Educational Opportunities Abroad

Ambassador Robert R. Gosende proved a very capable and interesting alternative to our scheduled speaker, Dr. James Ketterer, who was unexpectedly called out of the country. Ambassador Gosende is Associate Vice Chancellor, Office of International Programs of The State University of New York

Dr. Gosende, a native of Springfield, Massachusetts, received B.A. and M.A. degrees from American International College of Springfield. He explained that he was able to earn his degrees while working full time. A.I.C. awarded him an honorary doctorate in 1991 in recognition of his work promoting international education and cultural exchange.

Dr. Gosende’s overseas experience included tours of duty as a Cultural Affairs Officer in Libya, Somalia, and Poland and as Minister-Counselor for Public Affairs in South Africa and in Russia. He was President Clinton’s Special Envoy for Somalia during the height of the security and humanitarian crisis in that country in 1992-93. On tours of duty in Washington he served as the Associate Director of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Information Agency (USAI). Dr. Gosende has had additional academic fellowship and teaching appoinments at Georgetown, Harvard, Tufts, and Princeton.

The USAI was eliminated in 1998 by the National Performance Review Board under the direction of VP Gore during the Clinton administration. Dr. Gosende considers this a serious mistake because the USAI worked on cultural exchange and the USA image abroad, and therefor set long-term goals. 

The State University of New York in the mid 1970s received Fulbright funding to establish a relationship with Moscow State University. Dr. Gosende came to the State University of New York in 1998, and his office has extended that relationship to include a center on Russia and the U.S. in his office, and a center on the United States and Russia in Moscow State University. The Center fosters scholarly contact among students and faculty of the various campuses of the State University. This has been extended to a University in St. Petersberg and to at least two other universities in Russia.

There is a very active dual-diploma program with Turkey. Students are able to meet about half of their requirements in Turkey and the other half in NY. Degrees are awarded in four areas: Global and International Affairs, Information Systems Engineering, Business, and Economics. The program started 2 years ago with 300 students, and now has 750 students. The fields have been expanded to include Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Fashion Design and Marketing, and Maritime Studies. The courses are taught in English in both countries. The Turkish students must pay full out-of-state tuition, fees, and room and board. There are five institutions in Turkey taking part in the program. There are about 11 applicants for each position.

A similar program is starting in Mexico.

Dr. Gosende believes these cultural and educational exchange programs are important for the future – not what is happening now, or 6 months from now, but 30 years from now – because some of the future leaders will come from these programs. It is equally important that we send students from the U.S. to similar programs in other countries. 

Turkish students in these programs are not looking for U.S. jobs, but hoping that they lead to better jobs at home. Not only will they have demonstrated a fluency of English, but they will have cultural knowledge of the U.S.

Because of the invasion of Iraq, Dr. Gosende does not believe we could have arranged this program today. “We are losing the Turkish man in the street,” he said.