Dr. Ketevan Mosashvili from Georgia
Meet Ketevan Mosashvili, a visiting scholar, professor of Psychology. Ketevan has PhD in Personality and Clinical Psychology and holds an assistant professor position at Tbilisi State University, Georgia. Her PhD research “Meaning – Making Framework: Religiosity, World Assumptions and Posttraumatic Growth in Case of Internally Displaced Persons after the Russian-Georgian War in 2008” is closely related with the problems of war and Internally Displaced Persons. Ketevan is extending her research, now focusing on IDPs and refugees from Russian aggression in Ukraine. Her collaboration with BSU has started from NSF funded undergraduate student research SIMuR project, where she worked with fellow students, providing training in Acceptance and Well-being in the Context of a Different Cultures, Cultural Adjustment vs “Culture Shock”, Meaning Making Framework, Appraisal of Life Events and Coping Strategies. Apart from teaching at BSU several classes in psychology, Ketevan cooperates with the student wellness center. Being a coordinator of Psychological Counseling Center for Students at Tbilisi State University (TSU), she is working on knowledge and experience exchange between the two centers.
Dr. Mikheil Elashvili from Georgia
Meet Dr. Mikheil Elashvili from Ilia State University ISU, Georgia (Republic of) joined the BSU community as a Fulbright research fellow for the spring of 2022. He has earned his Bachelor degree with honors in 1997, and Master degree with distinction at Informatics and Applied Mathematics in 1999 from the Tbilisi State University. Mikheil got his PhD degree in Geophysics in 2004. Professor at ISU, Mikheil is actively pursuing research and academic carrier. Former dean of School of Engineering at ISU and director of the Cultural Heritage and Environment Research Center, he is serving as a PI of various ongoing and completed international projects, collaborating with research teams from the Caucasus region, EU and US. Scientific/Research interests of Professor Elashvili are Environmental Studies, Climate and Environmental Changes, Reconstruction of Paleo Environment, Natural Hazards and Geomorphology, GIS and Remote Sensing, Applied Geophysics and Geo-Archaeology. Prof. Elashvili is engaged in developing innovative Virtual Reality technologies, used in research and education, by reconstruction of historic past and working on virtual museum concept. Currently Mikheil Elashvili is conducting the Multidisciplinary Study of Changes in Paleoclimate and Paleoenvironment and Human-Environment Interactions, actively participating in the NSF funded International Research Experience for Students project SIMuR and working with BSU students through the Graduate Course INTD499 in Multidisciplinary Studies. Mikheil Elashvili is also teaching several classes in calculus.
Dr. Namhee Kwon from Japan
Meet Dr. Namhee Kwon, a Professor of Public International Law at Kansai University, Faculty of Policy Studies, Osaka, Japan. Dr. Kwon completed her master's degree in law at the University of Tokyo, where she also earned her doctoral degree in 2013. Prior to her current position, she worked as a Researcher at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Korea. In 2022, she served as the Vice-Dean and the head of the international committee of the Faculty of Policy Studies. She has joined as a researcher of Institute of Comparative Law of Waseda University from 2020. She has been a Visiting Fellow at the Lauterpacht Centre of International Law, Cambridge University and British Institute of International and Comparitive Law. Her research focuses on international humanitarian law and international environmental law, specifically on issues related to the evolving standards of environmental protection in times of armed conflict and the preservation of cultural heritage. Her current research extends to international legal matters concerning the law of the sea and the sustainability of the marine environment.
Haixia Li from China
Meet Haixia Li, a Senior Editor at China Movie Channels since 2004. This is the national movie channel in China. She obtained her Master's degree in Film Studies from the China Film Art Research Center in 2004. Her main responsibility at work is to decide which movies the channel should acquire to air them with satisfactory audience ratings. She watches numerous films and then holds meetings with the team to discuss which movie copyrights the channel should purchase. Haixia has planned over 300 themed exhibition series of domestic feature films such as "100 Chinese Films in 100 Years", "Classic Films in the 40 Years of Reform and Opening Up", and "Exhibition and Broadcast of Fifth Generation Filmmakers". Haixia has also arranged festival film broadcasts such as "Spring Festival Film Broadcast" and "Summer Vacation Film Broadcast". She has published 36 papers and articles in core Chinese film journals since 2004. Haixia's research focuses on various aspects of the Chinese film industry, including market development, audience studies and the international dissemination of Chinese cinema. During her visit to BSU, she will concentrate on researching the overseas market for Chinese films.
Dr. Antoinette Gagné from Canada
Meet Dr. Antoinette Gagné who is Professor Emerita at the University of Toronto in Canada. Her research has focused on teacher education for diversity and inclusion in various contexts. She has also explored the experiences of newcomers and their families in Canadian schools as well as plurilingual students in post-secondary education. Much of her research has involved collaboration with teachers and English language learners, culminating in multimedia products. Knowing the key role of teachers in the lives of English language learners, Dr. Gagné has been an advocate and activist for improved learning opportunities for preservice and in-service teachers. Her research has been funded by the Social Sciences Research Council, Canadian Heritage, the NordForsk Organization and TESOL International Research Foundation.
Dr. Gagné is also a Killam Visiting Professor in Canadian Studies in 2024 at BSU. She has been giving presentations and workshops in undergraduate and graduate programs in elementary and secondary education as well as in TESOL when she is on campus. Some of the topics explored include 1) culturally and linguistically relevant and responsive pedagogies, 2) strategies for welcoming and creating inclusive classrooms for newcomer students, 3) strategies to support multilingual learners across the curriculum, and 4) critical action research in education.