Spring Break
More foreign profs
by Miranda Neubauer
Senior Writer
News | 9/25/07
Posted online at 9:04 PM EST on 9/24/07
/ Last updated at 5:14 AM EST on 9/24/07
The Brandeis faculty has received an infusion of diversity this semester, with new professors coming in from as far as Switzerland and Iran.
Fourteen of the University's 34 new faculty members this year were born in foreign countries, according to a list provided to the Justice by Dean of Arts and Sciences Adam Jaffe and Provost Marty Krauss. Both Jaffe and Krauss said there were no specific efforts underway to recruit international professors, though they stressed they're always looking for ways to diversify the faculty body.
"The United States represents a relatively small fraction of the world's population," Jaffe said. "If you're looking for the best person in a given field, it shouldn't be surprising that with some frequency that person is not an American citizen."
Jaffe and Krauss also agreed that having international professors will enhance students' academic experiences.
"It enriches the student's experience because they'll be…learning from the people who are from the regions of the world they are teaching about," Krauss said. She added that the new Office of Global Affairs, established earlier this year, will make Brandeis more attractive to foreign professors.
Prof. Ki Hyoung Ko (MATH), who finished his doctorate in mathematics at Brandeis in 1984, returns to the University this year from his sabbatical.
"Every five years I visit somewhere [for my sabbatical]," Ko said. "The Brandeis math department has a professor whose interests are similar to mine, so I came here."
Calling Brandeis a "growing university," Ko said he saw many changes on campus since the last time he was here, "[But], the math department didn't change much," he said.
Prof. Nader Habibi (ECON), originally from Iran, said that so far he hasn't had negative experiences at Brandeis. This could have occured because of the political conflicts between his native country and the United States and Israel, he said.
"I have really enjoyed the intellectual environment [and] the opportunity to interact with the faculty from various departments," Habibi said. "The students seem to be very bright, so I'm looking forward to teaching them."
Fourteen of the University's 34 new faculty members this year were born in foreign countries, according to a list provided to the Justice by Dean of Arts and Sciences Adam Jaffe and Provost Marty Krauss. Both Jaffe and Krauss said there were no specific efforts underway to recruit international professors, though they stressed they're always looking for ways to diversify the faculty body.
"The United States represents a relatively small fraction of the world's population," Jaffe said. "If you're looking for the best person in a given field, it shouldn't be surprising that with some frequency that person is not an American citizen."
Jaffe and Krauss also agreed that having international professors will enhance students' academic experiences.
"It enriches the student's experience because they'll be…learning from the people who are from the regions of the world they are teaching about," Krauss said. She added that the new Office of Global Affairs, established earlier this year, will make Brandeis more attractive to foreign professors.
Prof. Ki Hyoung Ko (MATH), who finished his doctorate in mathematics at Brandeis in 1984, returns to the University this year from his sabbatical.
"Every five years I visit somewhere [for my sabbatical]," Ko said. "The Brandeis math department has a professor whose interests are similar to mine, so I came here."
Calling Brandeis a "growing university," Ko said he saw many changes on campus since the last time he was here, "[But], the math department didn't change much," he said.
Prof. Nader Habibi (ECON), originally from Iran, said that so far he hasn't had negative experiences at Brandeis. This could have occured because of the political conflicts between his native country and the United States and Israel, he said.
"I have really enjoyed the intellectual environment [and] the opportunity to interact with the faculty from various departments," Habibi said. "The students seem to be very bright, so I'm looking forward to teaching them."
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