Volume 110 | January - February 2022
OGA Newsletter
The Office of Global Activities (OGA) is dedicated to connecting MSW students to international social work opportunities through fundingspecial programs, academic resources, internationalized curriculum, and arranging faculty and student exchanges at partner institutions.
Happy Lunar New Year! (February 1)
This Tuesday, February 1, marks the start of the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival. It is estimated that nearly 2 billion people worldwide celebrate Lunar New Year, with two-week long celebrations taking place in China, Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, the United States, Canada, and many other countries. Tied to the lunar calendar, festivities begin on the first new moon and end on the first full moon, fifteen days later. The Lunar New Year is typically a time for feasting, being with family, cleaning and decorating the home, and honoring one's ancestors. See the "Announcements" section below for local and virtual Lunar New Year events.
Spotlight: Black History Month Opening Ceremony
Black History Month Opening Ceremony
Tuesday, February 1 from 3:00 - 5:00 PM EST
Happy Black History Month! Join the Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs (MESA) for the Opening Ceremony as they kick off a month full of wonderful programs and events, all of which will focus on the joyous experiences, successes and contributions of Afro-descended peoples from around the world. The Opening Ceremony will be live-streamed to ensure that an immersive experience is provided for all participants. They have an exciting program filled with spoken word performances; vocal music; and U-M’s very own Dr. Naomi André, who will be delivering the keynote address.

In celebration of Black History Month, MESA will be hosting a variety of events centered around the theme of Black Joy. See the "Announcements" section below for more Black History Month events happening this week.
Events
CAPS Nourish Lunch Series (Email to RSVP)
Date: Wednesday, February 9 from 12:00 - 1:00 PM EST
Brief Description: Nourish is a (virtual) lunch series open to all students, faculty, and staff that focuses on topics that disproportionately affect women of color. RSVP to [email protected] for each meeting. When received, a link and password will be sent. Nourish is a drop-in program held via Zoom.
Date: Wednesday, February 2 from 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM EST
Brief DescriptionCentralized biometric systems have become ubiquitous in the humanitarian and refugee aid sectors in recent years, but are also facing increasing scrutiny. Dr. Keren Weitzberg (University College London) will discuss a particularly poignant example of exclusion caused by the introduction of biometric refugee registration in Kenya, as well as the ongoing dilemma of those caught between the national and refugee systems.
Date: Friday, February 11 from 12:00 - 1:00 PM EST
Brief Description: Join this lecture by Heather MacLachlan, Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology and Interim Director of Women's & Gender Studies at the University of Dayton.
Date: Thursday, February 17, 2022 at 6:00 PM EST
Brief Description: Based on the struggle of young people in Goma (Northeastern Congo) against the prevailing Western reporting about war and misery, Stop Filming Us investigates how these Western stereotypes are the result of a skewed balance of power. Stop Filming Us creates a cinematic dialogue between Western perceptions and the Congolese experience of reality. Virtual viewing followed by a panel.
Announcements
Lunar New Year Events
Ring in the Year of the Tiger by taking part in celebrations happening locally and virtually, including dumpling making lessons and virtual lion dance performances!
Date: Tuesday, February 1 at 5:30 PM EST
Brief Description: Celebrate the Lunar New Year learning how to make homemade dumplings via Zoom and Facebook Live! A recording will be made available afterward for you to re-watch if you need to. Click here for a list of ingredients. Organized by the Asian Cultural Center of Vermont (@asianculturalcenter), artist and chef Cai Xi of Cai’s Dim Sum Catering (@dimsumvt) teaches participants how to make dumplings from scratch. This event is free of cost.
Date: February 1 - 5 from 5:00 - 11:00 PM EST
Brief Description: Families can enjoy a Chinese New Year feast which includes Foie Gras Soup Dumpling, Crispy Spring Roll, Pomelo Salad, Steamed Whole Branzino, Nian Gao, Long Life Noodles, and Tang Yuan. Available for reservations and walk-ins. Cost is $55/person. Of Rice & Men is located at 314 S. Main St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104.
Date: Wednesday, February 2 from 6:00 - 7:00 PM EST
Brief Description: Celebrate the new Year of the Tiger with the Chinese American Museum of Chicago at their annual Chinese New Year Celebration. This year’s event will take place virtually on YouTube. Festivities include learning about Chinese New Year traditions, musical performances, lion dance, and much more! This event is free and for all ages. Ring in the lunar new year with a night of celebration!
Date: Saturday, February 5 at 10:00 AM EST
Brief Description: Let’s ring in the Year of the Tiger! Celebrate Lunar New Year online with the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) and the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States of America. Enjoy streamed video performances of dances, acrobatics, and yo-yo tricks by the Madison Chinese Dance Academy. Then watch demonstrations of traditional Chinese crafting and Lunar New Year traditions including the classic lion dance. There is fun for the whole family during this special celebration! 
Date: Saturday, February 5 at 2:30 PM EST
Brief Description: The Association of Chinese Americans (ACA), the Detroit Chapter of OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates, is hosting a virtual Lunar New Year Celebration for the arrival of the Year of the Tiger through Zoom. The Celebration includes performances, such as Chinese folk dance, guzheng/ Zither, piano, soprano solo, Chinese traditional operas, and other shows. We sincerely invite all community members and supporting organizations to participate in the celebration in a vibrant Chinese American community!
Black History Month Events
Join MESA in celebrating the lives, success, struggles and beauty of the Black and Afro-descended peoples from around the globe. The theme for this year's Black History Month is Black Joy! As you will find in the events below, our communities on campus have prepared dynamic, immersive and meaningful programs for all to attend, with a myriad of in-person, hybrid and virtual options.
Date: Friday, February 4 from 6:00 - 7:30 PM EST
Brief Description: This is part one of a two-part series. Part one will be a workshop of Detroit Ballroom (35 mins) and Bachata (35 mins) with 20 minutes of free dancing. To register for the in-person session, click here.
Date: Saturday, February 5 from 7:00 - 9:00 PM EST
Brief Description: This event celebrates art, music, and Black culture on campus in a formal affair. Students will have the opportunity to showcase their art, perform spoken word, and enjoy music on the dance floor. The goal is to bring the Black community together and celebrate the culture with good food, good music, and a great time. Coordinated by the National Pan-Hellenic Council.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Events
To celebrate his life and legacy, please consider attending some of the below events in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his vision. For all U-M MLK Symposium events, see here.
Date: Monday, January 31 from 4:15 - 5:45 PM EST
Brief Description: Some argue that the age of human rights is over. Yet that is hyperbole. It is clear, however, that for its many successes, the human rights corpus has met with many failures. It began as part of the colonial project of Empire, wittingly and unwittingly. Its deficits include its cultural illegitimacy in many places around the world, including the West; its inability to address economic privation; the movement's impotence as material for liberating the globe of racism and related inequities, especially for peoples of Black African descent; and its glaring normative incompleteness. Are these problems fatal to the future of human rights movement? Is it doomed to go the way of previous dominant ideologies? Where can it go from here to achieve its fundamental and still critical purposes?
Date: Wednesday, February 2 from 6:00 - 8:00 PM EST
Brief Description: Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children presents: Global public health inequalities caused by race, socioeconomic class, and gender that have existed prior to the global pandemic have now become compounded. For instance, many of the lower economic class citizens in the USA have been struggling for access to adequate healthcare prior to the pandemic, and now they struggle even more as unemployment numbers have increased. This indicates that pre-existing socioeconomic disparities have seen a rise in inequity, and such kind of effect is seen across many other types of pre-existing disparities in healthcare across the globe.

This event will take place in person at Mason Hall (Room 3330) located at 419 S State St.
Date: Thursday, February 17 from 12:00 - 1:30 PM EST
Brief Description: The 2022 MLK Health Sciences Committee presents an Interdisciplinary Panel Discussion on racial and ethnic disparities in pain management. The panelists will discuss their experiences with this issue and will share their insights regarding potential solutions. This Interdisciplinary Panel Discussion is sponsored by the MLK Health Sciences Committee – representing the University of Michigan – School of Dentistry; School of Kinesiology; Michigan Medicine / Medical School / Office for Health Equity & Inclusion; Michigan Institute for Clinical & Health Research; School of Nursing; College of Pharmacy; School of Public Health; and the School of Social Work.
Date: March 21 from 12:00 - 1:00 PM EST (tentatively in person) and March 22 from 4:00 - 5:00 PM EDT (virtual)
Brief Description: The MLK Health Sciences Committee invites you to join them for discussions on selected topics from Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present by Harriet Washington. We will plan to discuss select chapters (8, 11, 13) that focus on clinical studies involving African American children as well as current studies involving citizens from African countries. This book dialogue is sponsored by the MLK Health Sciences Committee – representing the University of Michigan – School of Dentistry; School of Kinesiology; Michigan Medicine / Medical School / Office for Health Equity & Inclusion; Michigan Institute for Clinical & Health Research; School of Nursing; College of Pharmacy*; School of Public Health; and the School of Social Work.
Professional Opportunities
Application Deadline: Friday, February 11, 2022
Brief Description: Are you an international student at the University of Michigan? Are you interested in practicing informal English conversation, learning about US culture, meeting new people, and connecting with other international students and scholars at U-M? If yes, register to join a Conversation Circle! These circles are free, weekly, one-hour meetings facilitated by volunteer U-M students, faculty, or staff who are native or near-native English speakers. In Winter 2022, Conversation Circles will happen online, via Zoom, so that you can join a Circle no matter where in the world you are! Please note: Space is limited and sign-up is on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Application Deadline: Sunday, February 13 at 11:59 PM EST
Brief Description: The Intercultural Leadership Seminar (ILS) is designed for international and U.S. students who want to learn how to be more effective in a global environment. ILS includes brief lectures, discussions, experiential activities, and small group work.
Application Deadline: Tuesday, February 15, 2022
Brief Description: The International Institute Student Fellowships (IISF) are designed to support University of Michigan students, regardless of citizenship, who are enrolled in a degree program and wish to participate in internships or conduct research abroad.  
Application Deadline: Tuesday, March 1, 2022 (Rolling admission)
Brief Description: The Ottawa Internship Program is designed to provide a first-hand learning experience in Canadian government through placement with a Member of Parliament or Senator in the capital of Canada. Students will work in a parliamentarian's office for a period of five weeks. This program is open to graduate and undergraduate students from all majors and all colleges at U-M.
Application Deadline: N/A
Brief Description: The International Rescue Committee is seeking a Program Officer, Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) for an Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) program, Switchboard. Switchboard is a one-stop resource hub for refugee service providers in the United States. The Program Officer, M&E will be responsible for maintaining and updating the project M&E plan, conducting ongoing M&E, coordinating needs assessments and evaluations, supporting training and technical assistance on M&E topics, and providing M&E support to the Research, Analysis, and Learning Team. This staff person may be located anywhere in the United States.
Grant Opportunities
Deadline: Tuesday, February 15 by 11:59 PM EST
Brief DescriptionThe Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia (WCEE) is pleased to make available grants for in-person and virtual summer research projects or internships for current undergraduate and graduate students at U-M Ann Arbor. Funding is intended to be used within Europe/Eurasia or at international institutions from that area in the U.S. Please contact WCEE for questions regarding projects outside the region.
Deadline: Tuesday, February 15 by 11:59 PM EST
Brief DescriptionThe LACS Tinker Field Research Grants support master’s, doctoral, and professional school students conducting preliminary or pre-dissertation fieldwork in Latin America. Research projects must be conducted in the Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking countries of Latin America and trips must last a minimum of two weeks and a maximum of four months. Awards, up to $2,500, are made based on the quality of the proposal and the academic progress of the applicant. Funds cover international airfare, in-country transportation, and some field-related expenses.
Deadline: Tuesday, February 15 by 11:59 PM EST
Brief Description: The ASC awards student grants (up to $3,000) toward research projects or internships in or on Africa. ASC is committed to supporting students at all levels and in all fields, regardless of citizenship, to undertake research, internships, or other training activities in or on Africa. Projects may be for any length of time, with a project start date between May 1 in the calendar year the application is submitted and April 30 of the following year. In light of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, travel to the continent may or may not be feasible. Alternative approaches such as virtual internships are welcomed.
Deadline: Monday, February 21 by 11:59 PM EST
Brief Description: Awards will vary in amount based on proposal merit, budget, and need. Applications must meet one of two criteria:

  1. Conduct student-designed research that is tied to degree requirements and focused on issues of importance to women
  2. Travel abroad for students in public health, environmental health, or another health-related field (including but not limited to, nursing, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, environmental health, and public health)

Most CEW+ Fellowships range between $2,000 and $5,000. CEW+ Fellowships are not intended to support travel for conference attendance and presentations.
Deadline: Monday, March 1 at 11:59 PM EST
Brief DescriptionFor graduate students working on Thailand, the Center for Southeast Asian Studies is accepting proposals for conference travel support funds, research fellowships, and internship support. 
Preference will be given to those who have not received funding in the past and who enroll in Thai language courses at U-M.
Deadline: Rolling
Brief Description: The International Center offers a grant opportunity to help student organizations and University departments recognize the diversity of the U-M international student population through special events and programming. Organizations and departments should apply at least 14 days in advance of their event (the earlier, the better). Grants amounts will vary based on the submitted budget and the availability of funds.
Resources
To find previous OGA Newsletter volumes, click the OGA Newsletter Archive.
Email [email protected] if you have any questions.