In 2004, Columbia University?s Summer Research Program for Science Teachers (SRP) initiated an international teacher exchange program with assistance from Lithan-E, a Singapore biological education company. (The Columbia MRSEC RET Program, first run by Alison Biuso, integrates efforts with the SRP program, run by Jay Dubner.) Mr. Dubner first visited Singapore in November 2003 to plan this Summer 2004 exchange program. It is believed that in this joint program, the SRP teachers can acquire an awareness of a foreign culture and instructional successes from the Singapore education system and will be able to apply relevant elements into their classroom instruction. In return, the Singapore participants can learn cutting edge research, which they share with their colleagues upon their return home. During the first half of July 2004, four alumni from Columbia's SRP were guests at Singapore?s Anglo-Chinese School Independent (ACS), while three ACS science teachers were hosted by SRP from the beginning of June through late July. During their two and a half weeks in Singapore, the Columbia teachers observed science classes, labs and extracurricular science activities, participated in ?daily? boarding school life and interacted regularly with faculty and students. During their final three weeks in New York City, the ACS teachers fully participated in the SRP weekly professional development seminar series, which afforded them the opportunity to interact with 27 additional science teachers from the New York City area. Plans are underway for a similar exchange in Summer 2005. MRSEC faculty and former MRSEC teachers will be involved in the 2005 and future exchange programs. Pending future funding, the exchange program may be expanded to include Thailand and Australia.


Posted March 14, 2005.

For more information, please contact Justine Herrera or Jay Dubner.

For more photos of CU teachers in Singapore, please see: http://www.geocities.com/newrophysics/singcomrades.html