Category: International Learning

New COIL Courses in Fall 2023!

Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) is a rapidly growing learning format that connects U.S. students with peers and faculty around the world. COIL courses exemplify Agnes Scott’s SUMMIT goals for professional success: Students build intercultural proficiency, communicative skills, and critical thinking while working on exciting interdisciplinary liberal arts projects in a global context. Over the last couple of years, Thanks to support from the Stevens Initiative, Agnes Scott College has established a connection with Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates and with Al Akhwayn University in Morocco. We are excited that we can now add courses with connections to the American University in Sulaimani, Iraqi Kurdistan, and UniCuritiba, Brazil, to our lineup. Students interested in any of the courses below can enroll via AscAgnes and contact the Center of Global Learning with any questions:


POL 373 / WS 373 Middle East Politics & Societies (COIL)

Special Topic: “Gender in Media & Art in Kurdish Society”

 This course will introduce students to some of the major contemporary political and social developments of the Middle East and North Africa. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, our guiding theme for the semester will be “Gender in Media & Art in Kurdish Society”, and we will use the case of Iraqi Kurdistan to explore, discuss and learn about issues of politics and societies in the Middle East through this unique lens. Students will work in guided collaboration with both students and faculty at the American University of Iraq in Sulaimani, Iraqi Kurdistan, giving them an in-the-field-type, ethnographic experience that offers a more nuanced and complex understanding of politics and societies of this highly politicized region.

During their asynchronous and synchronous encounters with AUIS students and faculty, students will engage in rapport building activities to establish mutual trust, develop friendship, and affinity with their counterpoint, helping students to think about what it means to establish good interpersonal relationships across the boundaries of language and culture.

This course will be taught by Autumn Cockrell-Abdullah, Ph.D. (ASC Department of Political Science) and COIL aspects of this course will be taught in tandem with Munirah Eskander, M.A.

The American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS) represents the region’s diverse ethnic and religious landscape as the University continues to be the destination of choice for top students from all over the Kurdistan region, Iraq, and beyond. In 2006, the Board of Trustees of American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS) set out to establish an institution dedicated to offering a truly comprehensive liberal arts education, based on the American model, for the benefit of Kurdistan, Iraq, and the wider region.

 The University has grown significantly in the ensuing years and now offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in 23 different programs. These programs, taught in English by international faculty members, are designed to encourage critical thinking and lifelong learning, and have a lasting impact not only on our students’ futures but also on the future of the entire region.

Students are prepared for successful careers in a modern, pluralistic society and in a global environment. The educational programs at AUIS develop strength in critical thinking, the ability to communicate well, a strong work ethic, good citizenship, and personal integrity. A broad-based education rooted in the American liberal arts tradition as well as skills development is achieved at the University through teaching excellence, quality scholarship, and caring student services. More about AUIS: https://auis.edu.krd/


POL 260 The Legal Systems of Brazil and the United States

An overview of these very different legal systems will introduce students to topics such as the difference between common law and civil law systems; the brief, largely procedural constitution of the US vs. the fuller, more substantive Brazilian constitution; the different court structures; the approaches to various fundamental areas of law such as employment law, property, and corporate law; and the legal professions in the US and Brazil.

 The hybrid (in-person and virtual) class format will center on synchronous meetings on Zoom most weeks until mid-November (with time at the end of the semester for projects).  Meeting for about 2 hours, these weekly sessions will be devoted to describing each country’s approach to an aspect of the legal system, with time for students to discuss topics with their counterparts online.  Language of instruction is English.

The course will be led by Professor Viviane Sellos Knoerr, Coordinator of the Graduate Law Programs of Unicuritiba, a private university in Curitiba, Brazil, and Gus Cochran, Professor of Political Science, Agnes Scott College. 


ENG 125 Digital Storytelling

Digital Storytelling is a course about the uses of modern technologies to extend our understanding of narrative forms, and it focuses on the development of media-rich narratives created with selected productivity tools, such as film and audio editing software. The course is project-based, and students produce stories for critique and dissemination via the Internet. In fall 2023, students in the course will partner with students in a course in New Media Technologies at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco to create interview-based short podcast episodes. 

This course will be led by Dr. Toby Emert, Agnes Scott College, and Dr. Bouziane Zaid, professor of communication studies at Al Akhwayn University. Language of instruction is English

An International students internship experience with CDC through the Bevier program.

My name is Aluel Deng Arou (she/her/hers). I am a senior double majoring in Public Health and Biochemistry. This summer, I interned with the CDC  Bacterial Meningitis Laboratory under the Division of Bacterial Diseases where I assisted the team with testing the meningitis samples. I received this internship through the Bevier program, the public health internship program at Agnes Scott that places public health majors and minors into different internship sites. This internship experience taught me a lot of invaluable skills that I can apply in different work environments. The thing I enjoyed most about this internship is the supportive group dynamic that helped me thrive and grow in this position. Everyone prioritized my learning and made sure that I was getting the skills and experience I needed which helped me to develop my research and oral communication skill set.”

Agnes Scott Offers Three New COIL Courses for Spring 2022

Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) is a rapidly growing learning format that connects U.S. students with peers and faculty around the world. COIL courses exemplify Agnes Scott’s SUMMIT goals for professional success: The courses enable students to build intercultural proficiency, communicative skills, and critical thinking while working on exciting interdisciplinary liberal arts projects in a global context. Thanks to support from the Stevens Initiative, Agnes Scott College has established a connection with Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates and with Al Akhwayn University in Morocco. For Spring 2022, Agnes Scott students can choose from the following lineup of COIL courses co-taught by Agnes Scott College and Zayed University or Al Akhwayn University faculty:

MUS 134: Telling Stories Through Sound and Words (Prof. Qiao Chen Solomon). ASC orchestra students will have the opportunity to engage in collaborative learning with Dr. Chrysavgi Papagianni and her students at Zayed University to explore the music-text relationship by analyzing stories from the past and setting them with appropriate music. One of the guiding questions will be how the musical representation of literature can be seen as a critical interpretation.  “Peter and Wolf” is a masterpiece that exemplifies the power of combining words and sounds in telling a story.  All in all, students will work together across different time zones to share the stories and gain a deeper understanding of how different media such as fiction and music can converge to support each other in the process of telling stories, creating meaning and  engaging in dialogue across cultures and times.  Students who are interested in joining ASC Community Orchestra please contact Professor Qiao Chen Solomon for audition information qsolomon@agnesscott.edu.

FRE 243: French Fashion: Theory and Practice of Haute Couture (Prof. Julia Knowlton).

This course explores the history and origins of haute couture in France (18th century & prior) as well as the contemporary global fashion industry. It offers knowledge and insight into the world-wide, legendary influence of French designers Lanvin, Dior, Chanel, YSL, and others. Basic elements of fashion design and relationships between fashion and politics/war will be included. Students will engage in a critical examination of racism/racial identity and diversity issues in the fashion industry. The partnership with Zayed University will allow students to discuss these issues in an intercultural context and to broaden their understanding of how European/North American fashion concepts relate to Middle Eastern culture. The COIL component will focus on the power of storytelling in the context of international marketing and business.

ART 244/344: Digital Processes (Prof. Nell Ruby)

This COIL course provides students with an opportunity for cross-cultural connections through a team based project between two women’s colleges–one based in the United Arab Emirates, and one in the US. Students on two continents will work together to develop and produce an appropriate visual message to communicate effectively in another country. The project requires communication between students, as well as outreach beyond the classroom and into the UAC community, as project teams in Agnes Scott’s Digital Processes and Zayed University’s Business Communication courses investigate the images as a messaging device in real, emerging UAE companies.

POL/WS 3737: Middle East Politics & Societies (Prof. Mona Tajali)

This course introduces students to the major political and social developments of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) from the end of the Ottoman Empire (post-WWI) until today. With its interdisciplinary approach, this course analyzes key aspects of the postcolonial state, the emergence of civil society, the growth and development of social movements (particularly women’s and minority rights movements), and ongoing popular protest (i.e. the “Arab Spring”). The course includes a COIL element in which students partner with peers and faculty from Morocco’s Al Akhwayn University in a team-based virtual group project for a period in the semester.

Course times and schedules are listed on AscAgnes. All courses are taught in-person, ASC students will collaborate with Zayed U and Al Akhwayn students via synchronous and asynchronous online formats. Students can sign up for these courses through the regular course selection process.

Agnes Scott College’s COIL program is administered by the Center for Global Learning in collaboration with the Center for Digital and Visual Literacy.

My summer abroad as an International student by Georga-Kay Whyte ’22

I studied abroad in Madrid Spain in June 2021. I took intermediate Spanish language and culture courses at Universidad Nebrija. During my study abroad experience, not only was I working on my language proficiency but I was able to immerse myself in Spanish culture by getting to visit prominent museums and landmarks including the Retiro Park, Prado Museum, and Plaza Mayor I was also able to explore neighboring cities in Spain including Toledo, Segovia, and Barcelona.  While I was in Spain, I was able to get an authentic experience by living with a host family and attending school with native Spanish speakers. The biggest takeaway from my experience was the importance of language in connecting with others. I was able to push myself to learn more than I ever did before because I realized that the more I knew the more I was able to connect with those around me.

ASC Welcomes Global Scotties

The Center For Global Learning extends a warm welcome to all new and returning Scotties and especially to those who joined us from outside the U.S. We are excited that 17 International and exchange students joined our global community this past week. Our global community members represent a wide range of countries and cultures, including:

Austria, Barbados, Belgium, China, France, Kenya, South Korea, Sint Maarten, Spain, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. 

Please help us welcome our Global Scotties when you see them in the classroom and around campus.

 

International Education Matters

Agnes Scott College’s Center for Global Learning applauds the recent affirmation of the role of international education and the importance of international students. As an institution that has welcomed international students for many years, we know about the transformative presence of students and scholars with different cultural backgrounds. Our global program would not be possible without the perspecives of community members who contribute aspects their life experiences, their worldviews, their languages, and their cultural experiences to shape the educational fabric of Agnes Scott College. The recent story about Aluel Deng Arou’s outlook on climate change and climate justice is a case in point: Alue’s experience is a crucial element of Agnes Scott’s upcoming conference Building a Better World: Women and Climate Justice.

Over the past year, the COVID pandemic has created significant challenges and barriers for international learning. Agnes Scott’s international community demonstrated resilience and endurance as students and faculty engaged with the situation and we are stronger for it. We look forward to a better year filled with new global opportunities and insights.

Read the full text of the statement here and watch Secretary Blinken’s opening remarks:

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