A cornerstone of the Center's efforts to internationalize the College has been to bring to campus distinguished writers, artists, cultural figures, and scholars for extended visits. These visitors teach mini-courses, team-teach seminars, present their own work, etc. The Center for International Studies plays a major role in this regard in two areas-the John R. Heath Professorship, and the International Fellows Program (IFP).

This endowed professorship brings to the Grinnell College campus distinguished scholars, political figures, writers, artists and others who will contribute to international understanding in the liberal arts context.

Since its inception, a number of notable visitors have come to Grinnell College under the auspices of this program, including Arnold Toynbee, J. W. N. Watkins, John Bowle, Stephen Spender, and many others. This has been the third year in which the CIS has administered the program, with extremely positive results. The available pool of applicants allowed the CIS to arrange for visitors two years ahead of time, creating breathing room to seek high caliber candidates. For a more complete history of the program, and for nomination guidelines, please refer to the John R. Heath Professorship website.

This program sponsors shorter visits by international scholars and cultural figures, and has utilized by all divisions in the college. There are two basic categories of visitors: those who teach or participate in the campus curriculum mainly in a foreign language represented in the Grinnell College foreign-language curriculum, and those who come to campus to teach in English. For more detailed information of the program's history, and for information on the nomination process for bringing international visitors to campus, please refer to the International Fellows Program website

Glenn Myrent, French ~ Fall 2007
Chinese Opera/Theatre Team, Theatre ~ Spring 2008
Mordechai (Motti) Aviam, Religious Studies ~ Spring 2008
Alexander Militarev, Russian ~ Spring 2008

For detailed information on past International Fellows, please follow the links below:

2006-07

2005-06

2004-05

2003-04

2002-03

2001-02

2000-01

The Center for International Studies also works with other programs in coordinating international visitors on campus. For example, CIS has a role in the Freeman Foundation initiative to bring an instructor of Japanese to campus; the Nanjing Exchange to coordinate our yearly faculty instructor in Chinese; the German Department's Writer-in-Residence Program; the Noyce Distinguished Professorship and the Center for Humanities Distinguished Professorship.