Friday, July 09, 2010
USI one of two American universities building Young Iraqi Leaders
Nawras, an Iraqi exchange student, visits the Clinical Simulation Center in the Health Professions Center.
Contact for more information:
Wendy Knipe Bredhold Media Relations Specialist, News & Information Services 812/461-5259 The University of Southern Indiana is one of two American universities hosting leadership institutes for Iraqi college students this summer. The Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program for Undergraduate Students, administered by World Learning and sponsored by the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, is a six-week program held from July 10 to August 8, 2010, at USI and Colorado State University. More than 50 Iraqi university students will strengthen their leadership abilities and experience campus life in the special exchange program, which will provide students with the skills they need to produce positive change in Iraq as well as opportunities to explore U.S. culture and share insights about their own culture with Americans. Students arrived in Washington, D.C. last week and attended an orientation workshop focusing on topics such as diversity, public speaking, and cross-cultural communication. At USI, the students will study topics related to social services and community health, while the curriculum in Colorado will focus on civic engagement and social advocacy. Students on both campuses will conduct community service projects, meet community leaders, visit American host families, and take cultural field trips. Heidi Gregori-Gahan, director of USI's Office of International Programs and Services, serves as program coordinator for the leadership institute at USI. "I cannot think of a more effective way to bring peace and stability to Iraq than to give young Iraqis of different backgrounds the opportunity to interact in a university environment. And what better region of the U.S. to show them how a stable democratic society works than the American heartland. This diverse group of young people represents hope for the future of Iraq - and USI is privileged to have been selected to host these aspiring young leaders." Lead faculty for the leadership training component of the institute are Daniela Vidal, program coordinator in advanced manufacturing and industrial supervision and instructor in engineering, Dr. Kevin Valadares, associate professor and chair of health services administration, Dr. Zane W. Mitchell Jr., chair of the Department of Engineering, and Lynn Miller Pease, executive director of Leadership Evansville. Valadares, Dr. Marie Opatrny, assistant professor of social work, and Brandon Eggleston, assistant professor of health services administration, will lead the social services and community health portion of the program. Other faculty will come from USI's English as a Second Language International program, Department of Social Work, College of Nursing and Health Professions, College of Business, and Pott College of Science and Engineering. Four USI student mentors with Study Abroad experience also will participate in the program. In early August, the Iraqi students will reunite in Washington, D.C. for several additional days of training on leadership, conflict resolution, peace-building, and cultural readjustment. Students also will work in groups to develop action plans for projects that they can implement to benefit their communities and universities after returning to Iraq. |
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