Beginning next fall, students at West Virginia University will have expanded opportunities in Latin America as the University is one of only 10 to receive a “100,000 Strong in the Americas” award, a White House initiative to increase the number of U.S. students studying in the Western Hemisphere, as well as the number of students from the region in the United States.
WVU received the award for its Innovative Ventures for Student Mobility in the Americas program with the National University of Asuncion, Paraguay.
The program is the result of Gerard D’Sousa’s visit to Paraguay as a Fulbright Scholar. D’Souza, director of the Division of Resource Management in WVU’s Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design, led lectures in Asuncion in late 2013 and invited a UNA faculty team to visit Morgantown in the spring of 2014.
“The faculty visits led to a joint agreement for exchange of students and faculty,” said D’Souza. “Our division and college developed a unique approach for study abroad by working with International Programs.”
The 100,000 Strong in the Americas award is an Obama Administration educational initiative is aimed at enhancing hemispheric competitiveness, increasing prosperity, and providing study abroad opportunities to better prepare a globally aware and culturally competent workforce. It was underwritten by the Santander Bank and made possible through the national non-profit Partners of the Americas. Only 10 applications out of 116 applications were funded.
“Innovative Ventures demonstrates the team work needed to succeed globally,” said George M. Lies, International Programs’ grant project coordinator. “And it shows the importance of the Fulbright Scholars program in creating benefits for students on our campus.”
The program consists of virtual interactions and face-to-face exchanges between WVU and Paraguayan students planned for the 2015-2016 academic year. Research topics will be in the areas of resource economics, environment, water, and sustainability. Students chosen for travel need to have basic ability in the other language.
The WVU award was announced by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry at the Summit of the Americas held recently in Panama City. It provides student travel stipends totaling $18,000. The departments have committed some funding for students in a second year, and seek to raise external funds through contributions.
“The project will support students of the Davis College and is open to students majoring in similar disciplines,” D’Souza said. “This partnership has strong momentum after only 18 months thanks to a couple of faculty and professional exchanges.”
Corporate support will allow WVU students to interact with Paraguayan students through the WeSpeke network, which enables students to exchange cultural information with their peers and enhance their language skills. WeSpeke is led by Mike Elchik, an alumnus of the College of Business and Economics.
Paraguay’s Ambassador to the United States Igor Pangrazio strongly supported the new agreement when he was a guest of President Gordon Gee at the WVU-Kansas basketball game in February.
“I had the opportunity to visit WVU,” he said. “I could witness WVU’s interest in supporting mutual beneficial international exchange programs.”
Meanwhile Leslie A. Bassett, the U.S. Ambassador to Paraguay, plans to visit West Virginia this year. She said that the exchange “puts an American university within reach of tens of thousands of Paraguayan students who could not afford it”, and enables Paraguayan and U.S. students to participate in short, non-degree exchanges.
For course information, contact D’Souza by email at Gerard.D’Souza@mail.wvu.edu. For study abroad, contact George.Lies@mail.wvu.edu at WVU’s International Programs.
“The funding is being administered through the WVU Foundation, and counts in A State of Minds: The Campaign for West Virginia’s University. The $1 billion fundraising effort runs through December 2017.”
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CONTACT: George Lies, WVU Office of International programs
304.293.7240; George.Lies@mail.wvu.edu
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