GLOBALLY ENGAGED

NEWSLETTER OF THE CENTER FOR GLOBAL

ENGAGEMENT (CGE)
Collegeof Arts and Sciences Fall 21012
Bowie State University is home to faculty, staff and students from all over the world who, along with
their American colleagues, are deeply committed to making the world a better place, through
educational, cultural, social, and economic engagement of the global community. These are brief
accounts of some of their recent endeavors.
China Initiative
In July 2012, a team of Bowie State University (BSU) faculty comprising of Dr. George Acquaah (Dean),
Dr. Sadanand Srivastava (Chairperson of Computer Science Department) and Dr. Bo Yang (Assistant
Professor of Computer Science) took a 10-day trip to mainland China, at the invitation of Shandong
Polytechnic University (SPU). The purpose of
the trip was to ratify an MOU between SPU
and BSU.
Dr. Yang was the originator of the initiative
and arranged the trip. What was initially
designed to be an MOU emphasizing
engagements in computer science ended up
involving deans in the colleges of Fine and
Performing Arts as well as Arts and Sciences at
SPU. Partnerships were also initiated with
Shandong University and Peking University,
focusing on computer science. Discussions are
on-going between with SPU for their students
to come to BSU for studies. Further, faculty from Computer Science may apply to go to Shandong
University in summer to teach, all expenses paid plus a stipend. The China Initiative of the Center for
Global Engagement is led by Dr. Yang, with Dr. Jie Yang and Dr. William Lawrence assisting on the
Committee for Asia Affairs.
a) The Centenial Aniversary Building and b) the South Gate, Peking University
Advancing biotechnology in Nigeria
BSU and the Godfrey Okoye Uuniversity (GOU) in Enugu, Nigeria, signed an MOU in 2010 to pursue
educational opportunities of mutual interest. Pursuant to the MOU, Dr. George Ude, Associate Professor
in the Department of Natural Sciences, travelled to Nigeria in summer 2011, along with several students
fromBowie State and the Univeristy of Maryland at College Park, to conduct workshops and lectures in
biotechnology. GOU students were able to gain practical experience in the following areas: nucleic acid
extraction; Polymerase Chain Reaction
(PCR), cloning and transformation,
genetic modification of food, DNA
fingerprinting and Western Blotting. He
has assisted GOU to set up a functional
biotechnology laboratory and train
undergrads in modern biotechnology
techniques. A goal of GOU is to become a
model center of excellence in
biotechnology and to provide the nation
with the much needed skilled manpower
for biotechnology research and
entrepreneurship.
On October 4
th
15
th
, 2012, Dr. Ude was
in Nigeria to support the accreditation process for the Biotechnology program of Godfrey Okoye
University. Dr. Ude is the President of the International Society of African Bioscientists and
Biotechnologists (ISABB), an organization that encourages African scientists in diaspora to give back to
their mother continent by supporting R&D in Africa.
Making a difference in El Salvador
Frederick B. Mills has been engaged in research and support of the education reforms in El
Salvador that have been gradually implemented since 2009. As a member of the Center for
Global Engagement (CGE) and a board member of the Association for Educational Development
in El Salvador (ADEES), Dr. Mills has researched the theory and practice of education reforms
introduced by the FMLN administration of the President Mauricio Funes. The results of this
research were published by the Council on Hemispheric Affairs (COHA.org) on March 5, 2012.
The article highlights the basic features and outcomes of the first two years of the reform efforts
(Education Reform Gets High Marks in El Salvador). Here is an abridged excerpt from the
essay:
During the first few years implementing the reforms, the Ministry of Education
universalized material assistance to children at public primary schools throughout the
country. For example, in 2010 over 1.3 million students received basic nutrition at
school. More attention has also been paid to providing pre-school health and nutrition
services. Primary school children in all 262 municipalities received uniforms, shoes,
and school supplies. In 2010, more than 52 thousand youth and adults attained literacy.
The reforms have also begun to more aggressively address the needs of at risk youth,
special needs and disabled children. Special attention was also given to teacher training
and professional development; over nine thousand educators underwent professional
teacher training. These are just a few of the achievements that have expanded access
and answered some of the basic needs of those who have been traditionally excluded
from the benefits of primary and secondary education.


Photo: Courtesy of Ministry of Education, El Salvador
The CGE supported Dr. Mills research, which included a trip to El Salvador to interview
officials in the Ministry of Education, teachers, students, merchants, and other protagonists of the
reform efforts. In terms of praxis, Dr. Mills, through his work with ADEES, helped to raise
funds for school supplies and computer equipment for a school in one of the poorest areas of El
Salvador (San Jose School in Morazn) and participated in the events at the school celebrating
the arrival of these supplies. The work of ADEES has been recognized in the Spanish language
press (El Pregonero) in the US. Dr. Acquaah, as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, sent a
letter to the Ministry of Education, Department of Morazn, El Salvador, expressing BSUs interest in
an educational exchange program and other forms of collaboration in the near future. Dr. Mills
now plans to follow up on this outreach when he returns to El Salvador.
BSU Scholars in Brazil
Dr. Kinuthia Macharia of the College of Professional Studies and Dr. Mario D. Fenyo of the College of
Arts and Sciences, along with Dr. George Acquaah, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, were
invited to present papers at the 29
th
annual
conference of the Association of Third
World Studies from November 20 to the
23
rd
, 2011. The venue was the Hotel
Pestana, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and
Salvador de Bahia, the former capital of
Brazil and still the center of the most
pronouncedly African province of the
country.
Dr. Acquaah delivered a paper on The Role
of Technology for Economic Transformation:
the Case of Biotechnology in Africa. Dr.
Macharia spoke on From Sojourner to
African in the Diaspora: The Never Ending Process of Transnational Migration. Dr. Fenyo spoke on the
Narrativity of the slave tradean attempt to classify and describe the approaches to the history of the
trade.
The trio had the opportunity to learn from distinguished scholars in various disciplines regarding Africa,
Asia and the Americas. Most importantly, they were given limited time off as a group and as individuals
to experience the atmosphere and architecture of Bahia, recognized as a world treasure by the United
Nations. Obviously, they would have preferred to stay longer.

Strive To Succeed, Not Because Of, But In Spite OfGeorge Acquaah