Center for Global Studies

By Maia Bronfman '23 “How much do Americans know about the kitchens and the bathrooms and the marriages of places anywhere else in the world?” Bernardo Antonio Gonzales, professor of Spanish and founder of the Center for Global Studies, asked the question to pose a self-admittedly trivial but thematic backdrop for the annual Contemporary Cinema from the Hispanic World Film Series. Along with María Ospina, associate professor of Spanish and Latin American studies, Gonzales has curated a series of films by young directors from Mexico, Argentina, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. “These films have little chance of making the…

Members of the campus community played Italian Tombola Bingo, ate Spanish Polvoróns, learned how to pronounce their names in Chinese, savored snacks from South Korea, danced to Afrobeats, and learned about study abroad opportunities all during Wesleyan's annual International Education Week (IEW) celebration. "International Education Week is a dedicated time for students, faculty, and staff to recognize the many ways in which we can engage meaningfully in intercultural learning and understanding at Wesleyan," said Hannah Parten, assistant director, study abroad, for the Fries Center for Global Studies. "The 2021 event focused specifically on ways to emerge from the pandemic with…

As part of International Education Week, the African Student Association hosted Taste of Africa on Nov. 15 in Beckham Hall. The event brought together students from different parts of the African continent and the diaspora to cook meals and showcase artifacts that are symbolic of their culture and identity. Participants shared, celebrated, honored, and educated the Wesleyan community about the diversity and richness of Africa, which transcends borders and continents. Taste of Africa was co-sponsored by the Fries Center for Global Studies and Resource Center and was held in collaboration with student groups Ujamma, Caribbean Student Association, Haitian Student Collective,…

In this recurring feature in The Wesleyan Connection, we highlight some of the latest news stories about Wesleyan and our alumni. Wesleyan in the News CNN: "What the ‘Woke Student’ and the ‘Welfare Queen’ Have in Common" "Every age seems to need a bogeyman, some negative image against which good people measure themselves," writes President Michael Roth '78 in this op-ed. Roth compares today's bogeyman, the "woke" college student, with those of past eras—the "welfare queen" and "dirty hippie"—and seeks to build understanding and dispel negative misperceptions of activist college students. "The images of the welfare queen and of the woke…

(more…)

Foreign language enrollments at colleges and universities across the country have sharply declined in recent years, according to the Modern Language Association, yet language study at Wesleyan is holding quite strong. Despite the fact that Wesleyan, unlike the vast majority of our peers, has no language requirement, 60 to 70% of Wes students choose to study a language other than English. The average student takes around three semesters of language classes, while approximately 30% go on to study at advanced levels and 13% study more than one language. Wesleyan has stepped up to meet students’ interest in language study. With…

More than 110 Wesleyan students, faculty, alumni, and local guests participated in the second annual Power of Language Conference, April 26-27 at the Fries Center for Global Studies. The event was open to the entire Wesleyan community. The two-day event featured six panels that focused on: Creative Language Learning, Crossing Time and Border through Translation, Language and Society, Language in Curriculum, Arabic in the U.S., and Polyphony through Literature. "The presentations ranged from class final projects (such as a comic version of Dante’s Inferno, reimagined at Wesleyan) to senior theses (such as the challenges of translating early modern Spanish into…

Ten Wesleyan seniors and recent alumni are the recipients of 2019-20 Fulbright English Teaching Assistantships (ETA) and Fulbright Open Study/Research Awards. The English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Programs place Fulbrighters in classrooms abroad to provide assistance to local English teachers. ETAs help teach English language while serving as cultural ambassadors for the U.S. The age and academic level of the students varies by country, ranging from kindergarten to university level. Applicants for Open Study/Research Awards design their own projects and will typically work with advisors at foreign universities or other institutes of higher education. The study/research awards are available in approximately…

Parlez vous français? Hablas español? Bạn có nói được tiếng Việt không? According to Wesleyan's Language Proficiency Database, more than 80 languages, other than English, are spoken, read, or written on campus. The database, which was created in November 2018, is free and available to the entire Wesleyan campus. Speakers of a language other than English (at any level) are encouraged to go to WesPortal / My Information / Language Proficiency, to add one or more languages and levels of proficiency. This year, the Fries Center for Global Studies (FCGS) is promoting the use of languages other than English in…

The Wesleyan community celebrated the benefits of international education and exchange during a plethora of International Education Week events. International Education Week (IEW), Nov. 11–17, 2018, is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education. It's also part of Wesleyan's efforts to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences. The theme of this year's celebration was “Transcending Borders.” "We chose this theme in order to explore the complexities of 'belonging' and how our sense of belonging transcends borders," said…

This year, students shared global stories about humanity in 51 cities across 24 countries through the third annual Wes in the World photo contest. Sponsored by the Fries Center for Global Studies, the contest is open to Wesleyan students who have had any global experience over the previous summer and/or previous semester. This includes study abroad returnees, international students, exchange students, fellowship recipients, and foreign language teaching assistants. More than 200 students, staff, faculty, and alumni voted on the submissions within five categories: Contemporary Issues, Daily Life, Landscape, People, and Sport and Play. "Our hope with these categories is to allow students to…

Wesleyan has received a two-year $165,699 grant under the U.S. Department of Education’s Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language (UISFL) program to support the teaching of Hindi and Urdu, the research of STEM faculty and students in India, and the increase of cultural programming related to South Asia. “This grant will allow Wesleyan to become one of a very small number of liberal arts institutions in the country with classroom instruction in Hindi and Urdu,” said Stephen Angle, director of the Fries Center for Global Studies. “We are excited about the ability this grant will give us to support STEM…

Contemporary Cinema from the Hispanic World Film Series Launches in September

Intercultural Learning, Study Abroad Celebrated during International Education Week

African Culture, Identity Showcased at Taste of Africa

Wesleyan in the News

Ethnic Food, Art at 3rd Annual Languages Lead the Way

Language Study at Wesleyan Holds Strong, Bucking Trend of National Declines

Cultural Experiences Discussed at Power of Language Conference

10 Wesleyan Students, Alumni Win Fulbrights

Fries Center for Global Studies Creates Language Proficiency Database

Campus Celebrates International Education Week; Guiney ’77 Speaks on Cambodian Exhibit

Students Share Global Experiences through Photography

Wesleyan Receives Major Grant to Teach Hindi and Urdu, Expand South Asian Programming