EKU will take on even more of an international flavor in the months and years to come, thanks to its recent approval by the State Department as a sponsor for J-1 scholars. At the same time, new agreements with foreign institutions will open additional opportunities for Eastern students and faculty.

Unlike regular F-1 international students, who must pursue an academic degree, J-1 scholars may study at EKU on a non-degree basis. They may come for undergraduate or graduate work, and may stay up to three years. Teachers and researchers may be paid according to current standards in their disciplines and also are eligible to stay up to three years.

The first J-1 scholars are expected to arrive this fall.

"Eastern Kentucky University's international exchange agreements will enrich the educational opportunities for our students and faculty in many ways," said Dr. Michael Marsden, provost and vice president for academic affairs. "Not only will our students and faculty have the opportunity to live and learn in different cultures, but our campus environment will be enriched as well by the international students and faculty who will join us for a semester or an academic year."

The University already is benefiting from exchange agreements with Yamanashi University of Japan and Liaoning Institute of Technology of China.

EKU is in the eighth year of its partnership with Yamanashi, a regional public university with a large College of Engineering and Technology and College of Education and Teacher Training. All of the Japanese and American students involved have enjoyed a successful year of study; some EKU students have returned to Japan as teachers, others as graduate students.

Liaoning Institute of Technology is a technical school, emphasizing international business, economics, production technologies and computer science. The exchange program with Liaoning, in its second year, offers the opportunity to learn Chinese or study in the technological disciplines.

Next year, Eastern will have exchange agreements with four additional institutions:

** International University of Moscow in Russia, a comprehensive university. Courses are available in English in a variety of disciplines.

** The Hogeschool of Breda in The Netherlands, a progressive university offering
bachelor's degrees in international business and in the fine arts. This agreement also may offer the chance to complete a bachelor's degree at The Hogeschool with two years of study there after the first two years at EKU.

** Kyungsan University of South Korea, an exchange school featuring a College of Oriental Medicine in addition to arts and sciences disciplines and the opportunity to learn the Korean language.

** University of Ballarat in Australia, located about 30 miles inland from Sydney. The public university offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in a wide variety of fields.

In addition, EKU is an active member of the Kentucky Institute for International Studies and the Center for Studies Abroad, which offer many summer programs and some semester-long programs in many countries, with courses in English and in other languages taught by American professors on site. For more information about those programs, contact the International Education Office, 181 Case Annex, 622-1478.