German University
Fulbrighters Visit
Howard University Campus
The Bunche Center hosted on
May 12, 1998, a group of German university administrators on the first stop of their tour
of American universities as a part of a short-term U.S. Fulbright Scholar exchange
program. The Center organized a series of talks focused on Howard University’s
international student services, study abroad and modern languages programs, and a tour of
the Moorland-Springarn Research Center’s museum.
The group of 20, coordinated by the Council for
International Exchange of Scholars (CIES), met with Modern Languages Chairman Al Frost and
Professor Yvonne Poser. They discussed the state of Howard’s German language program,
German student graduates of Howard, the 1997 Afro-German Symposium, and previous Howard
student trips to Germany led by the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures. The
German administrators, hailing from several German cities including Hamburg, Berlin and
Dusseldorf, were eager to engage the Modern Languages faculty in preliminary talks on
student and faculty exchange possibilities.
Dr. Paul Logan, Associate Dean of the College of Arts and
Sciences, addressed the group regarding study programming within the College and the
recent rise in the number of Fulbright applications at Howard University. Grace Ansah of
the Office of International Student Services answered questions about Howard’s
assistance to international students on visa matters, financial support and overall
adjustment to campus life at Howard.
CIES program officer Richard Pettit commented
enthusiastically that visits to Howard University are always one of the "most
enlightening and enjoyable stops" on the Fulbright Scholars’ itinerary. The
Bunche Center has previously hosted Fulbright Scholars from Japan, Senegal, Germany and
France. |
Officials of Howard
University’s South Africa initiative ended the academic year with a televised
"town meeting" celebrating two years of operations.
The Howard University Republic of South Africa Project
(HURSAP) attracted high level participants on the program as well as in the audience to
discuss achievements and make plans for the future. In the forum setting in the School of
Business Auditorium, veteran WHUT-TV anchorman Kojo Nmamdi questioned guests, U.S.
Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater, business executive Ernie Green, AFRICARE Director
C. Payne Lucas, South African Ambassador Franklyn Sonn, and Professor Joseph Harris.
President H. Patrick Swygert, who led the first Howard
mission to South Africa two years ago and aided HURSAP’s founding, also appeared and
praised the group’s achievements in sending two high level Howard University
representatives to South Africa and opening an office in Capetown.
Distinguished University Professor Joseph Harris, History,
was the first representative in 1997, followed by Professor Robert Cummings, African
Studies, in 1998.
HURSAP, in partnership with South African counterparts, has
launched several university related projects and has a number of others in prospect,
according to Professor James Johnson, Chairman. Johnson is Dean of the School of
Architecture, Engineering and Computer Science. Dr. Jeanne Oyemadi Bailey, Education, is
co-chair.
Howard
University Prof Publishes
Two Books on Caribbean Relations
The first two books sponsored
by the Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center have been published.
Titled The Repositioning of U.S.-Caribbean Relations in
the New World Order and U.S.-Caribbean Relations: Their Impact on Peoples and
Culture, both edited by Dr. Ransford W. Palmer, were issued in November 1997 and
January 1998 respectively.
Chapters in these books are based on papers selected by Dr.
Palmer from a number of presentations at a conference held at the Bunche Center on United
States-Caribbean relations in April 1996. Palmer, who is chairman of the Department of
Economics at Howard, organized the conference. He was then Associate Director for Academic
Affairs and Research at the Bunche Center.
The volumes bring together essays that explore the
historical, political and economic dimensions of U.S.-Caribbean relations from a period of
"dominance" to the present day condition of "significant change." Most
of the writers agree that the United States historically has dominated economic as well as
political affairs in the Caribbean. However, they see significant changes taking place
since the U.S. in the early 80s unilaterally announced "the Caribbean Basin
Initiative," a set of tariff concessions designed to improve the overall economic
situation in the region.
Nigerians Abroad Met
in DC, July 10–12 |
Nigerians from
all over the United States and several other countries converged on Washington, DC, July
10-12, for The Second Annual International Conference on Nigeria. The meeting was
sponsored by The Association of Nigerians Abroad (ANA).
Dr. Mobolaji E. Aluko, professor in Howard University’s
Department of Chemical Engineering, organized the conference in his capacity as US
Conference Chairman. The group spent one full day at the Ralph J. Bunche International
Affairs Center.
The Conference theme was "Vision for Nigerian
Emancipation in the 21st Century."
Several prominent presenters tooke part, including Chief
Anthony Enahoro, Ambassador Walter Carrington, Nobelist Wole Soyinka, TransAfrica’s
Randall Robinson, and Dr. George Ayittey. |
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