Welcome to the Atlanta Global Studies Center Newsletter
We look forward to seeing you at our events and partnering with you through our various initiatives! Learn more about the exciting ways we are empowering the Atlanta region's global agenda on the AGSC website!
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AGREC 2021-22 awards are announced!
 The Atlanta Global Research and Education Collaborative (AGREC) seeks to build and strengthen collaborative networks of multi-institutional scholars and practitioners to support global research and education initiatives in the Greater Atlanta region.
AGREC has continued to grow this year and is proud to support 8 new projects engaging faculty and students from 10 universities/colleges as well as 10 community partners during AY21-22. New projects for AY 21-22 are listed below.
- The Global Communities Internship Program
- Cultural Sensitivity Workshop: Building Bridges
- Global Learning for a Lifetime: Supporting Black Students at Home and Abroad
- Realizing the Vision: Designing a Community Science Collaboratory for the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Writers Without Borders: A Human Rights Writing Project for Atlanta’s Migrant Youth
- Supporting Holocaust Education for Atlanta Area Preservice Teachers through Collaborative Research, Resources, and Partnerships
- Connecting global and local: Curricular development and global partnership in a Korean specials class at a public elementary school
- Bringing Native Science into Atlanta’s K-12 dual language immersion: Digital curriculum development and adaptation in an APS classroom
View details of the funded projects here. For more information, visit the AGREC webpage.
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Summer 2022 Foreign Language and Areas Studies (FLAS) Fellowships
Upcoming FLAS Fellowship Virtual Information Sessions
Learn how to apply for a Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship to study a language in the U.S. or abroad during Summer 2022. Fellowships are available for undergraduate and graduate students. Summer FLAS Fellowships provide:
- $5,000 for program tuition and fees for programs
- $2,500 living stipend
Priority languages include Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Persian/Farsi, Portuguese, Russian, and Swahili. *Funding for French, German, and Spanish languages may be available for GRADUATE students at an ADVANCED level ONLY.
GSU Students: Click on the links below to register for the upcoming info sessions.
*If you are interested in scheduling an information session for your department or program, please contact Diana Wrenn Rapp at dwrenn1@gsu.edu
Georgia Tech Students: No registration required. Join the online sessions here: https://bluejeans.com/976389113/7933
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Tuesday, January 18, 2022, 9-9:30 am
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Wednesday, January 19, 2022, 9-9:30 am
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AGSC to Host Online Discussion with Peter Martin, author of China's Civilian Army, The Making of Wolf Warrior Diplomacy
 Friday, February 18th
12 pm
Zoom Registration Link
Peter Martin will discuss his new book with Maria Repnikova, an expert on Chinese political communication and Assistant Professor of Global Communication at Georgia State University.
Based on the memoirs of retired Chinese diplomats as well as years of extensive political reporting in China, China's Civilian Army depicts China’s evolution into a global superpower. As described by Oxford University Press, “[T]his groundbreaking book blends history with current events to tease out enduring lessons about the kind of power China is set to become. It is required reading for anyone who wants to understand China's quest for global power, as seen from the inside.”
Peter Martin is a political reporter for Bloomberg News. He has written extensively on escalating tensions in the US-China relationship and reported from China's border with North Korea and its far-western region of Xinjiang. He previously worked for the consultancy APCO Worldwide in Beijing, New Delhi, and Washington, where he analyzed politics for multinational companies. In Washington, he served as chief of staff to the company's global CEO. His writing has been published by outlets including Foreign Affairs, the National Interest, the Guardian, the Jamestown China Brief, the Diplomat and the Christian Science Monitor. He holds degrees from the University of Oxford, Peking University and the London School of Economics.
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Update: Universities and Non-Profits Partner to Aid Afghan Refugee Resettlement in Metro Atlanta
The six female students from the Asian University for Women (AUW) who escaped from Afghanistan in August and were temporarily housed at the military base Fort McCoy, have arrived in Atlanta. GSU is providing residence in student housing and tuition waivers. The students are studying English in GSU’s Intensive English Program and have been paired with mentors at GSU.
Georgia State University is working with a group of universities including DePaul University, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, University of North Texas, Suffolk University, West Virginia University, and University of Delaware to place a total of 56 students from AUW.
The Atlanta Global Studies Center at Georgia Tech is participating in similar conversations led by GT’s Office of the Vice Provost for International Initiatives and contributing to efforts on campus to help with the resettlement of Afghan refugees, in particular women.
We need the help of our wonderful community - faculty, students and alums - especially those with ties to Afghanistan and Iran, to explore ways to continue supporting these students and to help them apply for asylum. You can help by getting involved with the Afghan American Alliance of Georgia. Contact afgameralliancega@gmail.com and check out the group’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/AfgAmerAllianceGA
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Asian Studies Development Program – Perimeter College
The Perimeter College Asian Studies Program, which is funded by the Atlanta Global Studies Center, sponsored a “Discover Asia Professional Development Series” for faculty and staff during fall semester 2020. The initiative included outings to four different sites targeting Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Indian cultures: Chinatown Mall in Chamblee, the Japanese Garden at Gibbs Gardens in Cherokee County, a Korean jimjilbang (traditional Korean spa) in Duluth, and the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Hindu Temple in Lilburn.
At Chinatown Mall, participants were joined by visiting scholars from GSU’s Chinese Language, Culture, and Business Initiatives, who helped them navigate the different options available in the food court that serves traditional Chinese cuisine, and then engaged with them over lunch on various aspects of Chinese culture. Afterwards, participants visited several stores in the mall, including a traditional Chinese market, a Chinese gift store, a Chinese bakery, and a Chinese bookstore. At the bookstore, participants had the opportunity to engage in calligraphy lessons.
The Japanese Garden at Gibbs Gardens is one of the largest in the United States, and is renowned for its collection of Japanese Maples, which were in peak fall color during the outing. Among other things, participants learned about the important role of gardens, aesthetics, and nature in Japanese culture. Jimjilbangs are a ubiquitous aspect of Korean culture, and with its family and community emphasis, also a notable example of collectivist practices in East Asian societies. Participants enjoyed traditional Korean food in addition to many amenities of the spa.
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Hindu Temple in Lilburn is one of the largest and finest examples of Hindu architecture outside of India, with its hand carved Italian marble, Turkish limestone, and pink Indian sandstone. Participants were given a tour of the site, and then participated in a daily ritual ceremony. Afterwards, the group went to Global Mall in Norcross for traditional Indian food and to browse the colorful shops featuring Indian clothing and gifts.
In addition to the outings, participants engaged in readings and videos related to the four target cultures, and after the site visits, they wrote about their insights and experiences. Eric Kendrick, Director of Perimeter College’s Asian Studies Program, will be giving a presentation on this professional development initiative at the Asian Studies Development Program national conference, March 3-5, in San Diego.
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Let Us Advertise Your Event!
We would love to help you publicize your event on our AGSC Monthly Newsletter. If you have an upcoming event that would interest and benefit the AGSC community, please fill out the form below!
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AGSC in partnership with GCIV brings Foreign Policy Association’s Great Decisions series to Atlanta this Spring!
The virtual presentations and discussions take place every Thursday at 7:30 PM
February 3 – March 31, 2022.
2022 Great Decisions Topics
Russia – Feb 3
Outer Space – Feb 10
Climate Change – Feb 17
Changing Demographics – Feb 24
Myanmar and ASEAN – March 3
The Quad Alliance – March 10
Industrial Policy – March 17
Drug Policy in Latin America – March 24
Biden’s Agenda – March 31
There is a fee to register for the virtual lecture series, and registration is required to receive the event link. Please click here to register. For more information, please visit here.
Campus B Positive Impact Internship Program
Campus B has made 2 full scholarships available for undergraduate students at Georgia State University from any major to participate in the Spring 2022 Positive Impact Internship Program in Brazil (virtual). The program will take place from March 14th – April 25th, 2022. The deadline to submit an application is February 7th, 2022.
During the 6-week program, participants will have an incredible opportunity to join a virtual team composed of international and Brazilian students to work on a real project, while generating a positive impact on our society. Scholarships are available for two undergraduate students currently enrolled at Georgia State University who belong to an ethnic minority, are low-income or first-generation in college, or belong to any underrepresented group.
By offering these scholarships, Campus B aims to provide a global experience for underrepresented students and positively impact the host organizations and the world.
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 On December 2nd, the Urban Studies Institute in partnership with Geosciences and the Atlanta Global Studies Center virtually hosted Dr. John O’Loughlin. During his lecture he was able to share field research - sponsored by NSF Interdisciplinary Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (IBSS) - in Kenya, which recently has experienced growing controversy regarding resource distribution and increased levels of ethnic competition. He posited that generally there is a claim that environmental data in “climate-conflict” studies should improve the ability to predict the location and timing of conflict, though Dr. Loughlin and his research team believe this does not tend to be the case. Their field work demonstrated that circumstantial and historical, political, economic, and social relationships have greater credibility for understanding conflict. The presentation was based on data gathered from 1,500 respondents across various ecological regions of Kenya and outlined their process for studying adaptations across Kenya in the face of climate stressors, food-security challenges, ethnic relations, and political competition. His hope is that continued research will contribute to consideration of policies, programs, and other measures designed to address problems like poverty, social tensions, and environmental degradation in the region and elsewhere. |
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Arabic Teachers Council of the South ACTFL Networking Event
 The Arabic Teachers Council of the South held its first event at Alif Institute on November 21st. Coordinated simultaneously with Arabic Teachers Councils across the U.S., the hybrid event brought together Arabic educators from Georgia to share best teaching practices and reflections from the ACTFL Convention. Alajwa Kitchen catered food. This was the first in-person gathering since the beginning of the pandemic. Stay tuned for announcements about our March 26th ATCS spring workshop “New Paths for 21st Century TAFL” at Alif Institute! The Arabic Teachers Council of the South is funded by a grant from Qatar Foundation International and is supported by Atlanta Global Studies Center. |
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Congratulations, Global Scholars!
Congratulations to our newest cohort of 60 Georgia State University Global Scholars who earned their bachelor degrees and a Global Scholar Distinction in December! Any student pursuing a bachelor degree at GSU is eligible to receive the Global Scholar Distinction upon completion of 5 Global Scholar courses with a grade of B or higher and an institutional GPA of 3.0 or higher. For more information: https://international.gsu.edu/global-scholar-distinction/ |
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Georgia Tech
FLAS Fellow Spotlight: Delfina Booth
 Delfina Booth is pursuing her MS in Global Media and Cultures at Georgia Tech with a concentration in Spanish. She received her BA from Tech in Literature, Media, and Communications.
Why is studying a language important to you? Why do you like studying Japanese?
For one, the Spanish language is part of my heritage; my mother’s family is Panamanian-American. Additionally, I have a personal love of Latin American culture- art, architecture, literature, food- picked up from my visits to my family and my LBAT in Mexico City.
What are your career plans?
I hope to work with nonprofits that advocate for asylum seekers and illegal immigrants, many of whom are native Spanish-speakers. Especially as we see the effects of climate change unfold in the coming decades, this kind of aid will be more necessary than ever.
What kind of impact has the FLAS fellowship had on you?
The FLAS fellowship has been incredibly empowering for me. Without it, I might not have felt able to pursue the work I wanted to due to monetary concerns. FLAS not only took away those concerns, but also reaffirmed for me that cultivating international knowledge is important, worthwhile work.
In addition to your FLAS fellowship, have you engaged in other programs offered through the Atlanta Global Studies Center?
I have not, but I hope to in the future. They clearly do a lot of good work for people with international interests such as myself.
What advice would you like to give to students interested in applying for a FLAS Fellowship?
Tune into your passions and don't be afraid to share them, even if they're not what you consider "normal" academic work. When I applied for the fellowship, I gushed about my love of television and pitched my intention to study its exchange between Latin America and Japan. A pretty niche topic, but apparently my eagerness to learn shined through.
Learn more about the Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships (FLAS) here.
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Georgia State University
Faculty Spotlight: Hakyoon Lee
Dr. Hakyoon Lee is an Assistant Professor in the Department of World Languages and Cultures at Georgia State University. She has been teaching Korean at Georgia State University since the fall of 2013. Her research interests are at the intersection of sociolinguistics, language and gender, bilingualism and multilingualism, and immigrant education. With an emphasis on discourse analysis, her research focuses on understanding language learners' social interactions and their use of linguistic and cultural resources in various social contexts. She has published her work in International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, Journal of Language, Education, and Identity, Applied Linguistics, and Narrative Inquiry. We interviewed Dr. Lee about her recent research and language teaching.
 You are a recipient of an award from AGREC, the Atlanta Global Research and Education Collaborative. Could you tell us about your project and goals?
The title of the project is “Connecting global and local: Curricular development and global partnership in a Korean specials class at a public elementary school.” (PIs: Hakyoon Lee, Georgia State University and Jayoung Choi, Kennesaw State University). The goal of this project is to aid development of a Korean culture curriculum and provide teaching materials through a local partnership with Parsons Elementary School, Gwinnett County, Georgia. This school provides Korean Dual Language Immersion (KDLI) classes. This project also aims to construct a global network with an elementary school in South Korea to offer more authentic learning experiences to the students in the KDLI program. This project will make the Korean specials curriculum more coherent, rigorous, authentic, and critical in that it will create an inclusive and sustainable foreign language and culture curriculum. We believe this will not only directly benefit one elementary school but also will be a model for other specials classes within Georgia and beyond. Besides this AGREC project, I have been working with Korean immigrant families, Korean as a foreign language pre-service teachers, and teachers of English in Korea.
Why do you believe that students should study foreign languages? Why Korean?
I am a strong believer that knowing another language is like having another world and mind. Having a different vision brings various opportunities in life. I have known many students who learned Korean at GSU, went to study abroad in Korea, and then returned to Korea to teach English or for another job opportunity. Learning a foreign language can bring more adventure. Learning another culture enables us to respect other cultures but it also makes us able to gain a more profound understanding of our own. Korean is the fastest growing foreign language in North America, and the Korean community is growing fast in Georgia, which will bring new opportunities to the students who are learning Korean. The Korean program and the Department of World Languages and Cultures has many exciting opportunities to meet the needs of our expanding and diversifying student populations.
In what ways can learners of Korean find opportunities to practice their language skills or learn about Korean culture? Should they study abroad? Are there local opportunities?
You can always take a Korean class to practice your language skills and learn about Korean culture. Besides offering a Korean culture course, we offer K-pop and K-drama courses in the Department of World Languages and Cultures.
I have been serving as an evaluator for the Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship (FLAS) recipients and looked closely at their language development in the Study Abroad program. It is a joy to observe their journey of learning Korean language and culture. However, it is true that with the pandemic, going abroad has become very challenging. Luckily, students can join language exchange events on campus or attend our conversation table called “Korean Happy Hour” (both online and in person) at GSU. Many students can find a language partner through language exchange applications as well.
Atlanta Global Studies Center is a proud supporter of foreign language instruction and foreign language teachers. Could you say a few words about how AGSC has made a difference in your work and/or for students studying foreign languages?
AGSC has been supporting the Korean language program at GSU to offer advanced level Korean courses. Often, the priority often goes to support the lower level courses due to their higher enrollment numbers, and the advanced Korean courses often face challenges to stay open due to the lack of resources. The AGSC support has made a big difference in increasing the number of students who have a minor in Korean (and need to take the advanced level Korean courses) and who have earned the Advanced Language Certificate. In addition, AGSC’s support for inter-university collaboration, interdisciplinary projects, and community engagement has helped me pursue diverse research projects.
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Applications for the Thomas Jefferson Fund are now open until 24 February 2022
Created by the Embassy of France in the United States and the FACE Foundation, the Thomas Jefferson Fund supports cooperation among the most promising young French and American researchers and fosters forward-looking collaborative research that addresses the most pressing global challenges. Proposals must be jointly submitted by one American researcher and one French researcher. “Young” researchers are defined as having fifteen or fewer years of experience.
Applications are accepted in the three following fields:
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Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS)
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Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
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Science for Society (interdisciplinary STEM-HSS projects)
Selected projects will receive funding up to $20,000, to be shared equally between the French and American partners over 2 years. These funds support transatlantic mobility of researchers, collaborative research activities, the organization of international workshops or conferences, and the publication of joint articles.
This program is a key tool for joint French-American research projects. Thomas Jefferson Fund encourages the applications of qualified researchers from all institutions and backgrounds. The Fund aims for a selection rate of at least 25%; since 2017, 102 projects have been funded.
Fiind more information at http://face-foundation.org/thomas-jefferson-fund/ or on the Thomas Jefferson Fund LinkedIn page.
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AGSC Partner Spotlight: Institute of International Business at GSU
Demonstrating the Benefits of Virtual Exchange: International Business Case Competition
 In Fall 2021, professor Mourad Dakhli collaborated with his colleague Professor Asma Chaibi at the Mediterranean School of Business (MSB) in Tunis, Tunisia on a semester-long virtual exchange project. The project saw teams of GSU and MSB students collaborate in researching and drafting an original business case dealing with important international business and economics issues. 120 students participated and were divided among 31 teams. A case competition was included in this project, and three finalists were selected by faculty members from GSU, MSB, and CIBER. In attendance at the case competition, which was organized on Zoom on December 16, 2021, were members of the business communities in Tunisia and Georgia, representatives from the America Embassy in Tunis, faculty members from MSB, GSU as well as others from partner schools in Morocco, South Africa and Tunisia, and selected partner NGOs including the World Trade Center-Atlanta, Tunisia-American Young Professional, and green Chamber of the South. The Robinson College of Business, the Office of International Initiatives, and the Atlanta Global Studies Center were also represented. GSU-CIBER sponsored the case competition for the three finalists with the first prize ($2,0000) going to the Global Jewelry case team, the second ($1,500) going to the Airbnb and COVID-19 team, and the third prize ($1,000) to the Starbucks in Turkey case. The three winning cases were revised and submitted to the MBAA international 2022 annual conference. AGSC congratulates the winning teams for demonstrating remarkable professionalism and team-work as they prepared and presented their international business cases!
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