June 10, 2009

Contact:

Ann Claycombe, 404-413-5047
Public relations coordinator

Liz Babiarz , 404-413-1356
University Relations

New summer program gives a global take on American Studies

ATLANTA — This summer, Georgia State University is beginning a new international exchange program for faculty and graduate students studying American culture, literature and history.

The program will hold summer seminars at Johannes Gutenberg University - Mainz, Germany in 2009, at Georgia State in 2010 and at Peking University in China in 2011.

“Let’s face it, American history is such that American culture is a global phenomenon,” said Reiner Smolinski, GSU professor of English, who helped to organize the program.

German and Chinese students will get to spend time at Georgia State, living in the country they study. But the GSU students will also benefit, Smolinski said, because they will get a crash course in how other parts of the world understand the U.S.

“Seeing how American culture, history, literature is seen from the outside – from a non-English-speaking culture – provides valuable perspective,” Smolinksi said.

The program will accept about 10 students from Georgia State. Their transportation, housing and food will be paid for by the program, which is funded by the German government’s Academic Exchange Service.

The seminars will bring together faculty experts from all three universities as well as outside instructors. The most notable guest instructor at this summer’s seminar is John Edgar Wideman, award-winning author and recipient of a MacArthur “genius grant.”