University of Houston-Clear Lake, in conjunction with the Texas International Education Consortium in Austin, hosted two Korean teachers on a special Fulbright program. This visit expanded the partnership UH-Clear Lake has with Korean teachers, faculty, students and community members and coincided with the lunar calendar New Year of the Rat celebrated in Korea and many Asian countries.

In addition to the visit of the Fulbright teachers, UH-Clear Lake is also hosting a yearlong visit of two Korean research faculty and their families: professors Kyong Soo Han and Keun Soo Yun in the School of Computer Science and Engineering.

“Dr. Han and Dr. Yun are at UH-Clear Lake to collaborate with our Computer Science and Computer Information Systems faculty in research. We are delighted to have these two colleagues among us for a year and we hope that this collaboration will result in a long term relationship between UH-Clear Lake and their home institutions, Doowon Technical College and Ulsan College of Korea,” says interim Dean Sadegh Davari.

“We were excited to have the teachers and scholars visit us,” says UH-Clear Lake Executive Director of International Initiatives Judith Pennywell. “Together these opportunities represent an important exchange of cultures and knowledge, which provides all participants with a unique educational experience they might not otherwise encounter.”

The two teachers, Hyunnae Kim and Eundol In, were part of the seventh group of Korean secondary school teachers of English to come to Texas under the sponsorship of the American-Korean Fulbright Commission. They were part of a group of 27 teachers who visited various universities and local school districts in the state of Texas.

UH-Clear Lake’s School of Education served as the liaison between the visiting Korean teachers and local school districts. The teachers were mentored by English and Second Language Coordinator Elizabeth Laurence and Math Instructor Adeleh Samadzadeh Etehadi from the International Student Academy in the Clear Creek Independent School District. The visiting teachers co-taught, experienced U.S. education and shared their perspectives. In addition to the daily schedule of activities, the teachers visited local landmarks, participated in various cultural activities in the community and engaged in American culture, customs and habits. They were also guests of honor at a special luncheon.

“The luncheon gave me the opportunity to experience personal stories of learning and gratitude that exemplified the benefits of international partnerships.” said Reginald Young, a UH-Clear Lake graduate student in cross-cultural studies who attended the luncheon.

A highlight of the lunch was the Korean symbolic bowing ringing in of the New Year of the Rat thus sharing their tradition.

A spinoff from UH-Clear Lake’s Korean collaborations is an initiative by Myoung Shin, a UH-Clear Lake student, and UH-Clear Lake Korean faculty who together founded the UH-Clear Lake Korean Society in 2007.

To connect with members of the UH-Clear Lake Korean society, call UH-Clear Lake International and Cultural Program Director Ingeborg Hayes-van Zanten, 281-283-2531, or e-mail hayes@uhcl.edu.