Call for 2012 Phi Beta Delta Calendar Photo Submissions

The Zeta Gamma Chapter of Phi Beta Delta at Northern Illinois University is calling for photo submissions for its 2012 calendar. Deadline for submissions is 4:30 p.m. on July 1, 2011.

Students who have returned from study abroad or international students enrolled at NIU may participate in the photo contest for the Phi Beta Delta calendar.  Students should email their three (3) best photos from their study abroad experience (study abroad students) or from their home country (international students) to niuabroad@niu.edu.  (Please note that this is an email inbox.  If files are large, please send them in separate emails.)  Additionally, a CD or flash drive can be dropped off at the Study Abroad Office, Williston Hall 417. 

Students should include captions for each photo to identify what is in the photo, as well as where it was taken.  Students are also asked to include how they would like their names to appear when receiving credit for the photograph.

Once all photo submissions have been received, the photos will be reviewed and selected for inclusion in the calendar by the Phi Beta Delta calendar committee members.  Winners will be notified via email.
 

2011 Phi Beta Calendar Photos

Please note that all photos become the property of the Division of International Programs and the Zeta Gamma Chapter of Phi Beta Delta at NIU.  By entering this contest, students agree to the use of their photos on any or all International Programs websites, print advertising, flyers, posters, handouts, PowerPoint presentations, or any other use that International Programs' departments deem appropriate.  The Division of International Programs will identify the person who submitted any photo when it is used.

For questions concerning the Phi Beta Delta calendar photo contest, please contact the Study Abroad Office at 815-753-0700 or the International Student and Faculty Office at 815-753-1346.

NIU to Receive Donation of Rizal Manuscripts

Dr. Jose P. Rizal

In celebration of the sesquicentennial of Dr. Jose P. Rizal's birth, Consul General Leo M. Herrera-Lim of the Consulate General of the Philippines Chicago will donate copies of the original manuscripts of two of Dr. Rizal's famous novels to Northern Illinois University on Friday, May 6, 2011.  The novels Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not) and El Filibusterismo (The Reign of Greed), published by the National Historical Institute of the Philippines, will be dedicated as tokens for the Chicago celebration of Dr. Rizal's 150th birth in an effort to propagate, enlighten, and increase the awareness of the public about Rizal's literature, not only to the Filipino American community, but also to the broader American audience.  The Consulate will also be holding yearlong activities, including art exhibits, workshops, cultural presentations, film showings, storytelling sessions, lectures series, and book discussions about Dr. Rizal's life, work, and famous novels in different venues around Chicagoland. 

NIU was chosen for this honor for various reasons, including being the home of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, one of only seven Title VI Southeast Asian National Resource Centers in the United States.  Additionally, the NIU University Libraries are home to the Don V. Hart Southeast Asia Collection, an impressive collection of Southeast Asia related materials, such as original manuscripts, field notes, photo albums, original art work, rare books, large and expensive folios, and palm-leaf manuscripts. "NIU has a thriving Asian community, which is vital to the university's global initiatives," said Lina Ong, Director of the International Training Office at NIU. NIU has also hosted the Philippine Youth Leadership Program, sponsored by the U.S State Department Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, for the last eight years.  "The generous donation from the Philippine Consulate General of copies of the original manuscripts of the famous novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo will further boost the rich resources available to NIU's Southeast Asian, and in particular, Philippine, programs, " said Ong.

Original Cover of Noli Me Tangere

Jose Rizal is the national hero of the Philippines and is considered the greatest symbol of Filipino nationalism. With hopes of securing political and social reforms for his country and to educate his countrymen, he published several works with highly nationalistic and revolutionary tendencies.  Two of those works are being donated to NIU.  In March 1887, Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not), a satirical novel exposing the arrogance and despotism of the Spanish clergy, was published in Berlin, and on September 18, 1891, El Filibusterismo (The Reign of Greed), a more revolutionary and tragic sequel to Noli Me Tange, was printed in Ghent. Because of his fearless exposures of the injustices committed by the civil and clerical officials, Rizal provoked the animosity of those in power. This made him troublesome to the Spanish officials of the Philippines.

When the Philippine Revolution started on August 26, 1896, he became a target of those in power.  He was arrested and charged with rebellion, sedition, and illegal organization.  He was convicted of all three after a mock trial during which he was not allowed to confront any witnesses. He was imprisoned in Fort Santiago in Manila from November 3, 1896, until his death on December 30, 1896, via gunshot at Bagumbayan Field.

NIU Hosts 8th Year of Philippine Youth Leadership Program

PYLP 8 Participants in Manila

Northern Illinois University is hosting a five-week institute from April 16 to May 21, 2011, for 22 Muslim and non-Muslim Filipino students and 4 adult leaders from the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and surrounding areas.  This institute, or exchange program, is funded by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and has been since 2002.  The exchange program's goal is to transmit knowledge and build action strategies among participants related to the following themes: civic education, leadership development, respect for diversity, inter-ethnic cooperation, volunteerism and community engagement.  By drawing on the example of civic society and diversity in the United States and by understanding the larger regional context in which contemporary conflicts in Mindanao exist, participants will acquire new perspectives to support future grassroots efforts to build closer cooperation and understanding among the different cultural, religious, and political groups in the southern Philippines.  This project is undertaken in partnership with the International Visitors Program-Philippines Alumni Foundation, Inc. (IVP-PHILS), and builds on the Philippine expertise of the major project supervisors.  Together with our partner organization, NIU is currently running the eighth year of the Philippine Youth Leadership Program. 

PYLP 8 Participants at NIU

PYLP year 8 is comprised of 22 third-year high school and first year college students, aged 15-17 years, and 4 adult leaders.  They were selected from all geographic parts of the ARMM and nearby areas in an open, merit-based recruitment strategy.  Through a range of formal and informal interactive learning workshops and site visits, the NIU-based institute will focus on advancing four general goals:  1) facilitating a dialogue and promoting greater mutual understanding and respect between Muslim and non-Muslim youth from the ARMM and surrounding provinces; 2) creating, educating and empowering a new generation of young leaders with a strong sense of civic responsibility and commitment to community development and meaningful social change; 3) increasing their understanding of American institutions that support ethnic diversity and religious pluralism; and 4) promoting a better overall understanding of the United States—its people, culture, values, civic institutions, and varieties of leadership.  

PYLP 8 Participants after the Official NIU Welcome Luncheon

The participants will attend sessions at NIU, Chicago and its suburbs, and Washington, D.C.   Dr. Susan Russell, Professor of Anthropology and Dr. Lina Ong, Director of the International Training Office, are co-directors of this program.            



Associate Director of International Admissions Attends Educational Trade Mission to Indonesia and Vietnam

Sim Chin

Northern Illinois University was represented during the first educational trade mission to Indonesia and Vietnam with Francisco J. Sanchez, the U.S. undersecretary of commerce for international trade.  Sim Chin, Associate Director of International Admissions, represented NIU on this fact-finding mission for potential students and educators that took place from April 2 through April 8, 2011. 

More information on Sim's historical mission can be found in NIU Today.

Study Abroad Travel Grants Available for Summer

Northern Illinois University students looking for money to go on study abroad have some special opportunities this summer.

Engineering Students in China

The Office of the Provost is offering a minimum of $20,000 in travel grants for summer 2011 study abroad programs.  The Provost's Travel Grant for Study Abroad will award grants in amounts between $200 and $1,000 to students who enroll in summer 2011 study abroad programs for credit through the NIU Study Abroad Office.

NIU Students at Oriel College, Oxford

An additional $675 from the Zeta Gamma Chapter of Phi Beta Delta has been added to the total  pool that is available.  These additional funds were obtained from the sale of 2011 calendars filled with stunning images from around the world taken by NIU study abroad students.  The Zeta Gamma Chapter is in the planning stages for the 2012 calendar.

Students may obtain applications for the Travel Grant from the Study Abroad Office and will be accepted through May 6, 2011.  For more information about the Travel Grant or about Phi Beta Delta calendars, please contact Pamela Rosenberg in the Division of International Programs at prosenberg@niu.edu or 815-753-9530.

Student Fulbright Workshop to be Hosted by International Programs

The Division of International Programs at Northern Illinois University will host a Student Fulbright Workshop on Wednesday, April 20, 2011, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the University Suite of the Holmes Student Center.  At the workshop, Megan Spillman, a representative from the Midwest Regional Center of the Institute of International Education, will give a presentation on the Student Fulbright Program and answer questions.

The Student Fulbright Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and is coordinated in the United States by the Institute of International Education.  This is a highly competitive program that provides funding for students to study, research, or teach abroad at the post-baccalaureate or graduate level worldwide.

Melissa Shalter

Brandi Smith

NIU has a history of success in the Student Fulbright competition.  Last year, two NIU graduates were awarded Fulbright grants to Austria.  Brandi Smith of Chicago was awarded a grant to conduct research and be a teaching assistant in Vienna, Austria.  Melissa Shalter of Ottawa received an English teaching assistant grant.  Past NIU Fulbright students have characterized the program as "...a tremendously productive and fulfilling experience." and "...the culmination of a lifelong dream."  The prestige of the fellowship program is recognized worldwide.

The program was established in 1946 by the U.S. Congress to "enable the government of the United States to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries."  after Senator William J. Fulbright introduced a bill in the U.S. Congress in 1945 that called for the use of surplus war property to fund the "promotion of international good will through the exchange of students in the fields of education, culture, and science."

For more information about the Student Fulbright Workshop, please contact Sara Clayton in the Division of International Program at sclayton@niu.edu or 815-753-9526.



Scholarly Conference Support Offered by Zeta Gamma Chapter of Phi Beta Delta

 

Scholarly conference support is being offered to graduate student members of the Zeta Gamma Chapter of Phi Beta at Northern Illinois University.  A total of $675 is available to support graudate student members who will present, or who have presented, papers on international topics at scholarly conferences.  Conference dates must take place between January 1 and December 31, 2011.  Applications can be obtained from the NIU Phi Beta Delta website or from Pamela Rosenberg in the Division of International Programs.  Deadline for submission is May 1, 2011.




Images from 2011 Calendar



Funds for the conference support were derived from the sale of 2011 calendars filled with stunning images from around the world taken by NIU study abroad students.  The Zeta Gamma Chapter is in the planning stages for the 2012 calendar.  For more information about the scholarly conference support or on the 2012 calendar, please contact Pamela Rosenberg at prosenberg@niu.edu or 815-753-9530.