International Scholars Bring The World To Campus

4-24-97
University Park, Pa. -- The Penn State community has more than one way to broaden its international perspective. While hundreds of students and faculty study and conduct research abroad each semester, increasingly, those at home are also getting an international education -- from visiting scholars on campus.

"About 750 international scholars from 58 countries a year visit, teach and do research at Penn State under the J-1 Visiting Scholar Program," says Billie Willits, assistant vice president for human resources.

"Our visitors are typically very generous with their time, sharing experiences, expertise and information about their cultures with graduate and undergraduate students in classrooms, through informal discussions with faculty and staff and with the community in other settings. As a group, they add tremendously to the diversity, energy and resources of our University."

Helping to make these visits possible is the primary job of the Foreign National Employment Services Program in the Office of Human Resources. Staff help faculty hosts and scholars with exchanges, documentation and visas. They also work with departments on strategies to accomplish the exchange and ensure compliance with immigration and labor laws.

Two recent visitors in this program are Sir. Roger Penrose, the Rouse Ball Professor of mathematics at Oxford University and the Francis R. Pentz and Helen M. Pentz Distinguished Visiting Professor of physics and mathematics at Penn State, and Elisabeth Maxwell, a specialist on Holocaust studies, also from England. Penrose often visits to work with colleagues in gravitational physics and Maxwell was here for three months this fall meeting with faculty and students in the College of the Liberal Arts.

"This year, we have started a database on our visiting scholars for those interested in tapping into this tremendous pool of global talent," said Rosalie Bloom-Brooks, manager of the Foreign National Employment Service. "We now can generate information on who is here and in what areas of research or expertise.

Scholars can find out who has recently come from their home country or is here in their discipline. Penn State campus groups, student and community organizations can also identify appropriate international speakers for their occasion."

International visiting xcholars come to Penn State throughout the year. While many are at the University Park campus, about 5 percent are headquartered at Penn State Harrisburg, Penn State Erie or another campus. The J-1 Visiting Scholar visa, which is granted through an exchange program under the umbrella of the United States Information Agency, allows scholars to stay for a few months to a maximum of three years for research, teaching and other scholarly activities.

These scholars not only add to the academic resources of the University, they also add substantially to the University's financial health. Many bring with them salaries or research support from their home institutions, sponsoring countries or institutes. While the combined salaries of visiting faculty on J-1 visas in 1995 (the latest year full data is available) came to $10 million, nearly half, or $4.5 million, was paid by non-Penn State sources.

Additionally, Penn State participates in national programs, such as hosting participants in the teaching and research Fulbright programs and the Hubert Humphrey program for mid-level government officials in developing countries. Some international scholars come for shorter periods of time on other special programs for artists, business executives and North American Free Trade Agreement projects, for workshops and conferences or through individual exchanges with departments and faculty. Another 200 international academics each year are at Penn State for extended periods of time.

"We have only winners in the Visiting Scholar program," says Bloom-Brooks. "Both the University and the scholars gain understanding and international exchange.

The University gains the services of the world's best at an incredible value,\ -- and even more of a value when we consider the nearly $600,000 that scholars spend of their own personal funds to live here -- and Penn State becomes more of a global resource with each visiting scholar who returns home."

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Editors: For more information on the Foreign National Employment Services Program, contact Rosalie Bloom-Brooks at 814 865-0423 or by e-mail at rbb1@psu.edu

Home Countries for J-1 Visiting Scholars in 1995* (latest data available)
China 96
Korea 59
Germany 58
UK 58
Japan 58
Canada 36
India 31
Russia 30
Italy 26
Spain 23
Brazil 21
France 21
Netherlands 19
All Others 144

Contact: Christy Rambeau at (814) 865-7517 or email at cmr7@psu.edu