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News
Nankai joins SAF as 18th Chinese member university
From left to right: Henry Oh, Director of SAF Korea; Daniel Shen, Director of SAF China; John Belcher, President of SAF; Guan Naijia, Vice president of Nankai University; Lin Runzhi, Deputy Dean of International Office; Mr. Zhang Ning, working staff of International Office of Nankai U.
On January 22, 2010, the MoU Ceremony was held in Nankai university in Tianjin, and Nankai University became SAF’s 18th official university member in China. The president of Study Abroad foundation, Professor John Belcher and the vice president of Nankai University, Professor Naijia Guan attended the ceremony. Professor Naijia Guan said that the “internationalization strategy” is one of the five core strategies for Nankai University development and Nankai University wanted to promote students’ mobility and to share high quality educational resources by joining in SAF university network.
Profile of Nankai University: Founded in 1919, a key multidisciplinary and research-oriented university directly under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, Nankai University, located in Tianjin on the border of the sea of Bohai, is also the alma mater of late Premier Zhou Enlai. Nankai University is one of Chinese top universities of “211 project” and “985 project”. Currently, the University has 1,696 faculty and a total enrollment of 21,905 students, including 12,499 undergraduate students.
Software Engineering Consortium joins SAF
SAF is pleased to announce our newest member in China, The Office of Pilot Software Engineering Schools. This member is not a university, but a network of university departments from the National Pilot Software Engineering Schools at 37 of China’s top universities and represents the first consortial university member to join SAF. The Office of Pilot Software Engineering Schools of the Ministry of Education in China, located at Beijing Jiaotong University, was established in 2006. Its mission is to promote the collaboration and progress of pilot software engineering schools across China, to improve cooperation with the software industry, and to enhance internationalization. This innovative membership with the Office of Pilot Software Engineering Schools will provide study abroad opportunities and to students throughout China and further the goal of internationalizing these prestigious programs. SAF welcomes our new member.
Beijing University of Chemical Technology Joins SAF
(left to right) Ms Haiping Geng, Dean, International Office, BUCT, Prof. Tianwei Tan, Vice President, International Affairs, BUCT, Prof. John Belcher, President, SAF, Daniel Shen, Director, SAF China
Beijing University of Chemical Technology (BUCT) is one of China's top universities and a member of the distinguished 211 group of leading research universities in China. Like many of China's top universities, BUCT has its origin in a highly specialized higher education system influenced by the former Soviet Union, hence its very focused name. Today however, BUCT is a comprehensive university with 10 faculties and 26,300 students. Speaking at the November 10 MOU signing ceremony, Vice President Tianwei Tan, said, "SAF built a network of leading universities. We are happy to be part of it and give more opportunities to students for study abroad for 1 year with 3 years' study in BUCT." Prof. John Belcher, SAF President welcomed BUCT as SAF's 15th member university in China.
A True Liberal Arts Education
Three Chinese undergraduates document their positive experience attending small liberal arts colleges in the US in a new book released by Chinese Publishing Group, A True Liberal Arts Education. An article in Inside Higher Education provides interesting interviews with the authors and an introduction in Chinese. SAF works some of the most prestigious liberal arts colleges in the US including Middlebury College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College.
Fall (Semester II) Programs off to a Smooth Start. Overall Good Growth. New Programs in China, France, Germany, Korea, Spain and Switzerland
Despite the worldwide economic downturn and the threat of swine flu, SAF student enrollment increased 62% from Fall 2008 to Fall 2009. This significant increase can be partially attributed to SAF’s new program with Rikkyo University’s Department of Intercultural Communications (CIC). Through the CIC-SAF agreement, Rikkyo students have the opportunity to study abroad at prestigious universities in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, China and Korea. SAF developed programs in Europe and Asia at Rikkyo’s request and these programs are now available to any SAF participant. Please contact your SAF Country Office representative for additional information.
Overall SAF has experienced good growth notably in China and Japan. In Korea and Taiwan the economic downturn has had an impact, especially in Korea where the currency significantly fell in value in 2008/9. SAF Headquarters (SAF HQ) in Indianapolis has increased its office size within the same building it shares with other non-profit organizations including IFSA-Butler.
SAF Office Opened in Beijing
SAF China has been working with SAF member universities in the Beijing area from the SAF China office in Shanghai. Beginning in September 2009 SAF China will also operate a Beijing office located in the International Exchange Center building of Beijing Normal University. The office is very central to the capital’s “university district” and therefore easily accessed by students from other SAF member universities nearby.
New SAF China Director Appointed
Daniel Shen has been appointed Director SAF China. Daniel is currently Assistant Dean at Beijing Jiao Tong University’s School of Software Engineering where is responsible for the School’s international affairs. Simultaneously he is Assistant Director at the Office of National Software Engineering Schools at the Ministry of Education, China. Previously Daniel held positions in business in Australia and is an Australian citizen. Daniel’s undergraduate degree is in telecommunications and from Beijing Information and Technology University. His Masters degree from the University of New South Wales, Australia is in computer science. Theresa Li, SAF China’s founding director will be moving on to take a new position at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
Government-Sponsored Study Abroad Scholarship Program in Taiwan
SAF Taiwan has been working with recipients of a new Taiwan scholarship program designed to encourage study abroad. Some universities with a wide range of exchange partners are able to use scholarships in conjunction with their exchange programs, but many universities do not have well-developed networks of suitable partners and are working with SAF to provide these scholarships to students accepted on SAF programs. 400 merit scholarships valued at TWD 300,000 (approx USD 9,000) are available each year. Additional scholarships are availed for students from low income families and to encourage participation in study abroad internships.
Shinshuu University the First National Japanese University to Join SAF
Shinshuu National University has become the first national university in Japan to join SAF. In China, Taiwan and Korea SAF has in its membership many national universities, but in Japan national universities have been slow to participate in multilateral international student mobility programs and join organizations established to facilitate such mobility. Shinshuu National University, with eight departments on five campuses, was founded in 1949 and is located in Nagano Prefecture. In a message to SAF Dr. Akio Nomura, Trustee in Charge of International Relations said “Shinshuu National University believes in the importance of developing individuals who can work in a global society and fostering their training through interactions with other cultures, races, languages, religions, ideologies and overcoming these differences to gain mutual understanding. Shinshuu has about 70 international partners, ranging from student exchange to research collaborations, and these have allowed students to gain invaluable international experience that will contribute to their future lives. However, even with our many partners, Shinshuu has not been able to provide students with the wide variety of study options necessary to fulfill their needs and wishes, and have been looking for a way to solve this problem. Shinshuu National University took the opportunity to join the multilateral SAF network and is pleased to be given the chance to offer a wider variety of programs and opportunities to Shinshuu students.”
New SAF Agreement with Showa Women's University, Japan
Prof. Marko Bando, President of Showa Women's University, emphasized the university's commitment to international education by signing an agreement to join SAF on June 24, 2009. The university launched a new International Department in April 2009, and as a part of the curriculum all 80 students are required to study at the Showa University Boston campus or at Showa’s partners in China or Korea during their 2nd year. In order to offer a wider variety of opportunities to students, SAF in partnership with the International Department developed and launched a new program, “Boston + ONE”. Through the Boston + ONE program, Showa students who study at the Showa Boston campus for a semester are able to extend their study abroad experience for an additional semester or academic year through SAF study options in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany and Spain. With the introduction of this new study abroad program, Showa Women's University concurrently developed a new scholarship system specifically for those students who participate in SAF programs for a semester or a year.
Okinawa International University, SAF Japan Works with Students via Teleconferencing
To implement a new “Officially Approved” Study Abroad Program and Scholarship System within the university OKIU decided to join the SAF International University Network. Previously OKIU students who studied outside of the exchange system needed to take a year off and were not able to transfer credit, and therefore were not able to graduate in four years. OKIU has developed an approval and scholarship system for all OKIU students who are accepted into overseas study programs. One slight problem for SAF is that OKIU is in the Ryukyu Islands and some 1600 kilometers (995 miles) from the SAF Japan office in Tokyo. It is in fact closer to the SAF office in Taiwan. OKIU’s International Center and SAF decided to overcome this problem by using Skype teleconferencing for student counseling. Counseling sessions for students are held once a week with students using a designated computer in the OKIU International Center. Each counseling session is approximately 45 minutes. SAF staff visit OKIU twice a year to meet with students and to hold student seminars and orientations.
New SAF Member Universities in Korea
Korea University and the Catholic University of Korea have recently signed on as the newest members of the SAF International University Network. SAF is pleased to be working with both of these distinguished universities to place their students in their study abroad programs of choice in locations throughout the world. The signing on of Korea University is particularly noteworthy as SAF is now working with all three "SKY" ( as in reach for the …”) universities in Korea, the most prestigious universities in the country (Seoul National University, Korea University and Yonsei University).
SAF Reception Held at the Residence of the British Ambassador to Korea
 Mr. Martin Uden, British Ambassador to Korea, recently hosted a reception for the Study Abroad Foundation at his residence in Seoul. The event brought together recently returned SAF students, SAF staff members, as well as officials from SAF member universities in Korea.
Ambassador Uden (pictured middle), a laws graduate of Queen Mary – University of London, had the chance to meet former SAF students including Hyoyoung Kim (pictured left) from Queen Mary University and Hee Seung Lee (pictured right) from the University of Westminster.
Visit SAF Country Offices
Host university officials traveling to China, Taiwan, Japan and Korea are encouraged to visit SAF Country Offices to discuss your institution’s study abroad programs and “pre-semester” or “pre-sessional” ESL opportunities. If you are considering a visit to an SAF Country Office, please contact Tracy Tao, Chin Ning, Brett Rumminger or Henry Oh directly. Depending upon the proposed date(s) of your visit, it may be possible to join the SAF staff on a visit to SAF member universities for either a study abroad seminar or meeting with staff of the international education office.
Documents
Details coming soon
Links
AIEA Association of International Education Administrators
APAIE Asia-Pacific Association for International Education
CBIE Canadian Bureau for International Education
CONAHEC Consortium for North American Higher Education Collaboration
EAIE European Association for International Education
IEAA International Education Association of Australia
IEAC International Educators Association of Canada
IEASA International Education Association of South Africa
IIE Institute of International Education
ISANA International Education Association
JAFSA Japan Network for International Education
KAFSA Korean Association of Foreign Student Administrators
KAIE Korean Association for International Educators
NAFSA Association of International Educators
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