Dear Friends of the Asian Affairs Center:

We are happy to report that we have our largest groups of teachers, scholars, college and middle school students visiting our campus from Korea, China, and Mongolia this winter. Because we try to ensure that everyone visiting the University of Missouri campus has the opportunity to visit an American home, we have a request. Would you be able to host a couple of visiting scholars to dinner in your home some evening during January? Do you know anyone who might be interested in doing this?

A winter English and leadership experience is being planned for sixth graders from Jellanamdo, Missouri’s sister province in South Korea. It also includes Columbia’s sister city, Suncheon City. Although primarily funded by the province to help the children from this rural area be more nationally competitive, the children have all been selected because of their English ability and their parents’ support for this experience. They have requested a brief home-stay in an American home. We would like to schedule these during the weekend of January 15th to the 19th. They would return to the family home after attending school that Monday for a final night.

If you can help with either of these experiences, would you please contact my colleague at the Asian Affairs Center, Mary Jo Herde by email (herdem@missouri.edu) or phone (882-5624). She will also be happy to provide more information about each of these.

A couple of other things that may be of interest to those interested in Pacific Rim culture and activities include:

• “China’s 30 Years of ‘Opening Up and Reform’- Continuities and Change”
November 17 at 7 p.m. in the Memorial Union N- 103 (Stotler III)
Visiting scholar – Professor Lingling Qi – will share her thoughts on China. There is no cost for this excellent program sponsored by the Columbia Friends of China and the Asian Affairs Center.

The Asian Affairs website (http://asia.missouri.edu) has added opportunities for work and study in Korea and China. Several of these are connected to partner institutions of the University of Missouri and should provide a good international experience for teachers, language students, and scholars.

Sincerely,

Sang S. Kim