友爱的文化

国际学生Afeez Abdulrasak和Boyun Kim, the study of early childhood development has always been a passion. Abdulrasak received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in early childhood education from the University of Lagos in Nigeria. Kim received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in early childhood education from Sahmyook University in Seoul, 韩国. 到了攻读博士学位的时候.D.s, 365英国上市官网 offered a unique 程序 they could not find elsewhere.   

Both Abdulrasak and Kim are now in their second semester of the early childhood education Ph.D. 开放大学的课程. 该项目采用队列模式, with a heavy emphasis on seminar courses that promote interaction and camaraderie. This year’s cohort consists of students from Saudi Arabia, India, Nigeria, South 韩国 and Michigan. Cohort students share insights, feedback and perspectives in an environment that encourages support.  

Abdulrasak opined that the cohort works well together because of the diversity within it.

“我们很想互相学习，”他说. “Contextualizing our experiences and environments makes it quite interesting. I want to hear the Indian perspective, the Saudi perspective, etc. Academically we have a way of integrating our cultural perspective into what we are learning and that binds us together.”

Kim agreed that having so many different perspectives within the 程序 has contributed to its success.

“Almost all of our classmates are from different countries — I was really shocked,”她说。. “这真的很有趣. We can discuss not one country or two, but four or five countries. This is our advantage to be able to talk about different cultures and learn how early childhood education policies are applied in different countries. I was also imagining everyone would be better than me at English. It’s really great that we can share our concerns about using English.”

Not only did Abdulrasak and Kim find the early childhood education Ph.D. 但他们也找到了一位导师. Tomoko若林史江. Wakabayashi is an associate professor of education in the Department of Human Development and Child Studies. From placing international students in graduate assistant roles to driving them herself to places because they don’t have transportation, Wakabayashi strives to help those who can’t work due to visa issues and need support to stay in the Ph.D. 程序. 

“Studying in the United States is quite expensive and I didn’t have the financial strength,阿卜杜勒拉萨克说. “Dr. 智子做了更多的努力.”

Wakabayashi partnered with the Pontiac Regional Chamber of Commerce to obtain a scholarship for Abdulrasak. Damany头, chair of the Pontiac Regional Chamber of Commerce “saw in Afeez something positive for Pontiac’s children,若林说. In addition to being a graduate assistant in OU’s Department of Human Development and Child Studies, Abdulrasak is now the first international graduate assistant for the Pontiac Regional Chamber of Commerce. 

Kim appreciates Wakabayashi’s precise planning and preparation for the classroom.

“我很佩服我能从她身上学到很多东西，”她说. “我喜欢和她一起学习. 她在我的研究领域有很多经验.”

同样的, Abdulrasak said he was grateful for the mentorship and support that Wakabayashi has provided him.

“ [Dr. Wakabayashi] has given me holistic development in terms of helping me emotionally, 帮助我保护环境, 在学业上帮助我，甚至远远超出我的需求,他说. “每个人都在谈论密歇根有多冷. 在尼日利亚，我们没有这种天气. 冬天来临之前，Dr. 智子已经帮我准备好了. 她帮我联系了一个人，那个人帮我买了一套冬季装备.”

Wakabayashi credited the larger Pontiac community with helping the international students adjust to life in Michigan.

“Pastor McDonald at the Prospect Missionary Baptist Church went out of his way to get a whole winter wardrobe for Afeez,”她说。. “庞蒂亚克有一种让我们走到一起的方式. 他们是一个充满热情和爱心的神奇社区.”

Wakabayashi is proud of the students who have had to overcome hurdles to be in the Ph.D. 程序. She is also very pleased with how well the cohort works together because “the students enjoy the cohort [and] they are really in it, 一起做事.”  

在获得博士学位后.D.Abdulrasak计划从事教育工作.

“我想成为一名365英国上市官网，”他说. “I would also like to work for the United Nations in UNICEF with children of minority groups to achieve the goal of education for all.”

Kim also plans to pursue a career in early childhood education, 教学生成为老师.”

“I will have a great influence to make the world better,”她说。.

要了解更多关于Ph.D. 在幼儿教育访问 奥克兰.edu/hdcs/early-childhood-education/phd.