Page 160 - ThePhoenix1995-96

Thursday, April 11, 1996 - Page 8 Pres. Chambers and Provost Coley visit Budapest WMC cific level of English proficiency to enter the By CHRISTIAN WILWOHL Sw/fW,.i/er program in Budapest and an even higher While many students relaxed on the level to come to WMC. beach or slept at home during Spring Break, In addition, all the courses in Budapest President Bob Chambers, Provost Joan Co- are taught in English. ley, and Dr. Christianna Leahy traveled to Coley described the Budapest students as Budapest, Hungary for some very important "very excited" about their upcoming expe- business. rience at WMC. She added that they are While at the Budapest campus, the WMC thrilled about living on campus because Eu- representatives met with faculty and stu- ropean colleges are not residential. dents. Since the first group of students from Leahy explained that the Budapest stu- Budapest is expected to arrive at WMC next dents will benefit from an "enlightening ex- fall, they advised the current sophomores for perience" at WMC. the upcoming fall semester. She further commented that their educa- Dr. Leahy commented that the students tion in business and economics will ease the were "impressed with [the President of the adjustment or'the students, particularly those College] advising them." from Central and Eastern Europe, to a mar- President Chambers and Provost Coley, ket economy; accompanied by a member of the faculty, In addition 10 visiting faculty and advis- Dr. Christianna Leahy, English professor, addresses an audience ofWMC Budapest students, have traveled to Budapest for the past few ing students in Budapest, Leahy, associate as Gdbor Drexler, Director ofWMC Budapest. listens. years during Spring Break in order to estab- professor of Political Science and Interna- Students from Budapest lish "a Western Maryland presence in tional Studies, gave a lecture on the issues Budapest as frequently as possible," accord- of the nation-state and sovereignty. ing to Chambers. She argued that the current legal defini- will attend classes in fall He further commented that "the college tions of these issues must be addressed. (WMC) is made more real when we go over Leahy added that Hungarians are more there." "in touch with these issues" because they are By ADAM DEAN on educating students in business adminis- Two years ago, WMC formally estab- of particular interest to them. Hungary has Sra/fWri/u tration and economics, but offered majors lished a sister-school in Budapest known as experienced a change in status as a nation- Next Year twenty Hungarian, Mexican, may broaden in years to come as professors WMC Budapest. state several times, most recently from a Australian, Russian and Cypriot students and equipment along with funds become Students attend school there for two years state-controlled, communist regime to a free- from the Budapest campus will finish their available. concentrating primarily in business admin- market, democratic one. degrees here at WMC. Most students who attend WMC istration and economics. Upon completing In addition, Hungarians are concerned The visiting students are fluent in English Budapest go there for two years at WMC their first two years of studies, the students about human rights issues regarding Hun- as the WMC program in Budapest is taught Hungary, then complete their education at will finish their education here in Westmin- garian national minorities in neighboring in that language, and all are business and eco- WMC's main campus in Westminster to ster nation-states; according to Leahy. nonucs majors. complete a bachelors degree. Approximately 20 students from WMC's Chambers commented that "the faculty Western Maryland College's Budapest Much give and take has taken place be- campus in Budapest will arrive here next fall. and students (in Budapest) responded posi- program began in 1993. tween the two campuses. President of to Dr. Chambers, According Most of them will continue studying.busi- tively" to Leahy. In that year a delegation from Hungary the College, "This is not a one way show. I ness and economics. Both Chambers and Coley agree that the came to the United States and were inter- have been to Budapest and the director of They are a "diversified group," accord- arrival of the students from Budapest next ested in affiliating with an American liberal ing to Coley, from II countries around the fall will spark interest among WMC faculty arts college. WMC Budapest, Gabor Drexler, was here . world, including Cyprus and Australia. One and students to go there to teach and learn. After a long and careful search they chose last November .... Classes at WMC Budapest student has even played soccer for the Cyp- An exchange program is "a possibility in Western Maryland to affiliate with. WMC are the same as those taught here and are the future," explained Dean Coley, because then established a branch in Budapest, Hun- taught in English by a very qualified faculty." the program has already "exceeded our ex- gary. Dr. Chambers went on to explain that by WMC taking advantage of both the American and European intellectual traditions, while keep- ing as much of the curriculum the same as possible, the Budapest students will be more aware of the international nature of the world today while making the transition to the United Slates as easy as possible for them. Many important people in Hungary are involved with the WMC Budapest program. Dr. Fenec Somogyi, State Secretary of the Hungarian Foreign Embassy, is also the Chairman of the Board at WMC Budapest. At a recent ceremony in Budapest to kick off the new program the American ambas- sador, Somogyi and the Assistant Secretary of State all attended. Likewise at the American ceremony to commemorate this new program the Ambas- sador from Hungary and the Assistant Sec- retary of State from the U.S. attended. WMC Budapest has recruiting offices in Athens and Niccosia in Cyprus bringing in students from many influential Europear families. To be admitted to the program applicants must have a good grasp of English and be academically qualified and politically aware of the world around them. Dr. Chambers closed saying, "Hungary is an important, politically tranquil country located right in the center of Europe. And WMC's Budapest program is off to an ex- PUBLIC INFORMATION citing start." Here Provost Coley advises WMC Budapest students on the WMC experience and possible classes the students might take to complete their degrees. With more and more WMC Budapest students interested in attending WMC in the states. more trips along with more WMC staff will be arranged.