‘I am a global citizen’
International exchange program takes UM students to China

It’s one thing to learn about Chinese language and culture in an air-conditioned classroom in Oxford. For Garrett Jackson, the real lessons began after he found out his hotel in Nanjing, China, was overbooked.

Jackson, one of 11 UM students who visited China last summer as part of the Trent Lott Leadership Institute’s Young Leaders International Exchange Program, volunteered to stay with his Chinese counterparts at a hostel. That’s when he learned how much he didn’t know — even with two years of Mandarin, it was hard to follow any conversations.

“For the first time in my life, I knew what it felt like to be a minority,” said Jackson, a junior from Brookhaven. “But that’s what I loved about this trip. I got to experience life the way my Chinese friends do. It was unbelievable.”

The Lott Institute partnered with Nanjing University to bring Chinese students and UM students together for a month-long inquiry into the practice of government and public life in both countries. The student delegation met with Sen. Trent Lott and Rep. Roger Wicker in Washington, D.C., received briefings comparing environmental and media policies in both countries, examined local government practices in the American South to compare them with emerging democratic practices on the local level in China, and attended receptions at consulates in Washington, D.C., and Beijing.

“The tour in China included the Great Wall and Tiananmen Square,” said Bill Gottshall, executive director of the Lott Institute. “By making visits to key cultural, political and industrial centers, it is our hope to create more well-rounded leaders for the future.”

Last summer, students from UM partnered with peers from Nanjing University in Nanjing, China, to tour China

“Bringing students from other parts of the world to interact with our students at Ole Miss provides a tremendous learning opportunity,” said UM Chancellor Robert Khayat. “Then to have our students travel abroad to raise their awareness of global issues will certainly help prepare them to become tomorrow’s world leaders.”

Other participants included Lott scholars Shellie Bailey and Melissa Cole of Jackson, Vincent Chamblee of Fulton, Joshua Cox of Bogue Chitto, Jake McGraw of Oxford and McDaniel Wicker of Tupelo. Rounding out the Ole Miss group were Erin Calla-han of Ocean Springs, Melissa Green of Oxford, Graham Purcell of Louisville and Thomas Weldy of Brandon.

Jackson, who is double majoring in public policy leadership and political science, said he gained valuable insight into how other cultures view America.

“I thought the Chinese people were all craving Western-style democracy, but that’s not the case,” Jackson said. “We have this problem thinking that everyone wants to be like America. I began to understand the concerns people have about America being ignorant and arrogant toward other cultures.

“I will forever be grateful for this experience. It opened my eyes to realize that I’m not just an American citizen, I am a global citizen.”

UM students and peers from Nanjing University toured FedEx World Headquarters in Memphis, Tenn.

Upcoming Exchanges

The Trent Lott Leadership Institute’s Young Leaders International Exchange Program has brought UM students together with their contemporaries from Mexico, South Africa and China. This summer’s excursions include

South Korea Exchange Tour

Nation: South Korea Partner University: Konkuk University, Seoul, South Korea
When: July 2008 Scheduled
Events: Students will tour the Korean War Memorial Museum, the Korean Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea and the president’s home.
Notes: The Leadership Exchange will explore the unique relationship between the United States and South Korea, as well as the nation’s relationship with North Korea.

Reconciliation Exchange Program

Nations: Ireland and South Africa
Partner Universities: University of Ulster, Northern Ireland, and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, South Africa
When: June-August 2008
Scheduled Events: In Ireland, the group will tour West Belfast, where they will meet the mayor of Belfast. They will also visit the Center for Migration Studies and the Northern Ireland Assembly. In South Africa, students will visit the South African Parliament, the Desmond Tutu Foundation and Robbins’ Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned.
Notes: The exchange partners six UM graduate students from a variety of disciplines with their counterparts from Ireland and South Africa. Their goals are to explore the painful past and reconciliation efforts of their respective countries: slavery and the civil rights movement in the United States; the Protestant-Catholic divide in Ireland; and apartheid in South Africa.

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