President and international programs director join Governor’s trade mission to Korea and Taiwan
October 19, 2006
Lacey, Washington—Recognizing the value
international students bring to the Saint Martin’s University campus,
Dr. Douglas Astolfi, University president, and Josephine Yung, associate
vice president and director of international programs, are participating
in Governor Gregoire’s trade mission to Korea and Taiwan. The two are
among a delegation of Washington executives en route to Seoul and Jeonju,
South Korea and Taipei, Taiwan October 13 -22, 2006.
“Students we enroll from the Far East add
tremendously to our institution,” states Astolfi. “These students are
academically serious, add to the cultural diversity of our student
population and allow our students to learn about other cultures and
countries. The reality is, most of our students will not have the
opportunity to study abroad,” he says. “Far Eastern students bring with
them a glimpse of international cultural issues. This global perspective
is extremely important,” Astolfi notes, “since today’s students are
tomorrow’s world and business leaders.”
Yung cites Saint Martin’s long tradition in student,
faculty and cultural exchange programs with Far Eastern countries, “We
view welcoming foreign students to our campus as a means to implement
the Benedictine concept of hospitality. For more than 20 years, Saint
Martin’s has fostered business exchange programs, study abroad and
internship opportunities for its students in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan,
Japan and Korea.”
The trade mission’s goal is to open doors for new
investment into Washington State. For higher education institutions,
this means recruiting foreign students. To do so, representatives will
work to solidify or establish partnerships with schools, faculty members
and parents of college-age students.
Astolfi primary objective is to sign formal exchange
agreements facilitating Saint Martin’s efforts to bring more students
from Korea and Taiwan to its Lacey campus. He will also meet with vice
presidents and deans at schools in Korea and Taiwan with the goal of
enriching and expanding visiting faculty exchange programs to further
internationalize Saint Martin students’ educational experience.
Secondly, Astolfi hopes to meet with the parents of
students currently enrolled at the University. “We want to build
relationships with families on a personal level. It takes courage to
send your 18- or 19-year-old son or daughter half way around the world
to another country for a university education, “ he notes. “It’s
critical for us to hear their concerns and to reassure them about their
student’s experience on our campus.”
Thirdly, Astolfi will forge relationships with other
Washington colleges and universities to cooperatively support efforts to
bring Far Eastern students to our state. “By virtue of geographic
proximity, Washington institutions are ideally situated to serve these
students. By building relationships between ourselves we can enhance the
experience for all foreign students on Washington’s campuses,” he says.
Currently Saint Martin’s University has exchange
partnerships with Shanghai Maritime University and Wuhan Technical
University in China and three universities in Japan. Opportunities are
provided for Chinese students and faculty to come to Saint Martin’s and
the University sends SMU faculty to teach in programs in China. In
addition, Saint Martin’s students participate in business internships in
Shanghai and Hong Kong and educational exchange trips and study programs
in both China and Japan. Traditional study abroad programs are also
offered in a number of countries around the world.
Saint Martin’s University prepares students for
successful lives through its 22 majors and six graduate programs
spanning the liberal arts, business, education and engineering. A
Catholic, Benedictine university, Saint Martin’s welcomes 1,100 students
from many ethnic and religious backgrounds to its Lacey, Washington main
campus, and 600 more to three extension campuses.
For more information:
Anne Kirske
Interim communication director
360-486-8857
akirske@stmartin.edu