Faculty and staff

Currently the Institute for International Studies provides support for several international professional development opportunities for faculty and professional staff. See below for a quick synopsis of each program and the bottom of the page for eligibility details.

Discover Belize

This program is brand new for 2012 after being put on hold for 2011. The dates will tentatively be May 12-22, 2012. Participants will pay roundtrip airfare and meals.

Discover Brazil

Begun in 2011, the Discover Brazil program will tentatively take place May 14-28, 2012. Applications are now being accepted online with a deadline of February 10, 2012. A sample program schedule gives an overview of the activities that will take place on site.

Discover China I

Discover China I takes place in Beijing and Xi'an and is hosted by the People's Education Press. Applications are being accepted now with a final deadline of February 10, 2012. Up to 6 faculty and staff participants will be selected. A sample program schedule gives an overview of the activities that are customarily included in DCI. The 2012 program dates are June 4-18.

Discover China II

China II takes place at the University of Shandong at Weihai, on the eastern coast of China. This program is integrated with a full university campus. Participants are expected to present a 45 minute session on some aspect of their field. The sample schedule provides a very broad overview of how the program is scheduled. Applications are now being accepted online with a final deadline of February 10, 2012. The 2012 program dates are May 14-28.

Discover Korea

The Discover Korea program is the only professional development program abroad that combines our faculty and staff participants with our student participants for a unique experience. It is a 2-week intensive program hosted by Daegu University in Daegu, South Korea. The sample schedule will illustrate a packed program chocked full of traditional and contemporary experiences in South Korea. The 2012 program dates are May 14-28. Applications are being accepted now online with a final deadline of February 10, 2012.

Europe in Transition

EiT is the longest running international faculty development program available at MSU. Participants will provide a 2-hour lecture on a topic related to their academic interests. The program is housed at the University of Regensburg, Germany, a long-standing partner of Murray State. Applications are accepted until February each year at the online application.

International Professional Development Programs Eligibility Guidelines

Full-time MSU faculty or professional staff will be considered before adjuncts, retired faculty, and staff.

To be considered, applicants must complete the full application, including the signatures and essay required. The essay should address the following while keeping in mind the participation objectives indicated below:

Your interest in the program and the professional value of the experience

Indicate your plans to integrate the experience in your teaching, research, and/or service area
Provide an overview of your international or other relevant experiences dealing with diversity and/or challenging environments
Explain how you would use this experience to prepare or present at one or more of the following:
- International Education Week
- Teaching & Learning Technology Forum
- Residential Colleges
- Student organizations

Participation Objectives

To enhance faculty/staff professional and educational experience
To continue to expand faculty/staff international experiences that can be used in professional activities and contributions to the MSU community
To begin to understand culture and higher education at the program site
To provide a positive, professional representation of MSU while on site
To have a continuing impact on the internationalization of MSU

Site Directory