January 26, 2004

TSU Chancellor to present paper at Cuba

Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr., Chancellor of Troy State University, will be participating in the Fourth International Congress on Higher Education “Universidad 2004” in Havana , Cuba Feb. 2-6.

    The main topic for the program is “The University for a Better World.” Delegates from universities from across the country will be taking part in this annual conference. Sponsored by the Ministry of Superior Education, which oversees all universities in Cuba , the conference is designed in part to foster cooperation between universities worldwide.

    The four-day event will include presentations of professional papers on a wide variety of higher education topics. Participants will also tour several of Cuba 's largest universities.

    In addition, Dr. Hawkins is scheduled to discuss with colleagues in Cuba the development of exchange programs, involving both faculty and students, between TSU and Cuban universities.

    Dr. Hawkins will be presenting a paper titled “The United States System of Higher Education and its Egalitarian Nature: Looking Ahead to New Frontiers in International Education Relationships with Central and South American Nations.”

   Dr. Ray Mayfield, adjunct professor of Spanish at TSU and Associate Professor Emeritus of Spanish at the University of Montevallo , will accompany Dr. Hawkins to the conference. He will present a paper on the evolution of foreign language instruction in U.S. colleges and universities over the past 40 years.

   This will be Dr. Hawkins' second trip to Cuba during the 2003-2004 academic year . He visited Cuba Sept. 7-12 as part of a delegation sponsored by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.