a generous grant from the U.S.-Japan Foundation, administered by the MSU Asian Studies Center.

"Democracy, Stunted: The U.S. Liberal Hegemonic Projection and the Making of Japanese Conservative One-Party Dominance in Cold War Asia"

The interplay of conflicting forces in the US Occupation and in Japan set the basic parameters within which postwar Japanese politics unfolded -captured by the contradiction of a puppet democracy. The United States, on the other hand, as a liberal hegemon, preferred the new Japan to embody a liberal, anti-communist variety of democracy, ideally based on a pluralist competition of the ruling elites, but as a hegemon, it could live with the emergence of a unified hegemonic party of these conservative elites, if that was what it took to block the leftist parties that stirred up the untamed Japanese masses with a call for an anti-imperialist democratic action from coming to power. By mastering the American language of democracy, the Japanese conservative elites were able to reconsolidate their hegemonic position within Japanese domestic politics against the leftist proponents of egalitarian and participatory democracy. The fact that the eftist parties have never jettisoned their pacifism and chose instead to give up the chance to win power has often been criticized as irresponsible and hypocritical by the trans-Pacific political and academic elites, but by doing so, the leftist parties saved Japanese democracy and peace from the diktats of the American hegemon.

Feeling overwhelmed by endless notifications and screen time? Hit pause and join us for a digital detox lunch! Bring your own lunch! Monday, April 27 from 11:30am to 1:00pm in the ISA HQ (located in the Garden Level of the International Center).

Join us for the International Student Graduation Celebration; a special event honoring the achievements of our graduating international students. This celebration is a chance for students to share their success and pride with the campus community. Graduates are welcome to invite their friends, family, co‑workers, supervisors, and professors to celebrate this milestone together.
 

Love to travel? Interested in living abroad after graduation? Curious about exploring other cultures?

MSU students and recent graduates are invited to this Fulbright US Student Program information session, which will be presented by MSU's Fulbright Program Advisor, Joy Campbell. The Fulbright is a competitive grant program sponsored by the US Department of State that provides funding for travel and living expenses; the competition is open to US citizens who hope to teach English, pursue graduate studies, or conduct research abroad after graduation. 

Session attendees will learn about the three types of Fulbright awards open to MSU students and recent graduates: English Teaching Assistant, Study, and Research grants. MSU's Fulbright Program Advisor will give an overview of the programs, discuss eligibility and benefits, then cover the various application requirements. 

Students typically work on applications the summer after junior year, applying in September of their senior year. It is also possible for recent alumni to apply. 

This session will be offered online:

• Join via Zoom:
  • https://msu.zoom.us/j/97010109101
  • Meeting ID:  970 1010 9101
  • Authentication: MSU email address required. If you have graduated and no longer have one, please contact Joy Campbell prior to the event to be added to the invitation list under your personal email. 

For more information, explore the MSU Fulbright website, and contact Joy Campbell with any questions. 

Go Green! Go White! Go Global!

Make your application stand out from the rest! Attend this workshop to learn how to browse Volunteer openings, find the right program, and strengthen your Peace Corps application. You will have an opportunity to ask questions about service, learn steps you can take to improve your chances, gain valuable tips to guide you through the application process, and receive personalized help and feedback on your application components. 

This session will be particularly helpful for Spartans hoping to apply for the next Peace Corps deadline. 

Please bring the following and/or be prepared to work on them during the workshop!

• Outline or draft of your motivation statement (if you have one—we will also have some brainstorming activities to get you started)
• A copy of your resume (or a Peace Corps-specific one if you have it drafted already!)
• Laptop, tablet, or good old-fashioned paper for brainstorming and drafting

Join us on Zoom:

• Link: https://msu.zoom.us/j/97177256907
• Passcode: PCRO

For questions about this event, contact MSU's Peace Corps Recruiters at msupeace(at)msu.edu.

For more information about MSU's Peace Corps Recruitment Office, visit our website.