International Education Spotlight
Charles Bankart
Senior Internationalization Officer
Describe your international education experience
While I have lived the longest in Lawrence, Kansas than anywhere else in my life (more the 17 years now), I have spent over 1/5th of my life living outside the U.S. I have lived and worked in Hungary and Japan; have traveled extensively throughout South Korea as a Fulbrighter; studied abroad in Tokyo, Japan at Waseda University, the Schutz School in Alexendria, Egypt and at the University of Debrecen's summer language institute in Hungary; I have collaborated with the U.S. missions in Ethiopia, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia to build stronger educational partnerships; and I have spent extensive time with my family in France as an explorer, spouse and father. As a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada myself and the son of a mom and dad who met through their own international education experiences, I have had the privilege of traveling across the globe for my work as an international educator, most recently returning from India where I was a member of the first U.S. educational trade mission since COVID began, which focused on India's new National Education Policy and their efforts to internationalize higher education through transnational partnership development and collaboration. I have studied Hungarian, French, Russian, Arabic, and Japanese as well, and have four years of teaching English abroad to children and adults in both school settings and business settings.
Why do you think international education is important?
To me, international education and experiences are integral to the International Education Week themes of engagement, resilience, and a global mindset. In learning other languages, meeting people with different perspectives and knowledge frameworks, and engaging with different cultural and linguistic contexts we learn so much about ourselves and where we come from. We become empowered and find our own resilience as human beings. We also learn about the role we play in a global society. We have a shared responsibility for our collective and individual well-being and for this planet, and that comes into focus when we challenge ourselves, decenter ourselves, and earn the empathy and respect of others, just as we develop that empathy and respect for others. International education experiences accelerate those processes and compel us forward as global citizens, and higher education has an obligation to ensure as many students have those opportunities as possible during their time with us.
Joel Hatungimana
Undergraduate student in biochemistry
Describe your international education experience.
My educational journey in the United States, like for most international students, has been filled with both ups and downs. Like others who started with me, mine was complicated by the pandemic. However, the pandemic also presented me with unique opportunities. Prior to the pandemic, my primary source of income was a job with dining services at Johnson County Community College. When the campus closed, I lost that job. With the help of friends in various graduate programs at the University of Kansas, I was given the opportunity to pursue research starting in the DeKosky lab, and now in the Slusky lab. These experiences have dramatically changed the course of my career. When I first came to the United States, my intention was to go to medical school where I would study to become a pathologist. However, I quickly found myself falling in love with research and have since decided to pursue a Ph.D. In the process, I have also found that doing so may be better suited for my overall career goals than attending medical school. I have also received a lot of encouragement in my pursuit of research. In the Summer of 2022, with the support of Dr. Slusky, I applied for and was accepted into the Kansas Idea Network of Biomedical Research Excellence Program. This is an NIH-funded program that supports my research and career goals. I’m excited to present my research at this year's Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS). I have also been admitted into the United Nations Millennium Fellowship. All of this would not have been possible without the support of my research mentors, professors, and the community at KU.
Why do you think international education is important?
I think international education is important for both international students, and for hosting institutions. For international students, studying abroad gives them the opportunity to pursue interests that they may not have in their home countries. For instance, in the Kingdom of Eswatini, opportunities to conduct research are not as widely available as in other countries. In fact, the only viable career options after attending the University of Eswatini are teaching and nursing. Host institutions also benefit from having international students. Much of the learning that happens in college happens outside of the classroom as we interact with students from different backgrounds who challenge our ideas and make us think more deeply about our values and belief systems. These interactions force us to take a more global perspective in our thinking, teach us how to entertain multiple viewpoints simultaneously and make the world feel a little smaller and a little less foreign.
Jiahong Annie Wang
Ph.D. student in curriculum & instruction, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
Describe your international education experience.
I'm an immigrant from China. I earned my bachelor's degree in China. I moved to the US in 2014. As a student I studied in England and Spain. After I moved to the US, I earned two master's degrees and I'm currently a PhD student in education.
Why do you think international education is important?
Being able to see things from different perspectives is wonderful. It is also inspiring to meet people from different parts of the world and learn [about] new cultures. Studying abroad is an eye-opening experience that can impact one's worldview and one's whole life. It helps me stay humble and inquisitive.
Thanh Tan Nguyen
Undergraduate student in business analytics and supply chain management
Describe your international education experience.
I started my international educational journey in high school with a full-ride summer scholarship to Singapore. The opportunity opened my horizons about the world outside of Vietnam and inspired me to continue the exploration. I came to the University of Kansas in August 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic was at one of its peaks. It was difficult to adapt to a new culture and educational system with restricted face-to-face interactions. I received tremendous support from campus resources and the KU community. The hospitality encouraged me to contribute to KU’s diversity and further assist Jayhawks in pursuing international education. KU has facilitated my personal and professional growth. I was offered professional internships, research opportunities, and valuable mentorships. Through my involvement with KU Memorial Unions, Student Union Activities, and Student Senate, I was able to enrich my cultural understanding and relay such knowledge to others. I also engage with International Support Services to share my experience in Vietnam and Singapore, including leading a language session in Vietnamese. It was an honor to receive the 2022 Jennifer Alderdice Homecoming Award as an international Jayhawk. I hope to inspire more international students at KU and encourage KU students to explore the world. As I plan to travel to more countries after graduation, I will empower more individuals to embark on their international education adventures.
Why do you think international education is important?
International education is about proactively learning to admire different cultures and global diversity. It changes perspectives and offers a wide range of personal and professional opportunities. I have become more open-minded after studying abroad in the United States. The education I receive entitles me to great knowledge and skills to grow as a person and contribute to society. Most importantly, international education teaches me to be proud of my background and respect others.
Aylar Atadurdyyeva
International undergraduate alumna in microbiology and political science
Describe your international education experience.
Study abroad in the United States.
Why do you think international education is important?
International education exposed me to cultures and people I would not have met ordinarily. With every new person came a new way of thinking about familiar concepts.