The Gazette

Issue date: 2/18/09 Section: News

Candy Page, a former student and Miss Langston University who went to The Gambia last year, holds an infant that was named after her.

Courtney Mohammed dances with students at the Albion School in The Gambia.

As the world continues to become more globalized, the need for students to gain real-world knowledge about other countries and cultures is vital. To gain that knowledge, students should consider studying abroad through the Langston University Center for International Development (LUCID).

This summer, students will have the opportunity to visit Senegal and Gambia in West Africa with Dr. Mary Mbosowo, or China and Malaysia with Dr. Lyn Lim. Both faculty members work with LUCID. The four-week study abroad trip includes the completion of six credit hours of upper-level courses. Costs include airfare, food, housing and passport and visa fees. LUCID participants may pursue any major but must have a minimum GPA of 2.5. Faculty and staff members are also encouraged to go.

The trip to West Africa costs approximately $5,000. There, students are taught the native language, can volunteer at institutions related to their major, and study the culture and history of West Africa. Mbosowo said that African Americans in particular should consider studying abroad in Africa becuase their world-view is often limited.

"I was shocked to know that a number of students here don't know that Africa is even a continent," she said.

Mbosowo said that because of the historical factors of slavery and the media's negative coverage of the continent, many African-Americans tend to disassociate themselves with African culture. She urges Black students to visit the "motherland" with her this summer and essentially kill the myths.

"Students are surprised when they get 'home' and descend from the bus. The elders greet them and shed tears," she said.

Students traveling to China and Malaysia this summer with Lim can learn about the various religions of the country, visit indigenous tribes, and explore the customs of the local people. The trip costs approximately $5,000.

Wah-See Ho, Lim's husband and co-sponsor for the Asia trip, said that the students are taught to behave as "ambassadors" representing America on the trip. Ho also said that students that studied abroad in Asia on a previous trip reported an increase in mutual respect for peers, a more positive, work-oriented attitude, and more tolerance towards others.

Many students who have studied abroad attribute their overall personal growth to the trip. They also say that it enhances their marketability.

"Whenever a person is able to move about globally, the ability to adapt is valued. In a lot of interviews, they want to know what you've done outside of the classroom, and international travel makes for good conversation," said Courtney Mohammed, a senior international studies major who visited Gambia and Senegal last summer.

Karen Smith, a senior psychology major, visited Malaysia, Singapore, and Beijing China last summer and said that she gained a new appreciation for American living.

"Going over there redefined my definition of success. It helped me to realize that I'm fully capable of completing anything. I recommend that students and staff study abroad in Asia," she said.

For more information about LU's study abroad programs, contact Dr. Mbosowo (Gambia and Senegal, West Africa) at 405-466-3321, or Dr. Lim (Malaysia and China) at 405-466-3568. The next study abroad informational will be on March 2, 2009 at 4 p.m. in Jones Hall, room 116.

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