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March 13, 2000
Traveling to the four corners of the world is one way to learn about diverse cultures and people, but why go through the hassle of flight delays, lost luggage and jet lag when the world can come to you through the eyes and experiences of MSU visiting scholars? Each year approximately 30 international professors travel to Montclair State. While some stay for a few weeks, others are here for an entire semester to learn about American culture and education, and to share their knowledge of expertise.
"Many of Montclair State's own professors conduct work with international scholars," said Marina Cunningham, director of the Global Education Center. "These scholars widen our scope of knowledge by giving us a global perspective."
Some recent visiting scholars have come from as far as China, Mexico and Slovakia. Many speak at the Global Education Center's Tea and Talk Series, a forum for roundtable dialogues on global issues between visiting scholars and MSU faculty.
As the international presence enlightens the minds of faculty and staff, the cultural knowledge spills into the classrooms, broadening the thoughts and ideas of students.
"It is essential for our students to be exposed to people from other cultures so they can gain different points of view," Cunningham explained. "Many times, when students meet with scholars from other countries, they become interested in traveling to those countries."
By the end of this semester, some students may become more interested in Italy, Canada and Spain. Jose Arco, a psychology professor from the University of Granada in Spain, is here teaching health psychology, educational psychology and behavior modification, although he plans on doing his fair share of learning.
"Being a visiting professor allows me to learn more about the different programs in the American university system," he said. "It is also a good opportunity for me to get in touch with professors in the same field."
Gilbert Talbot of Quebec, Canada, will have the opportunity throughout the semester to meet with colleagues in the Department of Educational Foundations and the Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children (IAPC). Invited by Matthew Lipman of the IAPC, Talbot arrived in January and will give lectures and teach courses in educational philosophy.
"The IAPC may get up to three visiting scholars each year," Lipman explained. "They have the opportunity to live and work in a university setting, and their presence is good for us because it makes us more of an international operation."
Cunningham said international scholars make their way to Montclair State in many ways. "Sometimes we have people visiting because we have an affiliation with a particular university overseas," she explained. "They may be here as part of a grant or they may want to come and do research. There are many different scenarios."
An exchange program between Montclair State and the University of Siena in Italy is what brings Italian scholars to campus each spring. "The exchange is part of a contract that was signed 15 years ago between the president of MSU and the president of the University of Siena," explained Vincenzo Bollettino of Spanish and Italian, who was instrumental in putting together the exchange program.
The exchange program allows up to 40 MSU students to study at the University of Siena each summer. In return, the University of Siena sends one of their scholars to teach here for the spring semester.
Isabella Fabbri, a recent law school graduate of the University of Siena, was selected by her school's faculty committee to teach Italian at MSU this semester. She competed against several other applicants, and her motivation and command of the English language earned her the opportunity to have a rewarding global experience.
"This has been a very wonderful experience so far," she said. "One of the most important things about this program is the exchange I have with my students. As I teach them about the Italian culture and language, they tell me about the American way of life."