Recent Visitors to our Center

Current scholars in residence are both distinguished scholars in their fields:  Dr. Olcay Unver continues to be in residency and work closely with colleagues around the world on the Euphrates and Tigris Initiative for Cooperation and other water resource management initiatives.  Dr. Shih-mei Yang, from the Department of English teaching of the National Taichung University in Taiwan is on a Fulbright sponsored-research residence working with KSU's Dr. Wendy Kasten. 

In the academic year 2005-06, CIIE was pleased to welcome several visiting scholars in residence/  Dr. Olcay Unver, Distinguished Visiting Scholar from Ankara, Turkey, continued his residency for working closely with water based resources, economic development, and Turkish initiatives with special funding from the Cleveland Foundation and Kent State University.   Also in residence this year will be Jean Baxen, from South Africa and a COST colleague, researching on AIDS and teaching, and Dr. Yoo Jin Shon, post-doctorate scholar in early childhood education from South Korea. Elena Chernikova, an IREX Muskie Scholar from Russia, and Arayik Navoyan,American Council's Junior Faculty Development Program, was also in residence in the Center during the 2005-06 academic year.  We also welcomed Munevver Mertoglu, from the Istanbul Ministry of Education, to Kent State University and assisted with her research in school violence with KSU's Institute for the Prevention of Violence. 

In August, 2005, we welcomed Dr. Prakash Singh, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University of South Africa.  His month long stay helped his investigations in to various aspects of higher education. 

Year long visiting scholars during the 2004-05 school year were Dr. Roland Louis, from University of Sherbrooke in Montreal, Canada; and Hong Mei Zhang from Vocational and Technical College of Jingcheng, Shanxi Province of the People's Republic of China. 

In 2005, two groups of 10 Turkish women leaders were in residence for two weeks each receiving training in Leadership in a Democracy as part of a US State Department Grant.

In Fall 2004, CIIE hosted seven Kyrgyz scholars for six weeks training in Civic Education:  Ekaterina Galimova, Kryrgyz Russian Slavic University; Emulya Galimova, Osh State University; Anton Kalandarov, Center for Democratic Education; Nurgul Maseitova, Kyrygz-Uzbek University; Yuri Vasiliev, Center for Critical Thinking; Kyzyi-Kiya Secondary School; Kaiyr Kaidolutova, Orgochor Secondary School; and Valentin Ladeishikov, Mailusu Secondary School. 

In April 2003 four scholars from Armenia in a special project for writing a technology education plan for the country and funded by Project Harmony: Gayaneh Terzyan, Philological Department, Yerevan State University; Dr. Melanya Astvatsatryan, Chair of Pedagogy and Language, Yerevan Brusov State Linguistic University; Hayk Sharkhatunyan, Head of Computer Unit, Center for Educational Reforms, Ministry of Education and Science, Artashes Torosyan, Principal of School in Yerevan, and Teacher Trainer in the Reading and Writing for Critical Thinking Program. 

For the 2002-03 academic year, four visiting scholars were in residence for short and long-term stays in the Center. Omral Yucel, USA corporate representative for Bahcesehir Ugur Educational Institutions in Istanbul, Turkey, was in residence for the entire academic year. In his capacity as a visiting scholar, Mr. Yucel coordinates the collaboration between his university and other educational enterprises and KentState and other Ohio educational institutions. Visiting Fulbright scholar, Viktorya Levinskaya from Uzbekistan was in residence in April for a short term research collaboration with Dr. Kenneth Cushner. Visiting H. H. Humprey Fellow Oguljamal Yazliyeva spent a month-long residence and research into the transformation of higher education in Turkmenistan. Neil Andersen, from ChristChurchPolytechnical University in Christchurch New Zealand also visited Dr. Kenneth Cushner in April. 

In the 2001 - 2002 academic year—a year that had less exchange and travel because of the events of September 11, 2001--included short term day visitors included a delegation from Burma, sponsored by the U. S. Department of State. These five private educators from Burma visited public and private schools and libraries, and were hosted by CIIE for presentations on American secondary schooling, VISA status for American college and universities, and funding of schools in America. 

Dr. Ilghiz Sinagatullin, Professor of Education from Birsk State Pedagogical Institute, in Central Russia, funded by the US State Department Regional Scholar Exchange Program, spent the fall semester 2001 in residence. His residency not only enriched the CGSE with seminars, class presentations, and personal conversation, but resulted in a book.

As part of an on-going collaboration in southeastern Turkey, three Turkish scholars were in residence for two weeks in December 2001 completing Turkish specific intercultural communication training, Intercultural Training and Resource Guide for Understanding and Improving Intercultural Relations within the Southeastern Anatolia Region, Turkey. Melek Cakmak and Ibrahim Tugrul from the Republic of Turkey’s Southeastern Anatolia Regional Development Administration and Dr. Suheyla Kirca, Bahcesehir University, Istanbul, co-authored the resource guide with Dr. Kenneth Cushner and Linda Robertson of the CIIE.

A summer 2001 visitor from Egypt, Dr. Monir Nazir, conducted research in curriculum and instruction.  His residency was supported by the Arab Republic of Egypt. Another short term visitor in the spring of 2002, Dr. Ian McPherson, from Queensland University, Australia, was in residence for two weeks of collaborative constructionist curriculum study with Dr. James Henderson, a professor in the College and Graduate School of Education.  These examples of one-day touring scholars, short term research and writing scholars, and long-term scholars-in-residence indicate the richness of the Visiting Scholar Program. 

In the past such scholars included, Batt Burns, County Kerry, Ireland; Raymond Katta, Sierra Leone; Dr. Heung Beom Cheon of Gyeongsang National University, South Korea; Dr. Zoya Malkova and Dr. Nikolai Nikandrov of the Ministry of Education, Russia; Dr. David Langley of the South African College of Teacher Education; and many others from such nations as Japan, Israel, and Ukraine.